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vertices  : 


LEGACY 


HISTORICAL    GLEANINGS, 

m  •  * 

COMPILED  AND  ARRANGED 
\ 

BY 

MRS.  CATHARINA  V.  R.  BONNEY. 


WITH     ILLUSTRATIONS      AND      AUTOGRAPHS. 


IN    TWO    VOLUMES 
VOLUME  I. 


ALBANY,  N.  Y.: 
J.  MUNSELL  82  STATE  STREET. 

1875. 


C  O  N  T  E  N  TS  . 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  LEGACY,  WHY  BEQUEATHED  :  Introductory.  A  Modest  Request.  Asser 
tion  of  Rev.  Henry  Ward  Beecher.  Autobiographies,  when  Popular.  Auto- 
graphical  Sketches.  Gleanings.  Historical  Trail.  Our  great  Progenitors,  the  Ish 
and  Isha.  St.  Nicholas's  Day.  OranjeBoven  in  the  Ascendancy.  Dutchman's  Pe 
rennial  Standard.  Santa  Claus.  Henry  Hudson  at  the  Fuyck.  Patroons  of  1G29. 
De  Herr  Killian  Van  Rensselaer.  Village  of  Beaverwyck.  First  House  of  Worship. 
Vigilance  of  Albanians.  Indian  Depredations.  Citizens  Scalped  on  Bethlehem. 
Turnpike.  Commerce  of  Early  Times.  Anneke  Janse.  Hendrick  Van  Rens 
selaer.  Power  of  Attorney.  Indians  on  the  War-path.  Rescue  of  Jesuit  Priest. 
Destruction  of  Schenectady.  Memorial  Painting.  Dutch  Ancestry.  Robert 
Sanders.  Orders  to  Armorer  128  Years  Ago.  Quaint  Letters, 1 

CHAPTER  II. 

COLONIAL  HISTORY  :  Robert  Sanders  to  Sir  William  Johnson.  The  same  to 
Col.  Wendell.  Same  to  General  Lyman.  Same  to  New  Hampshire  Committee. 
Same  to  Thomas  Hubbard.  Gen.  Wolfe  at  Quebec.  Robert  Sanders  to  Richard 
Wibird.  Aunt  Sclmyler's  Mansion  Burnt.  A  Spicy  Letter.  Death  of  Robert 
Sanders.  Christian  Stadle's  Patent.  Col.  Philip  Van  Rensselaer.  Affray  at 
Boston.  Destruction  of  Tea.  General  Schuyler  to  Philip  Van  Rensselaer.  Robert 
Ray  to  same.  Col.  Ethan  Allen.  Firing  from  the  Asia.  Committee  of  One 
Hundred.  Campaign  in  Canada.  Interesting  Letters.  List  of  Officers  and  Spoils 
Taken.  Capture  of  Col.  Allen.  Death  of  Montgomery.  Teunis  Ts.  Van  Vechten 
to  Philip  Van  Rensselaer.  Abraham  P.  Lott  to  same.  Richard  Varick  to  same. 
Daniel  Hale.  Henry  Glen  to  same.  Early  Receipts.  Declaration  of  Independ 
ence.  Christopher  Yates  to  P.  Van  Rensselaer, 24 

CAPTER  III. 

SURRENDER  OF  BURGOYNE  :  General  Hendrick  K.  Van  Rensselaer.  Burgoyne 
at  Ticonderoga.  Hoisting  Cannon.  Battle  of  Fort  Ann.  Van  Rensselaer  Severely 
Wounded.  Silver  Balls.  Battle  of  Saratoga.  Van  Alstyne  Goes  as  a  Spy. 
Surrender  of  Burgoyne's  Army.  Col.  Nicholas  Van  Rensselaer  Sent  Express  to 
Albany.  Great  Doings.  Army  Receipts.  Col.  Wagoner  at  Fort  Stanwix. 
General  Gansevoort.  Han  Yost.  Daniel  Hale  to  Philip  Van  Rensselaer.  Capt. 
Frederick  Visscher  and  Sir  John  Johnson.  Attack  of  the  Visschers.  Aunty  Put- 
man.  General  Washington  at  Schenectady.  Cornelius  Ray  to  Philip  Van  Rens 
selaer.  General  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer.  A  Return  to  Lord  Sterling.  Letters 
from  Yale  College.  Timothy  Pickering.  Gen.  Gausevoort  to  Philip  Van  Rens 
selaer.  Wedding  Invitations  90  years  ago.  Dancing  Assembly  in  1791.  Wash 
ington's  Bon  Rcpos.  Union  College  Committee  to  Gen.  Schuyler.  P.  Van  Rens- 
selaer  to  George  Clinton, , 58 

CHAPTER  IV. 

GENERAL  WAYNE'S  CAMPAIGN:  Gen.  St.  Clair's  Surprise.  Appointment  of 
Gen.  Wayne.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer.  Marching  Orders  from  Gen.  Knox.  Far 
West.  Abstract  of  Sundries.  Commission  for  Captain.  Capt.  Campbell  to  Capt. 

227754 


iv  CONTENTS. 

Van  Rensselaer.  Capt.  Turner  to  same.  Lieut.  N.  I.  Visscher  to  same.  Sorrel 
Troop.  Gen.  Wilkinson  Tests  the  Metal.  Garden  Destroyed.  An  Offset.  In 
dians  Troublesome.  Battle  of  the  Miami.  Indians  Routed.  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer 
Severely  Wounded.  Extract  of  Capt.  Campbell's  Will.  Little  Turtle.  Capt. 
Van  Rensselaer  to  Lieut.  Visscher.  The  same  to  Gen  Wayne.  Several  Letters 
from  Officers.  K.  K.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer.  Henry  Cuyler 
not  Dead. 89 


CHAPTER  V. 

EUROPEAN  TRIP  IN  1795:  Lieut.  Visscher  to  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer.  Fort 
Wayne.  Lieut.  Posey  to  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer.  Robert  S.  Van  Rensselaer  to  his 
Sister.  James  Cuyler  to  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer.  Letter  from  Amsterdam.  Secre 
tary  of  War  to  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer.  Capt.  Webb  to  same.  Lieut.  Blue  to  same. 
West  Point  Letters.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Secretary  of  War.  Capt  Van  Rens 
selaer  to  his  Cousin.  Dutch  Letter.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Church.  Visit  to  Blenheim 
House.  Duke  of  Malborough.  Magnificent  Park.  Wedding  Invitation.  Maria 
Gansevoort.  Abraham  Hun.  Tea  Party, 109 


CHAPTER  VI. 

CUMBERLAND  LINE  :  Terider  Surveillance.  Marriage.  Marching  Orders.  In 
teresting  Route.  Letters  and  Diary.  Down  the  Ohio  in  Flat  Boat.  Fort  Wash 
ington.  Lexington  Letter.  Gen.  Wilkinson  to  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer.  Knoxville. 
Cherokee  Indians  Dissatisfied.  Lieut.  Visscher  to  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer.  Richard 
Varick  to  Philip  Van  Rensselaer.  Secretary  of  War  to  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Letter  from  Fort  Niagara.  Major  of  Calvary, 130 


CHAPTER  VII. 

TROUBLOUS  TIMES  :  Death  of  General  Washington.  Mrs.  Adams's  Drawing 
Room  Deferred.  Funeral  Procession  in  Albany.  General  Hamilton  to  Secretary 
of  War.  Same  to  Gen.  Wilkinson.  Governor  Jay  to  Secretary  of  War.  Gen. 
Wilkinson  to  Major  Van  Rensselaer.  Duel  in  West  Indies.  "  Shoot  him  on  the 
Spot."  Adjutant  General.  Death  of  General  Schuyler.  Judge  Van  Ness  to 
Sol.  Van  Rensselaer.  "  Liberty  and  Equality."  Political  Elements,  in  Albany. 
E.  C.  Genet's  Counter  Statement.  Federalist's  Meeting.  Republican  Meeting. 
Affray.  Gov.  Tayler  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer.  Statement  of  facts  by  Federal  Com 
mittee.  . .  , .  150 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

SPEECH  OF  HON.  ELISHA  WILLIAMS  :  Elisha  Jenkins  vs.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  vs.  John  Tayler.  The  same  vs.  Charles  D.  Cooper.  The 
same  vs.  Francis  Bloodgood.  Awards  in  the  Several  Cases.  Elisha  Williams. 
Judge  Van  Ness  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer.  First  Steamboat.  Several  Letters 
from  Judge  Van  Ness.  Gov.  Morgan  Lewis  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer.  Several 
Letters.  Gen.  Van  "Rensselaer  to  the  Public.  Same  to  William  Simmons.  John 
P.  Van  Ness  to  Judge  Van  Ness.  Gen.  Van^sess  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer.  Death 
of  General  Gansevoort, , 170 


CHAPTER  IX. 

DECLARATION  OF  WAR  IN  1812:  Maj.  Gen.  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer  in  Com 
mand  of  Forces.  Adj.  Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer  as  Aid-decamp.  Departure  of 
General  and  Suite.  Entertainments.  John  Lovett  as  Secretary  and  Military  Aid. 
Interesting  Letters.  Sacketts  Harbor.  Ogdensburgli.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer  to 
his  Wife.  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer.  to  Governor  Tompkins.  Tour  of  Inspection. 
Queer  Night  Quarters.  Oswego.  Niagara  Frontier.  Destitute  State  of  the  Army. 
Head  Quarters.  Gen.  Wadsworth.  Armistice.  "  Solomon  Van  .  Rensselaer's 


CONTENTS.  v 

Diplomacy."  Major  S.  S.  Forman.  Jacob  Ten  Eyck.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer  to 
his  Wife.  General  Brock.  Surrender  of  Hull's  Army.  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to 
Maj.  Gen.  Dearborn, 194 

CHAPTER  X. 

CRITICAL  SITUATION  OF  THE  U.  S.  AHMY  :  General  Orders.  Gen.  Dearborn 
to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer.  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Major  Gen.  Sheaffe.  Maj.  Gen. 
Brock  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer.  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Gen.  Dearborn.  Con 
scientious  Scruples.  U.  S.  Troops  Should  not  be  "Hulled."  Gen.  Brock's  Procla 
mation.  Spicy  Letters.  Contemplated  Duel.  General  Orders.  Major  Lovett  to 
Abraham  Van  Vechten.  Captain  Jennings's  Poetical  Order.  Oen.  Van  Rens 
selaer  to  General  Brock.  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Abraham  Van  Vechten.  Capt. 
Whistler.  Colonel  Van  Rensselaer  to  General  Lewis.  Major  Cuyler  to  Col.  Van 
Rensselaer.  Prisoners  of  War.  Revoking  Sentence  of  Death.  Major  Lovett's 
Letters, 213 

CHAPTER  XI. 

BATTLE  ON  QUEENSTON  HEIGHTS  :  Col.  Marinus  Willett  to  Gen.  Van  Rens 
selaer.  Gen.  Smyth  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer.  "  Rebukes  Gen.  Smyth's  Imperti 
nence."  Proposed  Council  of  Officers.  Death  of  Maj  or  Cuyler.  Col.  Van  Rensselaer 
to  his  Wife.  Preparations  to  Cross  the  River.  Lieutenant  Sim.  General  Brock's 
Last  Letter.  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  Visits  the  British  Side.  Brass  Howitzers 
Recognized.  Invasion  of  Canada.  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  Severely  Wounded. 
Captain  Wool  in  Command.  Major  Lovett's  Battery.  Loss  of  Hearing.  Gen. 
Van  Rensselaer  to  Secretary  of  War.  Cowardice  of  the  Militia, 238 

CHAPTER  XII. 

RESIGNATION  OP  MAJOR  GEN.  STEPHEN  VAN  RENSSELAER  :  Lieut.  Col.  Scott. 
Encounter  with  Indians.  Official  Letters.  Gen.  Wadsworth  to  Gen.  Van  Rens 
selaer.  Major  Lovett's  Interesting  Letters.  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  to  his  Wife. 
Exchange  of  Prisoners.  Gen.  Sheaffe  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer.  Regret  that  Col. 
Van  Rensselaer  was  Wounded.  Offers  Assistance.  Respect  shown  Gen.  Brock's 
Remains.  Brig.  Gen.  Evans.  Several  Letters.  Capt.  Wool  to  Col.  Van  Rens 
selaer.  Governor  Tompkins.  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer's  Public  Reception  at  Albany. 
Removal  01  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Buffalo.  Noble  Offer.  New  Song.  Gen.  Van 
Rensselaer  to  Col.  Van  Rensselaer.  Return  to  Albany.  Col.  Van  Rensselaer's 
Honored  Reception.  Judge  Van  Ness  to  Col.  Van  Kensselaer.  Address  of  Wash 
ington  Benevolent  Society, , 260 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

MAJOR  JOHN  LOVETT'S  ELECTION  TO  THE  13rrn  CONGRESS:  J.Robinson  to 
Col.  Van  Rensselaer.  Dr.  Cyrenius  Chapin  to  same.  Generals  Smyth  and  Porter. 
Review  of  Queenston  Battle.  Challenge  from  Peter  B.  Porter  to  Sol.  Van  Rens 
selaer.  Major  Lovett's  Statement.  Soldier's  Friend.  Maj.  Lovett  to  Solomon 
Southwick.  Robert  Macomb  to  same.  Governor  Tompkius.  Col.  Van  Reusse- 
laer's  Letter.  Encounter  between  Maj.  Lovett  and  Gen.  Porter.  Elected  to 
Congress.  Lovett's  Letters  from  Washington.  Prince  of  Schaghticoke, 283 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

INTERESTING  LETTERS  FROM  WASHINGTON  :  John  Lovett  to  Joseph  Alexander. 
Same  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer.  No  Artist  Represent  a  Deaf  Man.  Enemy  Near. 
Peril  to  the  Capital.  Gen:  Wilkinson  Ordered  North.  Gov.  Tompkins  to  Sol. 
Van  Rensselaer.  Major  General.  Invitation  to  accompany  Gen.  Wilkinson.  Sol. 
Van  Rensselaer  to  Gen.  Wilkinson.  General  Hull's  Court  Martial.  Sentenced  to 
be  Shot.  The  "Albany  Quill."  "  George  M.  Bibb  to  J.  J.  Crittenden."  Col.  Fen- 
wick  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer.  Gen.  Armstrong.  Enemy  at  Washington.  Defense 
of  New  York.  Letters,..  303 


vi  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  xv. 

HONORS  TO  MAJ.  GEN.  RICHARD  MONTGOMERY:  Major  Lovett  to  Sol.  Van 
Rensselaer.  Judge  Van  Ness  to  same.  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  same.  Death 
of  Gen.  H.  K.  Van  Rensselaer.  Gen.  Lewis  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer.  General  Orders. 
Adjutant  General  at  Whitehall.  Official  Report.  Bearers  at  Albany.  Montgom 
ery's  Remains  to  New  York.  Death  of  Major  Lovett.  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Sol. 
Van  Rensselaer.  Judge  Van  Ness  to  same.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  Elected 
to  the  16th  Congress.  Home  Letters.  Several  Letters  from  Gov.  Lewis  and 
Judge  Van  Ness  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer.  Judge  Spencer  to  same, 323 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

MISSOURI  COMPROMISE  :  Judge  Van  Ness  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer  Dr.  Van 
Rensselaer  to  same.  Visit  to  Mount  Vesuvius.  Several  Letters  from  Governor 
Clinton.  Visit  to  Mount  Vernon.  Death  of  Commodore  Decatur.  Judge  McKown 
to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer.  Impeachment  and  Acquittal.  Falling  of  Chandelier. 
Election  of  Speaker  Tayler.  Missouri  Constitution.  "  Rascally  Post  Masters." 
Gov.  Clinton  to  Sol.  Van  Reusselaer.  Judge  Van  Ness  to  same.  Sol.  Van  Rens 
selaer  to  his  Wife.  Henry  Clay's  Resolution.  Missouri  Compromise.  Charles 
G.  Haines  to  Sol.  Van  Reusselaer.  Home  Letters, 344 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

APPOINTMENT  OF  ALBANY  POST  MASTER  :  Tribute  of  Respect.  Removal  of 
Adjutant  General.  Re-election  to  the  Seventeenth  Congress.  Judge  Van  Ness 
to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer.  Death  of  Major  N.  I.  Visscher.  Gov.  Clinton  to  Sol. 
Van  Rensselaer.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer  to  the  Patroon.  Judge  McKnown  to  Sol. 
Van  Rensselaer.  Appeal  to  the  Post  Master  General.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer  to 
Dr.  Bay.  Appointed  Post  Master.  "Billy  Winne  the  Penny  Post."  Resignation 
of  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer.  John  D.  Dickinson  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer.  Walter 
Patterson  to  same ...  366 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

GEN.  STEPHEN  VAN  RENSSELAER  ELECTED  TO  CONGRESS:  Correspondence 
about  Albany  Post  Office.  John  D.  Dickinson  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer.  Walter 
Patterson  to  same.  Alfred  Conkling  to  same.  Joshua  Cushman  to  same.  Fire 
at  Mount  Hope.  Patroon  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer.  Joseph  Delaplaine  to  same. 
Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  Takes  his  Seat.  Suspicious  Persons.  Several  Letters  from 
the  Patroon.  Judge  Conkling  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer.  Joseph  C.  Yates  Elected 
Governor.  Letters.  Death  of  Judge  Van  Ness.  Henry  Clay  to  Sol.  Van  Rens 
selaer.  Eastern  Section  of  Erie  Canal  Completed.  Dinner  and  Ball  at  Albany. 
Gov.  Van  Ness  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer.  Several  Letters, 388 

CHAPTER    XIX. 

VISIT  OF  GENERAL  THE  MARQUIS  DE  LA  FAYETTE  :  General  Orders.  Arrival 
of  LaFayette.  Col.  Elliott  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer.  Gen.  LaFayette's  Visit  to 
Albany/  Patroon  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer.  J.  B.  Stuart  to  same.  Progress  of 
La  Fayette.  Escort  to  Massachusetts  Line.  Lebanon  Springs  Hotel  Register. 
Governor  Clinton's  Visit  to  Ohio.  His  Enthusiastic  Reception.  Dinner  to  Gen. 
Sol.  Van  Rensselaer  at  Detroit.  Speech  of  the  Mayor.  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer's 
Reply 411 

CHAPTER  XX. 

ERIE  CANAL  CELEBRATION  :  Completion  of  Canal.  Passage  of  Boats.  Delega 
tion  from  Albany.  Celebration  in  New  York  City.  Aquatic  Procession.  Cere 
mony  by  Governor  Clinton.  Grand  Canal  Ball.  Several  Letters.  Visit  to 
Queenston  Battle  Ground.  Horrible  Assassination.  Visit  to  Albany  Jail. 
Execution  of  Jesse  Strang.  Death  of  Gov.  De  Witt  Clinton.  Funeral, .' 424 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

INTERESTING  LETTERS  PROM  SOUTH  AMERICA  :  General  Harrison  to  Sol.  Van 
Rensselaer,  and  his  Answer.  Departure  of  Kensselaer  Van  Rensselaer.  Letter 
to  his  Father.  Mona  Passage.  Preparations  for  Pirates.  Frightened  French 
man.  Boca  Chica.  Ship  on  a  Reef.  Approach  to  the  Peninsula.  Castle  of  St. 
Philippe.  Carthagena.  Liberty  to  Thirty  Slaves.  Cap  of  Freedom.  Festivi 
ties  of  the  Holidays.  Further  Progress.  Cocoa  Trees.  Mahogany  Trees.  Crown 
of  Beauty.  Forest  Birds.  Black  Monkeys.  Canine  Justice.  Arrival  at  Barran- 
quilla.  Warm  Welcome.  Bolivar  on  the  March.  Popayan  in  Commotion.  (Jen. 
Van  Rensselaer  to  his  Son, .  .436 

CHAPTER  XXII. 

SOUTH  AMERICAN  LETTERS  CONTINUED  :  Rensselaer  Van  Rensselaer  to  his 
Father.  Visit  to  Santa  Martha.  Large  Red  Monkeys.  Mangrove  Trees.  Fort 
at  Point  Savinilla.  Contest  between  a  Full -Grown  Negro  and  Fierce  Tiger. 
Tigress  Killed  by  a  Young  Nimrod.  Duck  Gunning  on  the  "  Roza."  Adventure 
with  a  Venomous  Snake.  Letters  from  Gen.  Harrison.  New  Anecdote  of  Gen. 
Jackson.  Phases  of  Society.  A  Christening  Concluded  with  a  Waltz.  Cigars. 
Fencing  Exercise.  Spanish  Funeral.  The  Carnival.  Palm  Sunday.  Post  Master 
General  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer.  Thomas  P.  Moore  Supersedes  Gen.  Harrison. 
Strenuous  Efforts  to  Effect  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer 's  Removal.  Gen.  Armstrong  to 
Judge  Spencer.  Barranquilla  Letters, 455 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 

SOUTH  AMERICAN  LETTERS  CONTINUED  :  Sailing  up  the  River  Magdalena. 
John  Glen  Nearly  Killed  by  the  Caraccas  Earthquake.  His  Campaign  under 
Gen.  Montillo.  Antic  Tricks  of  Monkeys.  Crocodiles.  Savannas.  Arrival  at 
Mornpox.  An  Adventure  with  the  Governor.  Gov.  Van  Ness.  Edward  Living 
ston  and  Pierre  Van  Cortlandt  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer.  Plumage  of  the  Macaws. 
Orange  Groves.  Bannanas.  Pine  Apples.  Alligators  Hatching  Place  for  Tent. 
Sylvan  Nymphs.  Indian  Hamlets.  Difficult  Whirlpools.  Nearly  a  Tragical 
Event.  Steep  Acclivity.  Rattle  Snakes  Warning.  Disembarked  at  Honda.  Re 
port  of  Gen.  Harrison's  Removal.  Pleasant  Letters.  Governor  Provides  an 
English  Saddle.  Mounted  on  Sure-footed  Mules.  Ascending  the  Andes, 476 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 

SOUTH  AMERICAN  LETTERS  CONTINUED  :  Halt  at  Gauduas.  New  Tariff  by 
Gen.  Bolivar.  Colonel  Campbell.  Bolivar  in  Peru.  Picturesque  Valley.  Plain 
of  Bogota,  8,220  Feet  Above  the  Sea.  Spanish  Cavalcades.  A  ppearance  of  Country. 
Arrival  at  Bogota.  United  States  Legation.  General  Harrison's  Warm  Welcome. 
Splendid  Rout  on  July  4th.  Making  Calls.  The  Duenna's  Surveillance.  Sun 
day  the  Gala-day.  Gambling  Universal.  Visit  to  Natural  Bridge  of  Pandi. 
Stair-case  Mountain.  Terrific  Looking  Hole.  Novel  Dinner  Party.  The  Belles 
of  Fusugazuga.  Bull  Fight, . . . 499 

CHAPTER  XXV. 

SOUTH  AMERICAN  LETTERS  CONTINUED  :  Rensselaer  Van  Rensselaer  to  his 
Father.  Robbers  Attacking  Mail  Boat.  Spanish  Customs.  Fashionable  Ala- 
meda.  Excursions.  Lofty  Andes.  Gen.  Bolivar's  Country  Seat.  Threatening 
Placards.  Home  Letters.  Serious  Accident  to  Dr.  James  McNaughten,  Daniel 
Webster  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer.  Falls  of  Tequendama.  Arrival  of  Minister 
Moore.  Distrust  in  City.  '  General  Cordova.  Presentation  of  Col.  Moore  to  the 
Spanish  Government.  Speeches.  Gen.  Harrison  Visits  Her  British  Majesty's 
Consul  at  Anolayma.  Venerable  Arch-Bishop's  Reception.  Depositions  at  War 
Office.  An  Ungrateful  Miscreant.  Singular  Conduct  of  Moore.  Gallant  Espousal 
of  Gen.  Harrison's  Cause.  Intriguers  at  Work.  Perilous  Journey.  Passports. 
General  Cordova, 516 


NOTE  . 


In  printing  the  correspondence  which  is  presented  in  the  following 
pages,  it  was  decided  to  give  each  writer  the  benefit  of  his  own  peculiarity 
of  style  in  every  respect,  as  well  in  orthography,  punctuation,  and  the 
use  of  capital  letters,  as  in  all  other  matters.  The  letters  are  faithful 
transcripts  of  the  originals,  and  the  reader  will  observe,  not  only  the 
great  extent  of  the  correspondence  and  the  wide  range  of  topics  embraced, 
but  also  the  abundance  of  new  facts  in  the  history  of  these  men  and  of 
the  times  in  which  they  lived,  here  brought  to  light. 


LEGACY  OE  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 


CHAPTER  I. 
THE  LEGACY — WHY  BEQUEATHED. 

"  Come,  Aunty,  now  tell  of  the  years  that  are  past, 
And  those  '  soul-stirring  times'  in  which  '  loved  ones'  were  cast ; 
Of  early  campaigns  when  dear  Grandfather  fought 
For  American  freedom  so  valiantly  bought ! 

Wlip.n  firm  lipnrt.s  iu«r«  wrunor    as  thr>.  hat.t.la  rno-^d  \vild 


NOTE  . 


In  printing  the  correspondence  which  is  presented  in  the  following 
pages,  it  was  decided  to  give  each  writer  the  benefit  of  his  own  peculiarity 


ERRATA. 

Page    3.  line  10  from  the  bottom,  for  become,  read  became. 
18,  line  19  from  the  top,  for  1847  read  1747. 
37.  line  19  from  the  top  omit  "•  and  Elizabeth  Schiiyler. 
71   line  6  from  the  bottom,  for  came,  read  come. 

'.)!,  line  14  from  the  top,  for  Henry  R.  Van  Reusselaer,  read  Henry  K. 
103.  8th  line  from  bottom  is  omitted  "more  than  20  years  before     and  should  read, 

instead  of  the  tender  age,  at  that  tender  age. 
1()»5,  line  9  from  the  bottom,  for  run  down,  read  sun  down. 
119.  line  (5  from  the  bottom  for  73,  read  80  years. 
182,  line  22  from  the  bottom,  for  on  advocate  read  cm  advocate. 
182,  line  17  from  bottom,  for  suppassing  read  surpassing. 
183  line  «  from  the  top  for  military  poet,  read  military  post. 
184.  Hue  10  from  the  bottom,  for  1S68  read  1808. 
193,  line  10  from  the  top.  for  was  erected,  read  were  erected. 
195  line  17  from  the  top,  for  moved  on,  read  moved  to. 
199.  line  17  from  the  top,  for  Bendedict  read  Benedict. 
211,  line  9  from  the  top,  for  Buchephalus  read  Bucephalus. 
230,  line  23  from  the  top,  for  I  hope,  read  I  have. 
230.  line  10  from  the  bottom,  for  human  man,  read  humane  man. 
254  ^  line  22  from  the  top.  the  word  "  of"1  is  omitted. 
2(50,  line  1  at  the  top,  for  and  take,  read  to  take. 
309,  line  20  from  top,  for  the.  read  he  nobly  re-instated. 
318.  line  4 from  the  top.  for  to  the  securing,  read  to  the  scrutiny. 
320,  line  24  from  the  bottom,  for  1804  read  1814. 
324,  line  11  from  the  top,  for  Wood  read  Wool. 

324,  line  28,  for  party,  read  part. 

325,  line  4  from  the  top  for  their  epidemic,  read  this  epidemic. 
338,  line  22  from  the  top,  lor  Morrell.  read  Monell. 

338,  line  24  from  top  for  Robert  read  Albert. 

390,  liue  30  from  the  bottom,  for  1322,  read  1822. 

39*,  line  2  from  the  top.  for  that  the  one.  lead  than  the  one. 

431,  liue  (5  from  the  bottom,  for  Alden  Trimble,  read  Allen  Trimble. 

443,  line  17  from  the  top,  for  There  read  These. 

450.  liue  2  from  the  top,  for  knew,  read  know. 

473^  line  2  from  the  top,  for  Mompo,  read  Mompox. 

475,  line  10  from  the  bottom  u  to  the  "  is  omitted  (to  the  contrary). 

475,  Hue  9  from  the  top.  for  so  beautiful  read  so  bountiful. 

487,  line  22  from  the  bottom,  for  Hones  read  Hone. 

502,  line  2  from  the  top,  for  morning  to,  read  mommy  too. 


LEGACY  OE  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 


CHAPTER  I. 
THE  LEGACY — WHY  BEQUEATHED. 

"  Come,  Aunty,  now  tell  of  the  years  that  are  past, 
And  those  '  soul-stirring  times'  in  which  '  loved  ones'  were  cast ;     • 
Of  early  campaigns  when  dear  Grandfather  fought 
For  American  freedom  so  valiantly  bought ! 
When  firm  hearts  were  wrung,  as  the  battle  raged  wild 
Yet, '  his  lungs  oozing  blood,  with  complacence  he  smiVd  /'  1 
Give  scenes  of  sweet  peace  where  love's  memories  cling, 
As  bright  visions  of  joy,  or  keen  sorrow  they  fling; 
RelaYe  what  you  saw  in  the  great  globe  you  spann'd, 
In  Japan,  quaint  and  mystic,  '  The  Flowery  Land.' 
And  now  as  from  Chaos,  bright  pictures  you  trace, 
In  my  fond  heart  your  record  shall  deep  find  a  place." 

Hattie  said  one  morning,  "  Aunt  Guy,  you  have  been  now  twice  around 
the  world,  many  very  interesting  scenes  of  that  extensive  tour  are  da- 
guerreotyped,  most  certainly,  on  your  mind  ;  let  the  Legacy  you  bequeath 
to  me,  comprise  a  chronicle  of  the  carefully  hoarded  incidents  in  your  truly 
eventful  life,  interwoven  with  the  traditionary  antecedents  of  our  most 
noble  Dutch  patriarchs,  back  from  the  very  beginning  I" 

Humph  !  Quite  a  modest  request  from  a  pleasing  young  lady  in  the 
budding  Spring-time  of  joyous  life,  to  a  serenely  quiet  Missionary  widow, 
of  over  half  a  century,  in  hoary  and  chilly  Autumn's  sere  decadence! 
I  have  been  thinking  over,  during  weary  vigils,  her  expressed  desire,  shall 
I  acquiesce  ? 

llev.  Henry  Ward  Beecher  makes  this  sweeping  assertion  against  inact 
ivity  :  "  Each  individual  must  produce  something,  must  do  something  to 
ward  benefiting  the  condition  of  his  fellow  individual,  in  order  to  fulfill  in 
some  measure  the  ends  for  which  he  was  created." 

Yes,  we  fully  agree  with  the  clerical  gentleman,  and  are  convinced 
that  even  the  <k  Little  matters  of  daily  occurrence  are  of  greater  import 
ance  in  social  life,  than  great  matters  of  rare  occurrence  ;  and  personal 
behavior  in  trifles  is  productive  of  the  greatest  amount  of  social  and 
domestic  pleasure  and  pain."  Now  as  we  are  fully  posted  as  to  our  duty 

1  "  I  beheld  him  (Capt.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer),  in  a  gallant  charge  at  the 
head  of  his  troop,  shot  through  the  body,  and  with  the  blood  oozing  from  his 
lungs,  still  smiling  with  complacency." — Wilkinson's  Memoirs. 

1 


2  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

in  the  premises,  we  are  also  impressed  most  forcibly  with  the  reminder 
of  these  potent  "  Three  suggestions  : 

"  First.  Go  to  no  place  where  you  cannot  ask  God  to  go  with  you. 

"  Second.  Engage  in  no  business  which  you  cannot  ask  God  to  bless. 

"  Third.  Indulge  in  no  pleasure  for  which  you  cannot  return  thanks  to 
God." 

Therefore,  as  we  propose  keeping  these  instructions  in  view,  we  will 
modestly  yield  to  pressing  entreaties  and  strive,  as  a  graphic  narrator,  to 
portray  "our  past"  in  a  tableau  vivant. 

"  Autobiographies  are  not  often  very  popular,  but  when  supplemented 
by  personal  recollections  may  possibly  be  productive  of  benefit  to  others/' 
and  realizing  that  all  your  sympathies  will  be  enlisted,  and  harmonize 
with  the  incitement  which  finally  determined  me  to  comply  with  your 
flattering  persuasions,  I  have  cheerfully  undertaken  the  pleasing  task. 
Fearing  I  may  not  be  specially  well  qualified  for  this  work  of  delineation 
and  cosmography,  must  trust  to  your  partial  indulgence  to  excuse  any 
flagrant  imperfections  in  not  wielding  skillfully  the  events  portrayed. 

"  The  ancients  emulously  encouraged  one  another,  by  the  remembrance 
of  the  heroic  deeds  of  their  ancestors,  to  vigilance  in  peaceful  times,  and 
to  intrepidity  in  the  hour  of  danger.  Every  thing  among  the  Greeks 
conduced  to  plant  in  their  hearts  the  most  heroic  courage,  by  the  remem 
brance  of  their  ancestors,  whose  principles  and  sentiments  were  the  spur 
to  the  noblest  actions.  The  lowest  Greeks  were  exalted  to  a  level  with 
their  greatest  chiefs  by  a  glorious  death ;  their  memory  was  renewed  by 
the  most  solemn  offering  to  the  latest  posterity,  and  their  images  were 
placed  next  to  those  of  the  Gods." 

The  same  clannish  pride,  produced  by  the  remembrance  of  the  hero 
ism  and  valor  of  our  ancestors,  makes  it  a  precious  privilege  to  a  daughter 
of  the  Van  Rensselaer  family  to  record,  the  "  ways  and  means "  or 
devious  paths,  by  which  its  members,  (together  with  the  greater  part 
of  other  illustrious  personages,  to  whom  allusion  is  necessarily  made  from 
the  intimate  linking  and  iutwining  of  co-existent  events,)  have  passed  to, 
"  That  undiscovered  country,  from  whose  bourn  no  traveler  returns," 
where  "  Immortality  is  their  birthright  and  inheritance."  With  increased 
avidity  and  some  degree  of  anxiety  we  shall  "  await  the  public  verdict 
upon  this  work,  "  and  although  laid  open  to,  we  would  wish  to  disarm 
criticism  by  frankly  confessing  we  do  not  expect  our  first  and  last  essay 
in  "  book  making  "  to  be  faultless,  far  from  it.  In  1831  my  brother 
Rensselaer  Van  Rensselaer,  under  the  signature  of  GYib,  arranged  some 
numbers  of  autographical  sketches  at  the  instance  of  an  advertisement  in 
the  Albany  Daily  Advertiser,  published  by  a  Committee  of  the  Albany 
Institute  appointed  for  the  purpose  of  collecting  materials  for  a  contemplated 
history  of  Albany.  The  communications  seem  to  have  been  satisfactory 
from  the  following  notice  which  soon  after  appeared:  "  The  Committee 
of  the  Albany  Institute,  who  are  preparing  a  history  of  the  city,  acknow 
ledge  the  receipt  of  some  very  valuable  papers  from  an  unknown  corres 
pondent,  to  whom  they  tender  their  thanks,  with  the  hope  that  the  residue 
of  the  information  therein  promised  may  be  forwarded  as  early  as  possible. — 
C.  R.  WEBSTER,  din." 

Clio  requested,  if  it  would  not  be  infringing  upon  any  of  their  es 
tablished  regulations,  after  the  publication,  to  have  his  original  effusions 
returned  entire  to  him.  This  was  accordingly  done,  and  those  sketches 
are  now  in  my  possession  and  interwoven  in  this  record  of  historical 


LEGACY  or  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  3 

gleanings.  "  All  books  are  properly  the  record  of  the  history  of  past 
men/'  What  thoughts  past  men  hud  in  them  ;  what  actions  past  men  did  ; 
the  summary  of  all  books,  whatsoever,  lies  there.  u  The  past  history  ol? 
one's  own  native  country  is  a  broad  beaten  highway  for  every  traveler." 

As  it  is  not  pleasant  to  be  charged  with  plagiarism  I  would  frankly 
state,  in  this  compilement  of  materials,  I  have  had  access  to  my  father's 
letters  and  papers,  with  the  benefit  of  Clio's  journal  as  an  auxiliary. 
And  following  in  the  footsteps  of  assiduous  reapers  in  the  historical  field 
have  also  gleaned  from  General  Wilkinson's  Memoirs;  Lossing's  Field 
Book  of  the  Revolution  ;  Lossing's  War  of  1812  ;  Stone's  Life  of  Joseph 
Brant;  Simms's  Border  Wars  of  New  York  ;  Thacher's  Military  Journal  ; 
Writings  of  S.  Wells  Williams,  LL.D. ;  and  gathered  a  cluster  of  extracts 
with  selections  from  such  other  sources,  which  have  been  grouped  together 
as  best  suited  the  gleaner's  fancy.  Leaving  each  admiring  reader  at 
liberty  to  consider  any  appropriations  of  their  writings,  to  illustrate  more 
fully  what  we  wish  to  detail,  as  a  compliment  to  their  productions,  for 
"  Our  wishes  are  presentments  of  our  capabilities." 

The  greatest  difficulty  which  the  fox  hunter  experiences  when  engaged 
in  his  favorite  pastime  of  reaping  game,  is  to  find  the  trail.  That  dis 
covered,  he  follows  "  the  true  nosed  pack  "  in  its  unerring  course  and 
eventually  overtakes  the  object  of  his  eager  pursuit.  Not  so  in  the  his 
torian's  sphere.  His  chief  difficulty  in  finding  the  trail  of  circumstances 
best  calculated  to  make  his  work  yield  solid,  nutritive  food,  to  be  authentic, 
most  useful,  entertaining,  complete  and  of  course  widely  popular,  is  equally 
as  great  and  onerous;  he  may  glean  diligently  but  he  must  depend  in 
very  many  cases  upon  his  own  perseverance  and  ingenuity  to  trail  out 
and  to  worry  down  his  game.  In  ranging  those  vast  and  unfrequented 
hunting  grounds  of  Memory,  it  is  not  extraordinary  that  many  traditions 
and  viva-voce  narrations,  with  a  "  bit  of  personal  history"  which  used  to 
delight  my  youthful  fancy  "in  auld  lang  syne,"  should  have  been  da- 
guerreotyped  on  my  mind  and  still  adhere  to  my  recollections  in  uncon 
nected  fragments.  Accordingly,  as  these  "yesterday's  telegrams"  of  our 
exploratory  researches  are  received  from  the  great  storehouse,  we  will 
endeavor  to  put  in  a  detailed  account  of  persons  and  things.  Thus  from 
a  mass  of  biographical  matter  we  also  will  select  the  whole,  or  parts  of 
letters  penned  by  notable  persons  and  others  who  are  naturally  grouped 
with  them,  interspersed  with  a  few  extracts  of  home  letters,  which  portray 
the  workings  of  the  inner  man;  giving  also  a  desultory  survey  of  the 
political  field  at  that  period.  As  all  our  needed  Prefatory  is  contained  in 
this  opening  chapter,  and  being  a  first  cousin  of  the  ancient  and  veritable 
Diedrich  Knickerbocker,  will  start  as  so  authoritatively  requested  u  back 
from  the  beginning  "in  historic  gleanings/  Our  great  progenitors,  the 
Ish  and  Isha,  were  created  perfect  in  the  image  of  God,  though  most  un 
fortunately  after  a  time  the  Isha  become  a  "  Woman's  Rights"  convert 
and  transmitted  to  posterity  the  seeds  of  disobedience.  Their  descendants, 
the  great  family  of  mankind,  consisted  of  the  "  five  races  :  the  Caucasian, 
or  white  race;  the  Mongolian,  or  yellow  race;  the  African,  or  black 
race;  the  Malay,  or  brown  race;  and  the  American,  or  red  race;"  the 
lineage  of  these  is  worthy  of  the  parent  stock. 

If  we  put  on  our  "  seven  league  boots,"  after  many  long  strides,  we 
shall  find,  verified  from  the  most  authentic  sources,  that  the  clever  inhabit 
ants  of  Holland,  our  u  Fadder  leindt; "  Mother  England  and  our  sponsor 
France  (who  chivalrously  stood  up  for  us  in  feeble  infancy,  forming 


4  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

the  three-cord  nucleus  of  American  strength  or  durability),  constitute 
our  little  coterie  of  civilized  Caucasians  whose  pedigree  dates  back  from 
the  notable  Ish  and  Isha. 

The  incipient  teachings  of  the  "  strong  minded"  were  clearly  demon 
strated  when  a  few  of  the  wayward  children  broke  loose  from  the  whole 
some,  or  arbitrary  restraint  of  the  good  old  mother's  tyrannical  exactions. 
Enlisting  under  the  banner  of  King  Immanuel  and  guided  by  a  star 
from  Heaven,  "  countless  myriads "  of  our  past  ancientry,  took  their 
journey  "  into  a  far  country."  In  the  trying  exigences  of  our  noble 
Pilgrim  fathers'  first  experiment  in  this  "  land  of  the  free,"  many  of 
the  devoted  baud  soon  found  their  final  resting  spot  in  the  forest  hill 
cemetery  where  the  entombed  dead  reposed  beneath  the  gay  autumnal 
leaves.  The  Mayflower's  passengers  landed  on  Plymouth  rock  Decem 
ber  21st.  "A  dreary  prospect  was  before  them  ;  on  one  side  lay  a  vast 
wilderness  covered  with  a  snowy  mantle,  on  the  other,  rolled  the  broad 
Atlantic,  yet  their  trust  in  God  remained  unshaken  on  those  inhospitable 
shores."  The  survivors  "  acquired  their  perfection  only  in  the  pure  atmo 
sphere  and  golden  sunlight  of  Christianity."  It  is  the  patient  narrator 
who  records  their  prosperity  as  they  rise  ;  who  blazons  forth  the  splendor 
of  their  noontide  meridian;  who  props  their  feeble  memorials  as  they 
totter  to  decay;  who  gathers  together  their  scattered  fragments  as  they 
rot;  and  who  piously,  at  length,  collects  their  ashes  into  the  mausoleum 
of  his  work,  and  rears  a  monument  that  will  ever  transmit  their  renown 
to  all  succeeding  ages.  Indeed  events  are  nothing  without  the  faithful 
delineatious  of  the  impartial  historian." 

This,  too,  is  December  7th,  ST.  NICHOLAS'S  DAY  ;  quite  a  happy  coinci 
dence.  The  annual  return  of  the  festival  of  St.  Nicholas,  the  patron  saint 
of  the  Dutchman,  was  always  to  me  a  jubilee,  a  pleasant  retrospect,  an 
epoch  that  recalled  the  delight  of  childish  days,  when  permitted  to  go 
and  see  the  beautiful  room  brilliantly  illuminated  —  not  with  jets  of  gas  — 
but  sperm  candles,  and  appropriately  decorated  in  festoons  and  with 
clusters  of  choice  ever-greens.  The  walls  were  tastefully  draped  with  nu 
merous  flags,  while  the  ensign  of  Holland,  the  society's  banner  of  ORANJE 
BOVEN  was  conspicuously  displayed  and  graced  the  head  of  the  room ; 
and  from  immediately  above  the  ample  chair  of  the  venerable  president, 
a  large  artificial  sun  shot  forth  its  deep  crimson  rays  with  a  fine  effect. 
u  The  standards  of  the  various  societies  of  the  city,  and  of  the  military 
corps,  interspersed  with  the  interesting  and  curious  collection  of  rare 
paintings  were  really  exceedingly  attractive  to  both  old  and  young.'7 

On  the  tables,  upon  the  walls,  and  along  the  ceiling,  the  notable  Orange 
emblems  were  arranged  with  good  taste.  Conservatories  contributed  their 
choicest  flowers  to  beautify  and  embellish  the  feast  and  shed  their  sweet 
fragrance  around.  "  A  numerous  company*  sat  down  to  a  sumptuous 
entertainment  at  seven  o'clock  ;  good  cheer  and  kind  feelings  were  mingled 
with  pleasing  recollections  of  the  history  of  the  country  of  their  descent 
and  of  their  ancestors  who  settled  in  this  good  land." 

Dutchmen  u  never  do  things  by  halves,  especially  when  a  good  dinner 
is  the  object  of  their  particular  solicitude."  The  bountifully  spread  table 
was  uniformly  heavily  loaded  and  groaning  under  the  richly  seasoned 
viands ;  the  dinner  prepared  and  served  without  fail,  in  a  very  superior 
style  and  decorous  manner  for  the  notable  and  worthy  burghers  of  those 
"  wassel  days."  "  An  abundant  dinner  and  good  living  was  from  time 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  5 

immemorial  a  fundamental  part  of  the  creed  of  an  open  handed  and  whole 
hearted  shy  Dutchman  who  was  impervious  to  innovations." 

The  entire  affair  was  always  conducted  with  admirable  success.  Nothing 
seemed  to  be  lacking  of  national  dishes  :  sitpaan  en  melk,  Jioofd  kaas, 
rolletjes,  hieltjes  en  pootjees,  worst,  krulletjees,  kool  slaa,  heet  en  koud, 
oti-koekjes,  and  other  primitive  luxuries.  At  this  "annual  stuffing 
as  a  matter  of  course  there  were  also  myriads  of  foreign  dishes  : 
sturgeon  or  Albany  beef,  pickled  and  boiled ;  savory  venison,  turkeys, 
pigeons,  pastry  and  dainties  of  all  kinds.  These  respected  sires  "  tenderly 
cherished  the  pious  thought  that  they  owed  all  their  enjoyments  to  the 
Divine  Source  of  beneficence,  to  whom  they  were  finally  accountable  for  their 
actions,  and  gratitude  was  now  uppermost."  The  venerated  Dominie 
invoked  a  blessing  and  then  the  pleased  gormandizers  discussed  the  merits 
of  the  splendid  banquet  according  to  their  own  maxim,  "  more  than 
enough,  constitutes  a  feast."  Yaas  !  yaas  !  the  dinner  excellent,  the  wine 
delicious,  the  toasts  patriotic,  the  fine  band  discoursing  music  most 
enlivening,  all  contributing  to  their  pleasures  and  no  occasion  to  vent  any 
stock  of  spleen.  Abraham  Van  Vechten,  Esq.,  president  of  the  society, 
presided  with  his  usual  urbanity  and  accustomed  acceptance  to  all;  for 
there  was,  in  this  just  assemblage,  a  tacit  acknowledgment  of  his  su 
periority  and  pre-eminence  even  with  his  honored  compeers.  After  re 
moving  the  cloth,  "  Standing  toasts  and  volunteer  toasts"  were  given, 
among  which  :  By  the  president,  "  Holland  the  land  of  our  fathers,  and 
the  cradle  of  civil  and  religious  liberty  beyond  the  Atlantic."  Many  of 
the  toasts  were  choice  and  pithy. 

"  Het  Vaderlandt,  The  land  of  the  free  and  the  home  of  the  brave." 
"  Santa  Glaus,  the  warm  hearted  friend  of  children ;  long  may  he  tra 
vel  and  find  good  roads. 

"  The  fair  sex  of  Holland  —  the  fairest  volume  in  the  library  of  Nature." 
By  General  Solomon  Van  Rennsselaer :  "Gesontheid  en  voorspoed  aan 
St.  Glaus  en  syn  nageslacliten"  (health  and  prosperity  to  St.  Nicholas  and 
his  posterity). 

By  the  plate  of  each  true  born  aristocrat,  (united  to  each  other  by  the 
strong  ties  of  consanguinity, )was  placed  the  snow-white  clay  pipe  with 
stem  half  a  yard  long,  and  the  bowl  of  it  decorated  with  wide  orange  color 
ribbon,  Oranje  JSoven,  of  two  yards  long.  After-the  appetite  was  fully 
satiated,  they  seemed  to  expend  all  their  vivacity  in  the  much  loved  pipe, 
well  stuffed  with  the  fragrant  tobak  as  they  tranquilly  smoked  ;  puffing 
away  the  vapor  with  an  impetus,  that  sent  it  in  graceful  wreaths,  float 
ing  above*  and  soon  forming  an  impervious  cloud.  What  a  solace  one 
whiff  from  that  long  pipe  appeared  to  give  !  The  countenance  had  an  air 
of  tranquility  and  decorum,  as  they  contemplated,  with  evident  satisfaction, 
the  orange  colored  cockade  as  a  badge  on  their  coats,  or  the  same  color 
ribbon  through  the  button-hole  of  some  buckish  scion.  These  good  burgh 
ers  were  happy;  "  the  inner  man  was  at  peace  with  himself,"  and  every 
thing  went  off"  charmingly  as  a  decided  success,  even  though  they  were 
so  far  away  from  the  fatherland.  "  The  inhabitants  of  a  city  built  on  the 
foundations  of  Fort  Orange  have  a  grateful  recollection  of  their  Dutch 
forefathers;  and  a  just  estimate  of  their  quiet  way  of  doing  things,  together 
with  the  noble  achievements  of  an  ancestry  which  can  never  be  sufficiently 
praised  while 

'  The  Grange  banner  as  of  old, 
Still  waves  in  many  a  flapping  fold, 
The  patriot  heart  to  draw." 


6  LEGACY  OP  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Then,  too,  the  good  St.  Nicholas  was  not  oblivious  of  the  "  little  ones" 
either  at  the  Anniversary  Festival  or  the  merry  Christinas  time. 
"  'Twas  the  night  before  Christmas,  when  all  thro'  the  house 
Not  a  creature  was  stirring,  not  even  a  mouse ; 
The  stockings  were  hung  by  the  chimney  with  care, 
In  hopes  that  St.  Nicholas  soon  would  be  there  ; 
The  children  were  nestled   all  snug  in  their  beds, 
While  visions  of  sugar-plums  danced  through  their  heads." 

His  coveted  gifts  were  always  found  in  the  well  filled  hose  hung  up 
so  conspicuously  in  the  chimney  corner,  making  many  little  hearts  joyous 
beyond  expression  at  the  stirring  sight  before  them. 

"  They  laughed  and  they  cried  in  their  innocent  glee, 

And  shouted  for  papa  to  come  quick  and  see 

What  presents  Old  Santa  Glaus  brought  in  the  night." 

But  woe  to  the  luckless  children  who  had  been  disobedient  or  naughty, 
for  a  proper  punishment  and  salutary  mortification  was  sure  to  await  them 
as  a  reminder  in  the  shape  of  a  trim  little  birchen  rod  •  piece  of  hard  black 
coal  nicely  enveloped  in  paper ;  or  a  pig's  tail  dried,  ensconced  under  the 
truly  choice  dainties !  What  a  flush  of  crimson  suffuses  the  astonished 
countenance,  what  a  throb  of  subdued  anguish  shakes  the  sensitive  and 
conscious  little  one  chilled  by  the  failure,  herself  the  chief  accuser  in  her 
credulous  simplicity  and  giving  voice  and  pathos  to  the  intensity  of  deep 
regret,  that  the  good  Santa  Claus  should  have  known  her  fault.  This  is 
not  an  ideal  sorrow  but  a  trying  experience  of  dreamy  yearning  to  the 
trustful  child  as  her  heart  fluttered  with  this  trying  disappointment!  Sad 
that  the  time-honored  festival  of  St.  Nicholas  should  have  fallen  into  such 
disrepute,  for  we  ever  took  pleasure  in  it,  and  felt  a  proper  pride  that  our 
forefathers  hailed  from  the  "  Vaderland." 

In  the  early  part  of  the  seventeenth  century  —  September  1609  — 
Henry  Hudson,  while  exploring  the  river  which  now  bears  his  name,  ran  his 
vessel  aground  on  the  south  point  of  the  "  middle  ground  "  opposite  the 
present  city  of  Hudson.  But  being  unwilling  to  leave  his  task  unfinished, 
he  manned  some  small  boats  and  with  them  continued  the  expedition  up 
as  far  as  where  the  city  of  Albany  now  stands.  Here  he  found  a  large 
number  of  Indians  engaged  at  fishing,  and  from  the  circumstances  called 
it  the  Fuyck,  the  fishnet  or  the  fishing  place,  also  from  the  crescent  form 
of  the  bay.  From  this  he  dropped  down  to  the  south  point  of  Van  Rens- 
selaer  island  and  bivouacked  for  the  night.  In  the  morning  the  party  were 
very  much  alarmed  at  finding  themselves  surrounded  by  a  number  of 
11  the  tawny  sons  of  the  forest,"  but  the  pacific  deportment  of  ^hese  un 
expected  and  certainly  unwelcome  visitors,  allayed  their  apprehensions. 
With  an  almost  reckless  hardihood  the  whites  accompanied  them  through 
the  ford  by  which  they  had  gained  the  ishnd  and  landed  at  the  foot  of 
that  classic  mount  of  legendary  story,  Kiddenhoogliten  or  treasure  hill  of 
Captain  Kidd,  the  pirate  and  freebooter.  "  The  hills  were  then  covered 
with  the  pine,  the  maple,  the  oak  and  the  elm.  The  wild-vine  clambered 
in  rich  luxuriance  on  the  forest  trees,  and  threw  its  graceful  festoons  from 
the  mossy  banks  of  the  river.  The  slender  deer  bounded  undisturbed 
through  the  tangled  thickets  or  bent  his  an  tiered  head  to  drink  from  the 
limpid  streams  that  crossed  his  path.  The  beaver  sported  unmolested 
in  the  bright  waters  and  slept  in  conscious  security  on  the  low  grounds." 
After  gazing  at  the  beautiful  prospect,  the  yellow  haze  on  the  near  eleva 
tions,  and  listening  to  the  musical  birds  they  proceeded  again  by  land 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  7 

together  in  perfect  safety  to  the  fuyck.  It  is  supposed  that  a  little 
trade  was  carried  on  at  the  time  and,  perhaps,  something  of  a  talk,  but 
not  very  much  accomplished.  The  delay  of  the  adventurous  exploring 
party  on  this  second  visit  to  the  future  site  of  Fort  Orange  and  home  of 
the  true  Dutch  Knickerbockers,  subsequently  Albany,  was  not  of  long 
continuance,  and  when  the  intrepid  but  ill-fated  navigator  left  it  now,  he 
never  saw  it  more.  "  On  22d  of  June,  1611,  a  mutinous  crew  took  com 
mand  of  his  ship  after  his  return  from  England,  put  Hudson,  his  son  and 
seven  others  into  a  frail  boat,  turned  them  adrift  in  the  trackless  ocean, 
and  abandoned  them  to  their  fate.  They  never  were  ever  heard  of 
more  as  they  drifted  slowly  away,  and  were  soon  hid  by  the  lonesome  and 
to  them  dismal  nightfall  from  the  gaze  of  their  cruel  murderers." 

In  1614,  six  years  before  the  landing  of  the  May-flower  at  Plymouth,  a 
fort  and  trading-house  were  erected  on  the  spot  where  Albany  now  stands, 
called  Fort  Orange,  and  about  the  same  time  another  fort  and  trading- 
house  were  established  on  the  south-west  point  of  Manhattan  island,  called 
New  Amsterdam.  "  The  whole  colony  received  the  name  of  New  Nether- 
land.  The  first  permanent  agricultural  colony  was  established  along 
the  Hudson  in  1623  by  the  '  Privileged  West  India  Company/  with  a 
direct  view  to  colonization.  A  number  of  settlers  during  this  year  were 
sent  out  from  Holland,  who  were  most  heartily  welcomed  by  the  few  pre 
vious  inhabitants.  Before  these  arrived  the  old  sojourners  had  been 
two  years  without  the  necessary  supplies,  and  had  been  obliged  to  cut  up 
the  sails  of  their  boats  for  the  clothing  absolutely  required.  Their  yoke 
of  experience  had  indeed  been  very  trying,  in  such  an  isolated  situation 
to  the  entire  little  company,  and  they  hailed  with  delight  the  new  arrivals." 
"  In  1629,  the  company  adopted  a  charter  of  '  Liberties  and  exemptions 
for  patroons,  masters,  and  private  individuals,  who  should  plant  colonies 
in  New  Netherland,  or  import  thither  any  neat  cattle/  "  "  The  terms  of 
encouragement  to  those  who  should  send  out  settlers  were  great.  Such 
as  should  undertake  to  plant  a  colony  of  fifty  souls,  upwards  of  fifteen 
years  old,  were  to  be  acknowledged  PATROONS,  a  name  denoting  something 
baronial  and  lordly  in  rank  and  means."  "  They  were  also  allowed  t'o 
select  lands  for  many  miles." 

Our  pedigree  in  the  Dutch  dynasty  dates  from  DE  HEER  KILLIAN  VAN 
RENSSELAER,  the  pearl  and  diamond  merchant  of  Amsterdam  in  Holland. 
"  He  was  also  a  director  in  the  Dutch  West  India  Company  and  deter 
mined  with  others,  to  engage  in  colonization  and  thereby  to  avail  himself 
of  the  peculiar  privileges  and  munificent  provisions  extended  under  the 
charter.  He  selected  in  1630,  through  Wouter  Van  Twiller,  his  nephew 
and  agent,  a  princely  tract  of  land  at  Fort  Orange  consisting  of  forty-eight 
miles  broad  and  twenty-four  miles  long  on  both  sides  of  the  Hudson. 
This  domain  was  granted  to  Killian  Van  liensselaer  by  patent  from  the 
States  General  of  Holland  after  he  had  purchased  from  the  Indians  their 
native  right  to  the  soil,  and  a  colony  was  at  once  planted  here  of  which 
he  was  the  head  or  patroon.  The  privileges  of  the  patroon  on  his  manor 
were  similar  to  those  of  a  baron  of  old  England,  and  he  was  endowed  with 
baronial  honors."  The  patroouships  of  New  Netherland  may  justly  be 
regarded  as  nothing  less  than  an  odious  form  of  feudal  aristocracy  trans 
ferred  to  American  soil.  "  Desirable  locations  for  manorial  grants  were 
purchased  of  the  Indians  '  for  a  few  parcels  of  goods/  De  Heer  Killian 
yestorven  (died)  at  Amsterdam  in  the  year  1645.  His  descendants  in 
America  cultivated  the  soil  and  became  extensive  farmers,  but  were  very 


8  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

plain  people,  as  may  be  inferred  from  the  caution  uttered  by  Sir  Peter 
Warren,  in  a  letter  to  his  nephew  (afterwards  Sir  William  Johnson),  '  do 
not  make  fun  of  the  Patroon's  horses/  "  "  In  1664,  Charles  II,  of  Eng 
land,  disregarding  the  Dutch  claim  on  New  Netherland  and  finding  them 
powerless  to  the  aggressions  of  the  English  and  his  final  usurpation  of 
the  territory,  made  a  grant  to  his  brother,  the  Duke  of  York  and  Albany, 
which  included  all  the  mainland  of  New  England.  Governor  Stuyvesant 
was  exceedingly  loth  to  surrender  without  an  attempt  at  defense,  but  the 
favorable  terms  offered  to  the  inhabitants  disposed  them  to  an  immediate 
capitulation  and  the  province  surrendered  August  27th,  1664,  upon  the 
most  liberal  terms  to  the  vanquished.  New  Amsterdam  was  now  called, 
in  honor  of  the  Duke,  New  York ;  and  Fort  Orange,  Albany.  The 
articles  of  surrender  were  framed  in  a  very  generous  spirit.  It  provided 
that  inheritances  should  remain  as  under  the  Dutch  law,  and  all  records 
should  be  carefully  preserved.  Very  little  disturbance  of  the  existing 
order  of  things  took  place  in  the  Dutch  colonies.  The  colonists  carried 
on  their  trade  as  before,  but  with  greater  freedom;  they  went  to  and  fro 
between  Holland  and  the  provinces  as  they  had  been  accustomed  to." 
Then  too  at  home  a  ferry  had  been  established  in  1642,  between  Albany 
and  het  groen  losch  or  the  pine  woods  (now  Greenbush). 

In  August,  1683,  Col.  THOMAS  DONGAN  arrived  in  New  York  as  the 
successor  of  Major  Edmund  Andros,  governor  of  all  the  territories  here. 
Among  our  family  papers  is  a  very  ancient  Patent  to  ABRAHAM  STAATS 
from  Gov.  Thomas  Dongan,  dated  "  4th  Day  of  November,  Anno  Dom. 
1685,  and  in  the  first  year  of  his  Majesties  Reign  "  (James  II).  Signed  : 
THOMAS  DONGAN.  It  is,  however,  too  long  to  copy,  but  is  one  year  prior 
to  the  incorporation  of  the  city  of  Albany,  the  original  document  of  which 
bears  date  July  22,  1686.  "  Governor  Dongan  purchased  from  the  Van 
liensselaers  a  concession  of  their  feudal  rights  over  the  colony  of  Beaver- 
wyck  and  sixteen  miles  into  the  country,  because  it  was  contrary  to  the 
spirit  of  English  institutions  to  have  subjects  possessing  such  boundless 
rights  as  the  patroon  of  Rensselaerwyckhad,  and  then  incorporated  Albany. 
The  first  mayor  was  Peter  Schuyler,  the  clerk  Robert  Livingston,  and  the 
recorder  Isaac  Swinton.  The  village  of  Beaverwyck  was  comprised 
within  very  narrow  limits.  All  the  houses  at  this  time  nestled  closely 
under  the  guns  of  the  fort,  for  protection  from  the  ever  prowling  Indians. 
From  Fort  Frederick,  which  stood  about  half  way  up  the  present  State 
street  it  extended  in  the  form  of  an  equilateral  triangle,  of  which 
the  fort  was  the  apex,  down  to  the  margin  of  the  river,  along  which 
the  base  line  of  the  triangle  was  drawn.  A  heavy  board  fence  strength 
ened  with  palisades,  inclosed  the  village,  and  mounted  on  the  only 
church  which  it  boasted  were  three  pieces  of  artillery.  This  edifice  stood 
at  the  foot  of  State  street  and  was  the  second  house  of  worship  that  had 
been  erected.  On  the  arrival  of  the  first  pastor  sent  out  from  Holland, 
Dominie  Johannes  Megapolensis  in  the  year  1641,  the  first  building  for 
public  worship  was  constructed  near  the  old  fort  situated  in  Church  street/' 
The  good  Dominie  writes:  "  The  first  year  I  came  here  there  were  so 
many  turkeys  and  deer  that  they  came  to  the  house  and  hog-pens  to  feed, 
and  were  taken  by  the  Indians  with  so  little  trouble  that  a  deer  sold  to  the 
Dutch  was  equal  in  value  to  a  loaf  of  bread,  or  a  knife,  or  even  a  tobacco 
pipe.  The  trade  of  the  town  was  almost  wholly  with  the  Indians, 
though  agriculture  was  also  pursued  to  some  extent.  The  whole  country 
was  a  perfect  paradise  for  hunters.  The  creeks  and  rivers  abounded  in 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  9 

fish;  pike  and  sturgeon  were  abundant  in  the  Hudson,  and  the  woods 
were  alive  with  deer  and  other  game.  The  Albanians  appear  to  have 
been  always  vigilant  in  maintaining  a  guard  over  the  city,  and  no  Indians 
were  allowed  to  remain  in  it  at  night,  with  the  exception  of  such  sachems 
as  might  be  present  on  public  business.  The  several  gates  of  the  village 
were  defended  by  block  houses,  and  the  walls  were  holed  for  musketry. 
At  night  a  watch  was  kept,  consisting  of  four  citizens,  who  patroled  the 
streets  around,  and  provided  with  a  rattle,  whereby  to  summon  assistance 
in  case  of  urgent  need.  This  curious  instrument  gave  the  patrol  the  name 
of  rattlewatch.  Certain  fycrhooks  and  ladders  were  provided  in  each 
ward  for  use  in  case  of  fire.  The  inhabitants  drew  their  water  supply 
from  wells,  and  during  its  infant  weakness  the  city  enjoyed  peace,  and  im 
munity  from  actual  attack  by  the  savages ;  but  any  tricks  practiced  by  the 
traders  upon  the  Indians  were  speedily  played  back  with  fearful  ven 
geance/' 

Though  the  Indians  had  ceded  a  tract  of  their  country  to  the  settlers 
of  Fort  Orange,  they  evinced  so  much  jealousy  at  the  improvements 
which  were  daily  making  in  the  forests,  that  the  enterprising  cultivators 
of  the  soil  thought  it  prudent  to  erect  fortifications  in  the  vicinity  of 
their  clearings  as  a  place  of  refuge  in  times  of  need.  The  cellar  of  one 
of  these,  is  still  visible  under  an  old  apple  tree  a  few  rods  north  of  the 
family  road  to  Cherry-Hill,  in  the  meadow  west  of  the  Bethlehem  turn 
pike,  one  mile  south  of  the  venerable  elm  tree  at  the  corner  of  State  and 
Pearl  streets.  (Alas  for  those  ancient  landmarks!  the  Bethlehem  turn 
pike,  and  most  desirable  old  apple  tree,  with  the  notable  cellar,  in  1875 
are  among  the  things  that  were.  Rail  roads  and  city  lots  have  superseded 
the  beacon  lights  of  other  days.)  In  this  cellar  the  neighboring  farmers 
were  wont  to  assemble  with  their  families  during  the  French  ivar,  and 
from  it  they  would  issue  in  armed  bodies  to  secure  their  crops,  or  to 
visit  the  city.  Notwithstanding  this  caution  they  coujd  not  on  every 
occasion  guard  against  the  lurking,  wily  savage.  The  little  brook  mean 
ders  through  the  meadow  in  question  and  is  the  scene  of  a  tragedy  which 
took  place  at  the  period  mentioned  even  within  half  gunshot  of  the  fort. 
Three  worthy  citizens  on  the  way  to  the  stadt  kcrk  on  the  Sabbath 
were  pounced  upon  by  a  party  of  savages  while  crossing  the  rustic  bridge 
over  the  brook,  murdered  and  scalped  before  the  garrison  perceived  the 
transaction,  and  the  murderers  gained  the  woods  at  hand  in  safety. 
Several  occurrences  of  a  similar  nature  took  place  about  the  same  period 
near  the  castellated  building  on  the  Greenbush  banks.  The  stadt  kerk 
stood  near  the  fort,  in  what  is  now  called  Church  street.  It  was  the  first 
house  of  worship  in  Albany,  and  was  built  on  the  arrival  of  Rev.  Dr. 
Megapolensis.  It  was  a  plain  wooden  building  thirty-four  feet  long,  by 
nineteen  wide,  and  was  used  for  thirteen  years. 

"  The  medium  of  commerce  was  the  well  known  wampum,  or  scawant, 
as  it  was  sometimes  called.  These  shell  beads,  if  black,  were  reckoned  by 
the  Dutch  at  three  to  the  stiver;  if  the  interior  white,  at  six.  The 
petticoats  of  the  Indian  women,  made  of  deer  skin,  were  highly  ornamented 
with  these  various  kinds  of  shells,  gay-colored,  and  wrought  into  curious 
and  artistic  designs.  These  dresses  were  worth  eighty  dollars  in  the 
currency  of  the  present  day.  Sewant  was  used  for  Indian  money,  hence 
its  value  as  trimming.  The  Indians  for  a  long  period  knew  no  other  cur 
rency,  audit  was  in  common  use  among  all  the  British  and  Dutch  settle 
ments.  The  beads  were  strung  on  thread  and  made  into  belts.  The  latter 
were  exchanged  on  all  occasions  of  making  treaties,  and  played  an  import- 


10  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

ant  part  in  the  economy  of  the  Indian  nations.  With  the  wampum  the 
Dutch  bought  the  beaver  skins,  deer  hides,  and  other  peltries  of  the  red 
hunters;  and  sold  them  blankets,  duffels,  arms  and  ammunition,  kettles, 
axes,  etc.  The  extensive  traffic  in  liquors  was  a  constant  source  of 
trouble  to  the  local  authorities,  and  regulations  for  its  sale  were  constantly 
made  and  apparently  as  persistently  evaded.  The  barter  with  the  In 
dians  who  came  to  the  city  to  sell  their  peltries  was  carried  on  in  certain 
houses  set  apart  for  the  purpose,  and  all  citizens  were  forbidden,  under 
severe  penalties,  to  entice  the  Indians  into  their  houses  to  make  secret 
bargains  with  them.  Traders  who  went  into  the  Indian  country  to  buy, 
could  only  do  so  after  obtaining  a  license.  These  regulations  were  un 
doubtedly  necessary.  The  city  was  an  exposed  frontier  town,  liable  to  at 
tack  from  Canada,  and  Constantly  subject  to  surprise  by  the  neighboring 
Indians,  if  they  chose  to  assume  a  hostile  attitude.  In  its  familiar,  social 
aspects,  Albany  continued  in  all  respects  a  Dutch  town  till  late  into 
the  last  century.  Even  a  few  years  prior  to  the  revolution,  the  large 
majority  of  its  inhabitants  spoke  only  the  Dutch  language.  The  court 
records  were  kept  in  the  same  tongue  for  many  years  after  the  English 
took  possession.'7 

Jeremias,  son  of  De  Fleer  Killian  Van  Rensselaer,  was  the  proprietor 
of  Rensselaerwyck  ;  he  died  in  1674  leaving  two  daughters  and  two  sons; 
Killian,  born  August  24,  1663,  and  Hendrick  born  at  Greenbush,  October 
.  23, 1667.  The  oldest  son,  Killian,  being  the  lineal  descendant  of  Jeremias 
and  consequently  Lord  of  the  Manor  of  Eensselaerwyck,  was  married 
October  15,  1701,  to  Maria  Van  Cortlandt ;  from  this  branch  General 
Stephen  Van  lleusselaer  descended.  "  Killian  conveyed  to  his  younger 
brother  Hendrick,  on  the  first  day  of  June,  1704,  the  Claverack  or  Lower 
Manor,  together  with  1500  acres  from  the  upper  manor,  including  Green- 
bush,  running  back  one  mile,  together  with  an  island  in  the  Hudson  river." 
The  New  York  Church  Record  says  :  "  Married  May,  1689,  Hendrick 
Van  Rensselaer  —  young  man  of  Rensselaerwyck  to  Catrina  Van  Bfugh  — 
young  woman."  Her  baptism  was  also  found,  "  daughter  of  Johannes 
Pieterse  Van  Brugh  and  Katrina  Roeloffseri  ;  "  the  godmother  was  Judith 
Bayard.  Catharine  Roeloffsen  was  a  daughter  of  the  celebrated  Anneke 
Jans  and  Roloff  Jansen  Van  Maesterlandt.  kShe  married  Johannes  Van 
Brugh  and  their  daughter  Catrina  was  the  wife  of  Hendrick  Van  Rensse 
laer.  The  second  son  of  Hendrick  was  Col.  Kiliaen  who  getrout  met 
(married)  Arriaantie  Schuyler,  he  had  four  zoons  and  three  doegters. 
Major  Gen.  Henry  K.  yeboren  (born)  den  25  July,  1744;  getrout  met 
Alida  Bratt,  September  19,  1764.  Philip  born  1747;  married  Maria 
Sanders  Feb.  15,  1768.  Nicholas  born  1754,  married  Elsie  Van  Buren. 
Killian  K.  born  1763,  married  Margaretta  Sanders.  Catharine  married 
William  H.  Ludlow.  Elsie  married  Abraham  Lansing.  Maria  married 
Leonard  Gansevoort.  Col.  Kiliaen  Van  Rensselaer  was  chairman  of  the 
general  Committee  of  Safety. 

Power  of  Attorney  to  Abrm.  A.  Lansing  Dec.  1784  ly  P.  V.  R.,  K.  K.  V.  R., 
Nichs  V.  R.  &  Henry  K.  Van  Rensselaer  respecting  the  estate  of  their  Father, 
Col.  Kiliaen  Van  Rensselaer. 

Know  all  Men  by  these  Presents  that  We :  Henry  K.  Van  Rens 
selaer,  Philip  Van  Rensselaer,  Nicholas  Van  Rensselaer,  Killian  K. 
Van  Rensselaer  and  Leonard  Gansevoort  Junr.  do  for  divers  good  Causes 
us  thereunto  moving  hereby  nominate,  constitute  and  appoint  Abraham 
A.  Lansing  of  the  City  of  Albany,  Merchant,  our  true  and  lawful  Attor- 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  11 

ney  for  us  —  and  in  our  Name  and  Stead  to  take  Charge  of  all  the  Busi 
ness  relation  to  the  Estate  of  Col.  Kiliaen  Van  Rensselaer  deceased  to 
bring  Suits  in  our  Names  as  Executors  to  the  said  Estate,  to  call  in  all 
Debts  due  to  the  said  Estate  and  to  pay  all  such  Debts  as  are  due  to  any 
Person  or  Persons  who  have  just  Claims  against  the  said  Estate  all  which 
Acts  and  Things  to  be  done  relative  to  the  said  Business  we  do  hereby 
ratify  and  confirm. 

In  Witness  whereof  we  have  hereunto  set  our  Hands  &  Seals  this 
twenty-seventh  Day  of  December  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  One  thousand 
seven  hundred  &  Eighty-four.  HENRY  K.  V.  RENSSELAER, 

P.  VAN  RENSSELAER, 
Nicii0*.  V.  RENSSELAER, 
K.  K.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 
LEONARD  G-ANSEVOORT,  JR. 
Sealed  &  delivered  In  the  Presence  of, ) 
Henry  Van  Rensselaer,  1784.        j 

A  melancholy  thrill  is  the  result  of  drawing  from  the  files  of  dusty  papers, 
as  found  in  its  appropriate  nook  on  the  shelves,  this  document  showing 
the  intellectual  powers  of  those  who  have  been  resting  peacefully,  for  gene 
rations,  in  the  quiet  grave.  Yet  once,  in  this  now  ancient  domicile  they 
yearly  counted  the  milestones  passed  on  their  road  to  rest. 

My  maternal  grandmother,  Maria  Sanders,  daughter  of  Robert  Sanders 
and  wife  of  Philip  Van  Rensselaer,  together  with  Margaretta  Sanders, 
daughter  of  John  Sanders,  and  wife  of  Killian  K.  Van  Rensselaer,  were 
descendants  of  Rev.  Lawrence  Sanders  who  suffered  martyrdom  at  Coventry, 
England,   1556,  during  the  reign  of  Bloody   Mary.      He  was  confined 
in  the  same  prison  with  Archbishop  Cranmer.     "  A  pardon  was  offered 
him  if  he  would  recant;  but  he  rejected  it  with  disdain,  and  embraced 
the  stake  saying:  '  Welcome,  cross  of  Christ !  welcome  everlasting  life !' 
One  of  his  descendants  writes  :  '  I  always  feel  a  glow  of  devotional  dignity, 
when  I  read  this  last  dying  offering  of  unwavering  faith,  from  one,  who  is 
to  both  of  us  a  common  ancestor,  for  none  suffered  more  heroically  than 
Sanders/      Cranmer,  having  less  courage  at  first,  signed  a  paper  subscrib 
ing  to   the    doctrine  of  the    papal  supremacy  and    the    real  presence'." 
"  Queen  Mary,  however,  with  great   perfidiousness  determined    his  re 
cantation  should  avail  him  nothing ;  but  when  required  to  acknowledge 
his  errors  in  church   before  the  people,  he  surprised    the  audience  by 
declaring  his  deep  regret  for  signing  that  paper.     When  led  to  execution, 
as  the  flames  encircled  his  body,  he  stretched  out  his  right  hand  in  the 
blazing  fire  till  it  was  utterly  consumed  saying:  '  This  hand  has  offended.' 
When  it  dropped  off  he  discovered  a  great  serenity  of  countenance;  he 
died    with  -perfect   composure  :  thus,  the    two  friends  were   soon  again 
together  where  there  was  no  more  sorrow  or  pain.     The  widow  and  two 
sous  of  Rev.  Lawrence    Sanders,  immediately  after  the  martyrdom,  in 
great  distress,  escaped  to  Rotterdam  in  Holland,  the  nearest  protestant 
point  of  refuge  to  the  English  coast.     Those  bereaved  and  terror  stricken 
refugees,  there  found  a  genial  and  safe  home,  for  little  Holland,  with  her 
brave  churches  and  free  people,  backed  up  by  ships,  dykes,  sand-bars  and 
swamps,  was  the  fearless  defender  and  defiant  refuge  of  the  protestant 
world."      And  from  the  moment  a  religious   victim  planted  his  foot  in 
Rotterdam,  or  any  part  of  Holland,  he  became  the  guest  and  protege  of 
this   unique   and  highsouled  people.     It  was  in  this  haven  of  rest  the 
wanderers  were  kindly  received,  entertained,  and  ultimately  settled. 


12  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

After  residing  in  Holland  about  ninety  years,  a  descendant  named 
Elsie  Sanders  with  her  two  children  came  to  New  York,  one  moved  south 
and  the  other  son  married  into  the  family  of  Captain  Alexander  Glen  of 
Schenectady.  "In  1765,  by  the  purchase  of  the  interest  of  both  John 
Glen  of  Albany,  and  John  Glen  jr.,  of  Schenectady,  for  £4000,  Johannes 
Sanders  became  sole  owner  of  the  Glen  estate  Jn  the  present  town  of 
Glenville."  Whenever  the  original  patentees  of  the  surrounding  soil, 
branched  out  into  the  wilderness  from  Fort  Orange  to  cultivate  their 
estates,  a  fortification  was  invariably  erected,  sufficiently  convenient  to  their 
dwellings  for  refuge,  and  strong  enough  to  protect  them  from  the  dreaded 
visits  of  their  savage  foe.  The  first  establishment  of  this  kind  "  over-the- 
pines,"  flourished  so  rapidly,  that  it  was  soon  dignified  with  the  name  of 
.  Dorp  (literally,  the  "  city  at  the  end  of  the  pine  woods  ").  On  each  side 
of  its  beautiful  river —  the  Mohawk  —  numberless  other  ones  soon  like 
wise  rose,  though  on  a  smaller  scale,  and  became  the  frequent  resort  of 
those  friendly  Indians  who  wished  to  dispose  of  peltry,  to  procure  neces 
saries,  to  conclude  treaties,  or,  perhaps,  to  celebrate  their  pagan  orgies. 
"  These  Mohawk  Indians,  were  the  Spartans  of  North  America,  the  head 
nation  of  the  Iroquois  confederacy,  the  chivalrous  knights-errant  of  the 
western  world.  The  chase  was  mere  pastime  ;  war  and  its  surroundings 
was  their  element.  The  redress  of  real  or  imaginary  wrongs  to  them 
selves  or  others,  was  pleasure  to  these  high  strung  knights  ;  and  when  duty 
called,  from  the  three  castles  on  the  silvery  Mohawk,  their  warriors  issued 
forth.  They  went,  zealously  bent  upon  errands  of  mercy,  generosity, 
plunder,  murder,  no  matter  what,  so  long  as  glory  awaited  them,  and  the 
terror  of  their  name  ensured  a  safe  passage  and  hospitable  entertainment 
from  the  Mohawk  valley  to  their  barbarian  enemies,  the  Chippewas  and 
other  nations  from  the  north,  or  from  the  Mohawk  valley  to  the  lands  of 
the  defiant  and  unprincipled  Cherokees  and  Seminoles  of  the  south. 
Alexander  the  Great  was  never  more  venturesome,  in  his  desperate 
marches  into  unknown  lands,  than  these  wily  sons  of  the  forest.  Even 
since  Scotia  was  settled,  these  knightly  warriors  visited  North  Carolina 
on  an  errand  of  mercy,  punished  the  Cherokees  by  an  overwhelming  defeat, 
rescued  the  Tuscarora  Indians,  who  had  been  nearly  extirpated  by  them  — 
and  strange  magnanimity —  returned  with  all  the  survivors  to  their  own 
valley,  and  adopted  them  as  the  sixth  tribe  in  the  great  Iroquois  confed 
eracy  ;  nor  is  that  a  tithe  of  their  powers,  for  three  weeks  the  Mohawks 
held  Montreal  in  full  possession,  control  and  plunder.  Such  were  the 
Mohawks  of  Scotia's  early  days,  and  always  devoted  friends  to  the  Dutch  ; 
but,  they  were  barbarous  after  all,  and  the  whole  white  population  were 
too  sparse,  weak  and  timid,  to  interfere  with  the  chivalric  customs  of  these 
noble  knights  of  the  tomahawk,  blunderbuss,  bow  and  arrow.  There  is 
a  hillock  not  far  from  the  present  Scotia  house,  where,  after  their  return 
from  warlike  or  plundering  expeditions,  they  were  wont  to  sacrifice  their 
victims;  even  so  late  as  the  time  of  Colonel  Jacob  Glen,  a  Mohegan 
Indian  was  burned  on  the  spot.  This  surely  was  revolting,  but  the 
monarchs  of  the  valley,  owners  of  the  soil,  willed  it  so,  and  nothing  was 
left  to  civilization,  but  to  mitigate  or  ameliorate.  And  this  the  Christian 
pioneers  accomplished,  when  possible,  and  many  acts  of  kindness,  which 
according  to  the  accounts  of  the  French  themselves,  were  rendered  by  the 
Glens  of  Scotia  to  parties  captured  by  the  Mohawks." 

At  the  time  of  the  destruction  of  Scheuectady  by  the  French  and  In 
dians,  on  February  8,  1690,  the  Glen  family,  then  residing  at  Scotia,  in 
Glenville,  were  all  preserved  because  of  previous  kindness  to  French 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  13 

captives.  About  five  years  before  the  burning  of  the  city,  towards  sun 
down  of  a  beautiful  summer's  afternoon  (when  the  original  large  stone 
house  at  Scotia  was  still  standing),  a  large  party  of  Mohawk  Indians  just 
returned  from  one  of  their  marauding  expeditions  near  Montreal,  encamped 
on  the  Scotia  flats,  just  before  Mr.  Glen's  residence.  In  that  day  of  abo 
riginal  power  they  claimed  clear  right  to  do  so  as  the  original  sovereigns 
of  the  soil.  The  party  was  in  a  high  state  of  elation  and  triumph, 
having  captured  a  Roman  Catholic  Jesuit  priest,  against  whom  they  enter 
tained  extreme  antipathy.  The  reason  of  this  was  ;  the  Mohawks  were 
protestants  after  their  own  fashion,  because  the  Dutch  were;  and  this 
priest  with  others  had  proselyted  among  them,  and  caused  some  as  a 
catholic  party  to  remove  into  Canada  ;  eighty  of  whom  from  the  north, 
under  their  Great  Agnier,  chief  of  the  Iroquois,  returned  in  1G90  with  the 
French  to  destroy  Schenectady.  Wishing  to  be  absent  for  a  few  days, 
the  Indians  brought  their  captive  to  Capt.  Glen,  requesting  he  might  be 
safely  locked  in  his  cellar  during  their  absence  ;  as  on  their  return  it  was 
intended  to  have  a  jubilee,  in  torturing  and  other  savage  cruelties,  before 
he  was  put  to  deatli  by  a  grand  roasting  for  their  pious  sacrifice.  The 
philanthropic  Capt.  Glen  '  did  not  see  it  in  that  liyhtf  but  (determined  to 
effect  his  rescue  if  it  could  be  done  without  exciting  the  enmity  of  his 
formidable  visitors)  with  inimitable  composure  said  the  Mohawks  were  his 
friends,  and  he  felt  pleasure  at  all  proper  times  to  oblige  them.  Capt.  Glen 
was  aware  of  the  confidence  the  Indians  placed  in  him,  also  of  their  credulity 
and  superstition,  he  therefore  raised  this  clear  sighted ,  well  intended,  and 
formidable  objection  :  "  In  this  case  I  cannot  take  the  responsibility,  the 
prisoner  is  a  priest,  and  priests  are  wizzards,  different  from  a  mere  man,  and 
could  go  through  any  key  hole.  Suppose  the  priest  was  gone  in  the  morning, 
what  then  ?"  He  further  remarked  "  that  they  could  not  hold  him,  the 
Great  Spirit  would  assist  him,  he  was  sure  to  escape,  and  then  they  would 
blame  him.  No  1  can  take  no  risk."  But  one  thing  he  proposed  loith 
wise  solemnity  (giving  the  Indians  the  key)  if  they  would  lock  the  prisoner 
in  the  cellar,  keeping  the  key  themselves,  and  not  hold  him  responsible, 
they  might  do  so.  This  being  satisfactorily  arranged,  the  wretched  clergy 
man,  their  destined  victim,  was  locked  in  the  cellar,  and  the  Indians  left 
in  quest  of  further  plunder,  having  the  key  with  them.  Mr.  Glen  had 
also  suggested  at  a  proper  time,  in  a  quiet  way  and  to  the  proper  ears, 
that  early  in  the  morning  before  day  liyht,  he  should  send  his  team  to 
Albany  with  peas,  to  bring  back  salt,  so  as  to  excite  no  suspicions  ahout 
movements  contemplated.  The  noble  Mohawks,  as  was  customary  after  a 
campaign,  got  their  rum  from  Schenectady,  then  feasted,  drank,  danced, 
shouted  and  sang,  until  the  wee  small  hours  in  the  morning,  when 
exhausted  nature  and  even  their  dogs  settled  into  stupid  repose  ;  while 
the  imprisoned  one  was  suffering  a  degree  of  mental  agony  easily  ima 
gined.  This  lull,  Capt.  Glen,  his  wife  and  faithful  slaves  having 
watched,  the  prison  door  was  opened  with  a  duplicate  key,  and  the  captive 
priest  placed  on  a  wagon  in  a  hogshead  with  the  lower  end  out,  and  the 
bung-hole  to  breathe  through  and  with  a  good  team.  The  wagon  with  two 
negro  men  was  soon  passing  close  by  the  Indian  encampment  containing, 
as  was  supposed,  peas  for  the  Albany  market.  When  safely  arrived  in 
the  city,  on  delivery  of  a  letter  from  Capt.  Glen  to  friends,  he  was  taken 
in  a  sloop  to  New  York,  and  from  thence  sailed  to  Quebec.  On  his  arrival 
he  reported  himself  to  the  governor  general  of  Canada,  telling  of  his 
capture  and  the  extreme  kindness  of  Capt.  Alexander  Glen. 

The  morning  came  and  the  Mohawks  having  an  important  mission  on 


14  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

hand,  rose  earlier  than  usual  and  came  for  their  victim  to  immolate  pre 
vious  to  their  departure.  They  found  the  cellar  closed,  but  the  priest  flown. 
The  shouts  were  awful  and  the  agonies  of  disapointed  justice  simply  dia 
bolical  ;  but  when  the  captain  appeared,  he  only  said  to  his  friends,  "  1 
told  you  so,  I  told  you  so.  Priests  are  wizzards  ;  "  and  they  reluctantly 
responded  that  Condac  (his  Indian  name)  was  right.  Publicity,  after 
such  a  joke  on  warriors,  was  impolitic,  nor  was  it  ever  known  that  any  of 
the  Mohawks  of  that  generation  discovered  the  deception ;  but  this  kind 
act  bore  abundant  and  blessed  fruit  to  the  Glen  family.  Subsequently, 
during  King  William's  war,  or  the  seven  years'  war,  Count  Frontenac, 
governor  of  Canada  sent  out  several  parties  against  the  English  colonies. 
One  expedition,  consisting  of  Frenchmen  and  Indian  allies,  was  dispatched 
for  Schenectady  with  express  directions  not  to  injure  or  molest  Captain  Glen 
of  Scotia,  or  any  of  his  relations,  in  consideration  of  his  humane  conduct, 
and  to  spare  all  his  property.  The  people  of  Schenectady,  though  they 
had  been  informed  of  the  designs  of  the  enemy,  were  in  the  greatest  se 
curity;  judging  it  impracticable  for  any  men  to  march  several  hundred 
miles,  in  the  depth  of  winter,  through  the  deep  snow,  bearing  their  pro 
visions  on  their  backs.  After  two  and  twenty  days'  inarch,  the  enemy 
arrived  near  Schenectady,  and  were  reduced  to  such  straits,  that  they 
had  thoughts  of  surrendering  themselves  prisoners  of  war.  But  their 
scouts,  who  were  a  day  or  two  in  the  village  entirely  unsuspected,  re 
turned  with  such  encouraging  accounts  of  the  absolute  security  of  the 
people,  that  the  enemy  determined  on  the  attack.  They  entered  on 
Saturday  night,  February  8th,  1690,  about  eleven  o'clock,  at  the  gates, 
which  were  found  unshut ;  and  that  every  house  might  be  invested  at  thfe 
same  time,  divided  into  small  parties  of  six  or  seven  men.  The  inhabit 
ants  were  in  a  profound  sleep,  and  unalarnied  till  their  doors  were  broken 
open.  Never  were  people  in  a  more  wretched  consternation.  Before 
they  were  risen  from  their  beds,  the  enemy  entered  their  houses,  and 
began  the  perpetration  of  the  most  inhuman  barbarities,  with  the  most 
dreadful  slaughter  of  the  citizens.  "No  tongue,"  says  Colonel  Schuyler, 
"  can  express  the  cruelties  that  were  committed.  The  whole  village  was 
instantly  in  a  blaze.  Women  with  child  ripped  open,  and  their  infants 
cast  into  the  flames,  or  dashed  against  the  posts  of  the  doors.  Sixty-three 
persons  were  massacred  at  the  midnight  hour  j  the  Dutch  church  and* 
sixty-three  houses  were  burnt  to  ashes,  the  whole  place  destroyed  with  the 
exception  of  five  houses  left  standing,  and  no  more.  Twenty-rseven  men 
and  boys  capable  of  walking  were  carried  prisoners  to  Canada.  A  few 
persons  fled  naked  towards  Albany,  through  a  deep  snow  which  fell  that 
night  in  a  terrible  storm  ;  and  twenty-five  of  these  fugitives,  lost  their 
limbs  in  the  flight,  through  the  severity  of  the  frost." 

"  Symon  Jacobse  Schermerhoru  rode  to  Albany  by  way  of  Niskayune  to 
carry  the  sad  intelligence  of  the  massacre,  although  shot  through  the  thigh 
and  his  horse  wounded.  His  son  Johannes  together  with  his  three  negroe^ 
were  killed  on  that  fatal  night.  The  news  of  this  dreadful  tragedy 
reached  Albany  about  break  of  day,  and  universal  dread  seized  the 
inhabitants  of  the  city.  A  party  of  horse  was  immediately  dispatched 
to  Schenectady,  but  the  enemy,  in  the  meantime,  pillaged  the  town  of 
Schenectady  and  then  went  off  with  the  plunder  and  about  forty  of  their 
best  horses.  The  little  garrison  at  Scotia  witnessed  the  conflagration  and 
took  every  precaution  to  make  good  their  defence  against  the  attack  they 
anticipated  on  themselves.  Before  leaving  the  village,  a  French  officer 
summoned  Captain  Glen  to  a  council,  upon  the  shore  of  the  river,  with  the 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  15 

tender  of  personal  safety.  He  at  length  adventured  down,  and  had  the 
great  satisfaction  of  having  fifty  captured  friends  and  relatives  delivered 
to  him,  stating  the  instructions  received  before  leaving  Canada,  arid  the 
enemy  departed  making  good  the  promise  that  no  injury  should  be  done 
him.  All  these  destitute  ones  were  housed  and  fed  by  that  generous  man 
during  the  remainder  of  that  exceedingly  severe  winter.  He  had  gained 
much  by  good  will.  James  W.  Beekman,  Esq.,  of  New  York  city,  whose 
mother,  Catharine  Sanders,  was  also  a  descendant  of  Rev.  Lawrence  San 
ders,  has  a  large  and  valuable  memorial  painting  at  a  cost  of  $1600,  re 
presenting  Capt.  Alexander  Glen  receiving  the  company  of  relatives  from, 
the  Indians/'' 

The  scene  is  illustrated  with  much  vividness  and  power,  and  reflects 
high  credit  on  the  chivalric  character  of  Captain  Glen.  When  visiting 
the  old  Scotia  Mansion,  I  have  often  felt  the  cold  chills  creep  over  me, 
as  I  saw  the  deep  indentation  from  a  hatchet  which  struck  in  the  baluster 
of  the  stairs,  as  it  was  thrown  by  one  Indian,  who  had  a  quarrel  with 
another,  as  he  fled  up  the  stairs  for  protection ;  it  came  very  near  brain 
ing  Mrs.  Sanders,  who  at  the  moment,  was  coming  down.  It  might  have 
proved  a  sad  circumstance,  but  for  providential  interference.  It  occurred 
thus  :  "  Shortly  after  the  commencement  of  our  Revolutionary  war,  and 
soon  after  the  marriage  of  Judge  John  Sanders  in  1777,  he  and  his  young 
wife  lived  at  Scotia,  while  his  father's  family  resided  at  their  city  mansion. 
At  this  time  the  Mohawks,  siding  with  Sir  John  Johnson  and  other  loy 
alists,  had  removed  to  Canada,  where  a  small  demoralized  body  of  them 
still  resided  at  St.  Regis,  etc.,  they  are  blots  on  the  escutcheon  of  their 
old  heraldry,  and  the  mere  victims  of  debasement,  profligacy  and  rum. 
The  Oneidas,  siding  with  the  settlers  of  the  Mohawk  valley,  were  much 
among  the  farmers,  and  often  located  in  one  of  the  two  kitchens  of  the 
old  Scotia  house. '  It  was  on  such  an  occasion,  that  two  Oneida  braves 
quarreling,  one  of  them  so  wicked,  that  he  was  called  stout  Nick",  chased 
the  other  with  a  tomahawk  up  a  flight  of  stairs.  The  deadly  instrument 
fortunately  missed  both  Mrs.  Sanders  and  the  Indian,  but  showed  the 
Oneida's  fidelity  of  intention  by  the  deep  gash  in  the  baluster.  This 
affair  drew  much  attention  at  the  time,  but  the  lady  would  not  allow 
the  savage  to  be  punished,  and  this  incident  illustrates  that  the  early 
pioneers  of  this  beautiful  and  romantic  valley  sometimes  had  rather 
strange  associates/' 

WALTER  WILIE,  in  his  Ballad,  "  In  which  is  set  forth  the  horrid  cruel 
ties  practised  by  the  French  and  Indians  on  the  night  of  the  8th  of  last 
February,  the  which  I  did  compose  List  night  in  the  space  of  one  hour; 
and  am  now  writing,  the  morning  of  Fryday,  June  12th,  1690,"  gives 
this  interesting  relic  of  antiquity  : 
"  The  news  came  on  the  Sabbath  morn,  "  Our  soldiers  fell  upon  their  rear, 

Just  att  the  break  of  day,  And  killed  twenty-five  ; 

And  with  a  compauie  of  horse  Our  young  men  were  so  much  enrag'd 

I  galloped  away.  They  took  scarce  one  alive. 

"But  soon  we  found  the  French  were  gone  "And  here  I  end  the  long1  ballad, 
With  all  their  great  booty e  ;  The  which  you  just  have  redde ; 

And  then  their  trail  we  did  pursue,  I  wish  that  it  may  stay  on  earth 
As  was  our  true  dutye.  Long  after  1  am  dead." 

We  truly  "rejoice  that  we  are  Americans,  and  feel  proud  that  we  are 
the  descendants  of  Dutchmen,"  for  with  gratitude  and  great  equanimity 
we  can  trace  far  back  our  Dutch  ancestry,  engaged  in  chivalric  achieve 
ments  and  wonderful  acts  of  bravery  in  defending  their  country  and  homes, 


16  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

with  the  liberty  to  worship  God.  We  perceive  that  the  shadows  have  all 
passed  away,  and  the  luminous  track  they  have  left  behind  them,  has  lost 
none  of  its  brilliancy.  Filial  affection  incites  me  to  record,  as  a  just  me 
morial  of  their  innate  heroism,  virtue  and  intelligence,  that  amidst  all  the 
'various  trying  vicissitudes  of  "  soul  stirring  times, "  they  have  undoubtedly 
deserved  the  highest  plaudits  of  honor  and  respect. 

In  this  chronicle  of  past  davs,  the  brave  deeds  and  calm  fortitude  dis 
played  by  our  "  honored  dead/'  in  their  heroic  achievements  and  trying 
exigencies  of  almost  daily  occurrence,  you  cannot  but  notice  that  their 
services  were  of  a  marked  character.  Also  in  what  a  very  remarkable 
manner  God  smiled  upon,  and  prospered  our  army  and  fleet ;  .emancipating 
from  thralldom  those  who  were  willing  to  encounter  the  troubles  incident 
to  that  fearful  struggle,  thus  proving  the  American  people  would  "  never 
consent  to  a  semblance  of  monarchical  government  but  only  to  be  governed 
by  just  law."  A  generation  and  more  has  passed  away  since  those  thrilling 
events  midst  scenes  of  peril  during  the  revolutionary  war,  and  war  with 
England  ]  and  thousands  who  could  boast  of  a  venerable  aggregate  of 
years,  and  were  cognizant  of  the  very  important  services  rendered  by  our 
"  loved  ones,"  have  also  become  tenants  of  the  silent  tomb.  "  It  is  time 
that  the  reminiscences  of  the  pioneers  were  gathered  together,  before  the 
last  of  them  shall  have  passed  away,  for  one  by  one  the  landmarks  are 
falling  and  the  records  of  memory  are  fast  being  obliterated,  leaving  little 
enough  to  be  gleaned  at  the  present  time.  Much  that  transpired  in  the 
American  revolution  in  the  great  struggle  with  England  for  American 
nationality  when  the  halter  and  not  the  laurel  was  the  promised  meed  of 
patriotic  daring,  are  already  lost  and  forgotten  in  the  quiet  graves  of  their 
authors.  Time  is  leaving  sad  and  mournful  testimonies  of  the  havoc 
which  death  is  making  in  the  old  generation.  Much  valuable  information 
relating  to  the  '  time-yellowed  documents  '  and  early  chronicles  of  old 
Albany  and  its  ancient  families  could  only  be  obtained  from  '  those  honored 
relics  of  the  past/  and  with  their  decease  will  inevitably  perish  every 
memorial,  tradition,  reminiscence,  and  important  historic  facts  connected 
in  a  tender  veneration  with  the  colonial  chronicles  of  the  country  and  the 
ancestral  records  of  families."  Therefore  "  let  us  garner  up  our  notices  of 
past  ages,  and  preserve  them  in  the  archives  of  the  country  :  we  shall 
please  and  instruct  ourselves  by  so  doing,  and  make  posterity  lastingly 
indebted  to  us  for  the  deed."  These  details,  however,  even  when  "  penned 
under  the  most  favorable  auspices,"  are  not  always  satisfactory.  "  What 
pleases  one  will  not  always  please  another,  and  that  which  some  readers 
would  be  most  desirous  to  retain  would  possibly  be  the  first  rejected  by 
others;  portions  may  be  too  prolix  to  suit  fastidious  tastes."  But  "  Degustibus 
non  est  disputandum"  so  we  will  decidedly  give  the  precedency  to  a  few 
antiquated  family  letters,  a  relic  of  the  "  genuine  Knickerbockers,"  they 
will  serve  to  reunite  the  thread  of  generations,  which  has  been  deeply 
buried  in  the  rubbish  of  years.  I  prefer  to  transcribe  the  literal  speci 
mens  out  of  a  host  of  correspondence  —  so  intensely  interesting  as  to  be 
difficult  to  make  a  selection  —  without  correction  though  frequently  abbre 
viated.  Since  that  time  orthography  has  undergone  great  revisions  and 
superfluous  letters  have  been  discarded.  Dividing  sentences  by  points  or 
pauses  was  but  little  understood,  while  capital  letters  were  constantly  in 
troduced  to  make  the  meaning  more  effective,  yet  in  a  couple  of  centuries, 
our  present  lexicons  may  seem  very  antiquated,  and  our  orthography 
quite  as  obsolete. 

The  venerable  patriarch  on  our  maternal  side,  ROBERT  SANDERS,  was 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  17 

born  in  Schenectady  July  15th,  1705.  He  was  married  January  10,  1747, 
to  Elizabeth  Schuyler  daughter  of  COL.  PETER  SCUUYLER,  the  first  mayor 
of  Albany.  Colonel  Peter  Schuyler  was  also  the  grandfather  of  Gen. 
Philip  Schuyler.  He  was  called  Quider  by  the  Indians,  instead  of  Peter, 
which  they  could  not  pronounce  ;  "  his  influence  over  them  was  so  great, 
whatever  he  recommended  or  disapproved,  had  the  force  of  law/'  In 
times  of  unusual  danger,  or  cases  in  which  both  English  and  the  Five  na 
tions  were  interested,  Peter  Schuyler,  who  was  a  man  of  sound  judgment 
and  great  moderation,  conducted  councils  with  the  Indians  at  Albany. 
"  Lieut,  Robert  Sanders,  a  member  of  the  Albany  Convention,  the  highest 
official  body  in  the  province,  was  commander  of  Indian  forces;  his  sagacity 
and  true  knowledge  of  Indian  character,  hud  called  him  to  this  office.  Robert 
Sanders  was  one  of  those  highly  trusted  messengers  sent  with  all  possible 
speed  to  Onondaga,  that  especial  care  should  be  taken  to  state  in  the 
Indian's  General  Council  at  Ouondaga  l  that  Albany  is  the  prefixed  house 
to  treat  and  speak  with  all  sorts  of  people,  and  tbose  who  strive  to  make 
peace  or  cession  with  the  French,  must  be  looked  upon  as  persons  who 
design  to  make  a  breach  in  the  silver  covenant  chain  which  has  so  many 
years  been  kept  inviolable  with  the  government,  Arnout  Cornelise  ac 
companied  Lieut.  Sanders."  Mr.  Sanders  was  a  true  philanthropist;  no 
man  had  broader  sympathies,  or  could  have  been  more  devoted  to  the  in 
terests  of  his  distracted  country.  His  energy,  prudence  and  judicious  ad 
justment  of  abstruse  points,  together  with  his  marvelous  activity,  was  seen 
in  the  labors  of  his  every  day  life.  lie  loved  the  soil  that  gave  him  birth, 
and  we  reverence  him  for  his  efforts  to  advance  the  interests  of  the  land. 

"  December,  1669,  Robert  Sanders  paid  9  gilders,  16  stivers  [about  four 
dollars]  for  the  use  of  the  great  pall  at  the  burial  of  his  mother,  Maria 
Wendell.  In  April,  1682,  Robert  Sanders's  wife  was  paid  36  gilders  for 
9  cans  Canary  wine  for  sacramental  use  in  the  old  church  of  Dominie 
G.  Schaats.  The  acting  deacon  in  1683  for  the  year  was  Peter  Schuyler. 
In  1693  Hendrick  Van  Reusselaer  officiated  and  carried  round  the  kerk 
sackie  or  collection  bag."  September  30,  1715,  Grandmama's  Journal 
says:  "The  first  child  was  baptised  in  the  new  church,  E.  V.  Augen; 
the  widow  of  Jonas  Oothout,  at  the  Flats,  and  died  and  was  buried  fryday, 
the  28th  feb'y  1806.  The  last  Service  the  bell  of  the  old  church  did  was 
for  her  funeral  in  the  Old  Church.  She  was  90  years,  5  months  in 
Sept.  1805."  A  funeral  appeared  more  like  a  festival,  than  the  solemn  se 
pulture  of  the  dead ;  it  was  the  custom  to  provide  refreshments  at  funerals, 
a  practice  which  continued  in  vogue  for  one  hundred  years,  and  even  as  late 
as  1825.  Koekjes  (small,  sweet  cakes),  were  carried  round  at  such  times  in 
large  baskets.  Wine  was  carried  out  in  pails,  freely  drank,  and  many  would 
go  home  from  a  funeral  drunk.  The  reason  for  it  was  given  that,  its  inhabit 
ants  were  sparsedly  settled  over  a  large  territory,  and  many  had  to  go  a  great 
distance  to  attend  funerals.1  Smoking,  too,  was  an  attendant  on  the  prevail 
ing  habit  as  the  following  order  from  Col.  Dl.  Claus  will  show  : 

«  gir  .  "  Monday,  27th  May,  1770. 

"  I  have  sent  the  bearer  for  four  dozen  of  Pipes  and  a  few  pounds  of  Tobacco, 
for  the  burial  of  Mr.  Raworth's  child  wh'  please  to  charge  me.  To  Maj'r 
Jelles  Fonda.  D.  CLAUS." 

1  "  Schoerie,  March  29, 1738.  Then  Received  of  John  Scliuyler  the  sum  of  Twenty 
Shilings  for  the  five  galing  (gallons)  of  Rum  at  the  Bearing  (burying)  of  Maria 
Bratt.  Reed  by  me,  John  Lawyer." 

3 


18  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

"  It  is  notorious  that  men  did  not  always  write  their  own  names  correctly 
in  these  early  times  and  they  knew  nothing  in  reference  to  philology/' 

An  Order  given  128  years  since  to  return  the  money  advanced  by  Robert  Sanders. 

Exchange  for  £91.  3.  4  sterling.  ^^™  ^  daJ  Dec.,  ^^- 

At  Thirty  days  Sight  (or  as  soon  as  Money  shall  be  raised  By  the  Par 
liament  to  pay  the  Officers  &  Soldiers  raised  for  the  '  Late  Intended 
Expedition  against  Canada.')  Be  Pleased  to  pay  this  my  Fourth  Bill 
(first,  Second  &  Third  of  the  same  Tenor  and  Date  not  Paid)  Unto  Messrs 
Storke  &  Champion,  or  order  the  sum  of  Ninety-one  Pounds,  Three 
Shillings,  &  four  pence.  Subject  to  the  usual  Stoppage  or  Deduction 
made  at  the  pay  office,  Value  lieceived  of  ROBERT  SANDERS,  it  Being 
my  full  pay  as  an  Ensign  of  foot  in  Col.  Joseph  Dwights  Regiment  for 
the  Expedition  aforesd  as  certificate  on  the  other  side  may  more  fully 
appear. 

To  The  Right  Honble  the  STEPHEN  KING. 

Paymaster  General  of  his  Majesties  Forces. 
Colony  of  Neio  England. 

Pursuant  to  His  Majesty's  Commands,  signified  to  us  dated  the  30th 
July,  1847,  to  defray  the  expenses  of  the  Troops  raised  for  the  Late  In 
tended  Expedition  against  Canada,  and  settling  the  Pay  due  to  them. 
We  do  hereby  Certify  the  Right  Honorable  the  Paymaster  General  of 
His  Majesty's  Forces,  That  Stephen  King  Gentlem"  was  an  Ensign  of 
Foot  in  Colonel  Joseph  Dwight's  Regiment,  raised  within  the  Province 
of  the  Massachusets  Bay  for  the  said  Expedition  ;  and,  that  there  is  due 
to  him  for  his  Paj» ninety-one  pounds,  three  shillings  &'four  pence  Sterff 
for  which  we  have  given  him  this  Certificate,  till  Money  shall  be  raised 
by  Parliament  for  paying  of  the  Officers  and  Soldiers  levied  for  the  said 
Expedition,  and  defraying  all  other  Expenses  thereof :  Which  Certificate 
is  to  Entitle  him  to  the  full  Sum  above  Specified.  Subject  to  the  Usual 
Stoppages  or  Deductions  made. 

Given  under  Our  Hands  this  17th  day  of  November,  1747. 

(Wen)  Shirley.  CHAS'  BOWLES. 

In  April  1748  the  war  was  ended  by  the  treaty  of  peace  signed  at  Aix- 
la-Chapelle  "  by  which  restitution  was  made,  on  both  sides,  of  all  places 
taken  during  the  hostilities,  and  the  colony  enjoyed  a  period  of  general 
tranquillity.  The  inhabitants  vigorously  pursued  the  arts  of  peace,  and 
by  industry,  economy  and  enterprise,  repaired,  in  a  great  measure,  the 
losses  sustained  in  the  preceding  war.  But  no  sooner  was  peace  con 
cluded,  than  the  English  parliament  resumed  the  plan  of  taxing  the  colo 
nies ;  and  to  justify  their  attempts,  said,  that  the  money  to  be  raised  was 
that  the  colonies  might  erect  fortifications,  raise  troops,  etc.,  with  power 
to  draw  on  the  British  treasury  to  defray  the  expense  of  the  same,  theivhole 
ultimately  to  be  reimbursed  by  ataxfrom  the  mother  country  on  the  colonies. 
This  plan  was  objected  to  by  the  sagacious  Franklin  who  said  the  Ame 
ricans  would  never  submit  to  a  tax  that  would  render  them  servile.  In 
1750,  the  entries  at  New  York  were  two  hundred  and  thirty-two,  and  the 
clearances  two  hundred  and  eighty-six.  Above  six  thousand  tons  of  pro 
visions,  chiefly  flour,  were  exported,  besides  large  quantities  of  grain,  but 
unfortunately  the  flour  for  the  present  seemed  to  rank  among  tha  worth 
less  treasures  owing  to  stringent  restraints." 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  19 

Henry  0.  Boyart  to  Robert  Sanders. 
«gjr  "  Kingston,  Jamaica,  2d  October,  1753. 

Your  Thirty-two  Barrels  Flour  which  you  were  pleas'd  to  address  me 
with,  I  receiv'd  pr  Capt.  Thomas  Hill,  which  I'm  Sorry  to  acquaint  you  are 
come  toa Deplorable  Markett  have  now  about  three  Hundred  Barrels  Flour 
of  my  first  Cargo  on  hand,  &  see  no  Prospect  of  Markett  rising  so  that  I 
fear  will  be  obliged  to  Stay  here  the  Winter  without  being  able  to  En 
courage  my  Friends  to  Ship  me  a  Cask  of  Goods  however  if  Times  shoul'd 
take  a  Turn  shall  make  bold  to  ask  your  further  Favours.  This  being  the 
Needful  beg  leave  to  assure  you  that  none  will  be  more  ready  to  Serve 
you  than  "  Sir  Your  Obedt. 

"  Humble  Servt, 

"  HENRY  C.  BOGART. 

"  Fine  Flour  17s.  Qd  to  20s.  Common  12s.  to  12s.  Qd.  Bread  11s.  to  12s. 
Pork  75s.  Beef  30s.  Hams  Qd.  to  Qicl.  Sugar  28s.  to  32s.  Qd.  Ruin  3s.  V2d. 
to  3s.  3</. 

"  To  Mr.  Robert  Sanders,  Esq.  In  Albany." 

"  Peace  was  of  short  duration.  The  French  possessed  Canada  and 
made  encroachments  upon  the  English  possessions  and  mutual  injuries 
succeeded.  They  took  pains  to  secure  the  friendship  and  assistance  of 
the  natives  and  by  their  measures  excited  a  jealousy  in  the  English  nation, 
which  soon  broke  forth  in  open  war.  The  next  year  several  expeditions 
were  undertaken  in  America  against  the  French  but  all  were  not  success 
ful.  In  1755,  General  Braddock  marched  against  Fort  Du  Quesue,  but 
in  penetrating  through  the  wilderness,  he  fell  into  an  ambuscade,  suffered 
a  total  defeat  and  he  was  killed.  A  part  of  his  troops  were  saved  by 
flight  under  the  conduct  of  Col.  George  Washington.  This  ill  success, 
and  other  equally  disastrous  enterprises,  left  the  English  settlements  in 
America  exposed  to  the  depredations  of  both  the  French  and  Indians. 
Fort  Edward  was  built  this  year  and  6000  troops  stationed  there;  it  was 
a  military  post  of  considerable  importance  and  was  at  first  called  Fort 
Lyman  in  honor  of  General  Lyman  who  superintended  its  erection.  On 
September  8th,  the  celebrated  battle  of  Lake  George  was  fought  between 
the  provincial  troops  under  Major  Gen.  Johnson,  aided  by  a  body  of  In 
dians  under  Heudrick,  the  Mohawk  chieftain,  and  a  body  of  French  Cana 
dians  and  Indians.  Gen.  Johnson  proposed  to  divide  his  forces  into  three 
parties.  Hendrick  took  three  sticks,  and  putting  them  together,  said  to 
him  :  '  Put  these  together,  and  you  can't  break  them.  Take  them  one  by 
one,  and  you  will  break  them  easily/  The  hint  succeeded  and  llendrick's 
sticks  saved,  the  party,  but  the  Indian  warrior,  Hendrick,  was  slain.  On 
June  9,  1756,  war  was  declared  between  England  and  France,  it  was 
called  the  Seven  Years  War;  the  colonies  furnished  supplies  of  men  and 
money  to  carry  on  the  war,  but  the  riyht  to  tax  was  not  allowed." 

We  select  the  following  record  of  an  early  order  from  the  military  ac 
counts,  together  with  extracts  from  letters  to  my  maternal  great  grand 
sire,  ROBERT  SANDERS,  being  119  years  old;  they  contain  interesting 
items  of  this  early  French  and  Indian  war. 

"  Recd  this  6th  July,  1756,  from  Robert  Sanders  Twenty  Inch  White 
pine  Boards  for  the  use  of  The  Massachusetts  forces.  I  say  Rec'1  pr  Me. 

"  DAN  HILL." 


20  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

,    Robert  &  Richard  Ray  to  Robert  Sanders. 
c<  Dear  Sir>  "  New  York  Jany.  25,  1757. 

"Your  always  agreable  favour  of  the  12  Instant  pr  :  Mr.  Tenbroeck  we 
Duly  Reed  as  also  one  hundred  pounds  in  Cash  which  you  sent  down 
pr :  him  for  which  we  have  given  him  a  Receipt  and  have  Credited  you 
•therefore:  we  have  not  been  able  yet.  to  find  a  bill  Exch  :  of  £30-  or  £40- 
Sterg :  or  should  have  purchased  it  to  send  to  Mr.  Bonbonous  as  you  de 
sired  :  we  have  now  in  the  harbour  Capt :  Garrisons'  Snow  and  a  packet 
who  will  both  Sail  for  London  in  about  three  weeks :  in  which  time  We 
shall  endeavour  to  get  such  a  bill :  but  if  it  should  fail  :  shall  then  send 
one  of  £50-  Ster'g  as  we  Can  always  have  them  of  that  Sum :  unless  you 
should  in  the  mean-time  order  the  Contrary  that  fifty  pound  would  be 
more  than  you  would  Chuse :  but  we  think  ten  pound  more  Could  not  be 
amiss,  the  three  pipes  of  wine  formerly  mentioned  to  you  we  have  Bought 
at  £23  :  10  :  pr :  pipe  and  we  Realy  think  them  as  good  as  them  sent 
you  last  fall,  observe  what  you  Say  in  Respect  to  your  Pork:  and  that 
you  would  not  have  Bought  it  had  you  known  of  the  prohibition  laid  on 
provis :  from  home  which  we  well  believe  :  and  are  Sorry  you  medled 
with  it :  we  gave  you  Notice  of  the  prohibition  as  soon  as  we  knew  it : 
but  as  it  is  now  so  it  Can't  be  helped :  and  as  you  now  give  us  order  to 
barter  sd  :  pork  for  Rum  &c  :  you  may  depend  on  our  best  endeavour 
therewith :  the  same  as  though  you  were  here  yourself  to  do  it :  unless 
you  should  order  it  to  Antigua  as  we  Recommended  you  in  our  last  pr  : 
the  post ;  at  present  here  is  little  or  no  business  done,  no  provisions  bought 
or  sold  :  that  Cannot  at  present  Inform  you  of  any  price,  observe  what 
you  Say  in  Regard  to  Mr.  Spencer  :  Depend  when  any  thing  Can  be  done 
in  that  Affair  shall  take  Care  not  to  neglect  it :  are  Very  Sorry  to  hear 
your  Father  [Barent  Sanders]  and  my  Elsie's  Father  Continues  poorly 
[Richard  Ray  married  Elsie  Sanders]  hope  the  Lord  will  support  him  in 
his  Sickness  and  give  him  an  Easy  and  happy  change  :  the  letters  Inclos'd 
for  Mr.  Franks  etc.,  shall  be  duly  forwarded.  As  your  Brother  John  and 
you  have  a  great  many  goods  with  us  in  Store  :  please  to  let  us  know  by 
who  you  would  have  them  sect  in  the  Spring.  We  are  now  to  Inform, 
you  that  a  few  days  ago  we  have  unexpectedly  Ingaged  in  Common  with 
Seven  Merchants  to  purchase  a  Vessel  for  a  Certain  Voyage  and  have 
agreed  to  put  on  board  £500  :  ster:g  Cargo  each  owner  ;  the  Vessel  is 
already  bought :  this  Resolution  we  Could  not  have  so  Suddenly  under 
taken  had  it  not  been  for  a  dependance  on  you  for  great  part  of  the  money  : 
and  this  dependance  we  fixed  on  you  from  yours  of  the  7th  Septr :  which 
Accompanied  your  Chest  now  in  our  house  :  in  which  you  Say  was  a  large 
Sum  of  Money  and  desired  us  to  put  some  out  to  good  hands  at  6  per  cl : 
as  such  we  shall  now  want  from  you  Eight  hundred  pounds  Currency  say 
£800  : — : —  So  we  desire  you  will  send  down  the  key  of  S;1  Chest  by 
the  Return  of  the  post :  and  we  will  joyntly  give  and  send  you  our  obli 
gation  for  the  above  Sum :  and  will  Repay  you  the  money  any  time  on 
three  months  Notice.  You  may  Depend  your  Money  is  quite  Safe  in  our 
hands  :  as  we  are  determined  to  Insure  our  whole  Interest  as  Such  large  Sums 
are  frequently  let  out  here  at  5  p  CI  :  pr :  Annum:  we  leave  that  to  you  to 
say  whether  it  must  be  5  or  6  pct  :  hope  you  will  not  Disappoint  us  in 
sending  the  key  by  the  post:  as  we  have  made  Intire  dependauce  on  you 
for  the  money,  if  you  should  be  any  ways  Doubtful  we  Can  give  you 
further  Security. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  21 

"  As  to  News  we  Can  Inform  you  that  the  Ship  pretty  Betsey,  Capt. 
Edwards  from  London  to  this  place  loaded  with  goods  tor  the  merchants 
is  taken  by  the  french  :  lucky  you  nor  we  had  any  goods  aboard.  We 
have  within  few  days  past  Arrivd  :  here  3  large  transport  Ships  from 
Ireland  with  ab'  :  300  men  each  :  one  Store  Ship  loaded  Intirely  with 
powder  and  the  Sutherland  man  of  Warr  of  50  Guns  who  with  great 
Difficulty  got  in  the  harbour  through  the  Ice  after  being  several  times 
aground  and  in  danger  of  being  lost :  5  or  6  more  transports  :  2  More 
Men  of  Warr  and  some  Store  Ships  belonging  to  the  Same  fleet  daily  ex 
pected  :  the  Soldiers  that  are  Arrivd  :  are  quartered  on  the  Inhabitants  : 
and  are  all  hearty  well  looking  Men  :  and  it  is  S'1  :  another  fleet  was  to 
Sail  a  few  weeks  after  these  with  5  or  0  thousd  :  land  forces  and  a  Number 
of  men  of  Warr  :  it  appears  from  this  as  if  the  English  had  determined 
to  Strike  a  blow  :  but  from  their  usual  Slothfuluess  it  is  to  be  feared  they 
wont  do  much  :  every  thing  seems  to  be  Conducted  here"  with  great  Se- 
cresy  :  Lord  Loudon  is  gone  to  Boston  :  it  is  Currently  Reported  here 
that  these  transport  Ships  are  to  lay  here  till  Spring  and  then  transport 
the  Soldiers  elswere  :  what  all  this  will  turn  out  to  :  time  will  tell  :  in  my 
last  I  wrote  you  I  was  Indisposed  :  but  thank  God  we  are  all  in  y;ood 
health  :  we  Conclude  and  are  with  the  greatest  Regard  to  Self  and  family. 

Sr :  Your  Affecte  :  Kinsmen 

"RoB1 :  &  Ilicnd.  RAY. 

"  To  Robert  Sanders  Esqr :  Merchant  in  Albany/' 

"  Lord  Loudoun  was  the  commander  in  chief  of  all  the  British  forces  in 
North  America  in  1757,  he  was  also  Governor  of  Virginia.  He  was  a  man 
of  no  energy  of  character  and  totally  deficient  in  the  requisites  for  a 
military  leader.  He  was  recalled  and  Lord  Amherst appointed  in  his  place." 
During  this  year  August  9,  1757,  the  capture  of  FortW'illiam  Henry  and 
the  fearful  massacre  by  the  Indians  created  a  great  sensation  in  all  the  north 
ern  states.  "  The  French  commander,  Marquis  de  Montcalrn,  utterly  dis 
claimed  all  connivance  in  the  bloody  work,  but  it  left  a  deep  stain  upon 

his  character." 

• 

Robert  Sanders  to  Richard  Wilrird. 
"  Dear  Sir :  "  Albany,  June  6,  1758. 

"  I  aru  most  Ashamed  to  trouble  you  so  often,  But  it  seems  I  cannot 
Annually  avoid  it,  while  our  forces  Come  this  way,  so  that  I  am  again  ob 
liged  to  Trouble  you  to  convey  you  Colo:  John  Hart  Esqs  Bill  of  Ex 
change  for  £117  :  6  :  9  Sterling  on  George  Jeffreys  Esqr  money  by  me  Ad 
vanced  him  to  Enable  his  Regiment  to  March  Pursuant  to  yr  Generals 
Orders  to  him  on  the  4th  Instant  wh  he  was  obliged  to  do  &  did,  &  his 
Sloop  not  yet  heard  of,  tho'  this  Evening  Arrived.  I  must  therefore  De 
sire  you  to  get  Sd.  George  Jeffrey's  Esqr.  Hill  of  Ex'ge  :  payable  to  me 
or  my  Order  in  London  for  the  s'd  Inclosed  Bill  &  Please  to  send  them 
to  me  pr :  the  post  that  is  Now  Established.1  Between  here  &  Boston  & 
you  will  add  to  the  ma'ny  favors  Rec'd. 

"Our  Army  started  yesterday  morning  from  Lake  George  1600  Strong — 
your  forces  were  not  there,  I  believe  then,  yet  I  believe  scarce  yet  this 
day. 

1  This  post  was  a  rider  on  horseback.  In  1792  a  bold  scheme  was  undertaken 
to  run  a  line  of  stages  between  Albany  and  the  Connecticut  river  valley  at  North 
ampton.  Before  this  the  mountain  was  only  crossed  on  foot  or  on  horseback  — 
Annals  of  Albany. 


22  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

"  My  Wife  Joins  me  in  love  to  Mad'm  Wibird,  be  pleased  to  accept  the 
same  yourself  from  your  affectionate  Kinsman  &  most  Obedt. 

"Hble.  Servant, 
"  The  Hon'ble  Rich'd  Wibird."  "  ROBERT  SANDERS. 

Richard  Wibird  was  "  one  of  the  Commissioners  from  New  Hampshire, 
appointed  to  meet  in  the  grand  council  or  convention,  to  be  held  in 
Albany  June  19,  1754.  It  was  composed  of  committees  from  the  several 
colonial  assemblies  for  a  renewal  of  treaties  with  the  Six  Nations."  The 
forces  that  left  Lake  George  were  for  the  expedition  against  Carillon 
(Ticonderoga)ancl  Crown  Point;  they  met  the  enemy  but  the  engagement 
resulted  in  the  total  defeat  of  General  Abercrombie,  before  Ticonderoga 
on  July  8,  1758,  and  the  death  of  Lord  Howe.  "  When  the  preparations 
were  making  for  the  assault,  the  troops  were  marched  from  Albany  in 
detachments  past  the  Flats.  The  road  was  in  front  of  the  house  and 
followed  the  margin  of  the  river.  Each  detachment  quartered  for  a  night 
on  the  common  or  in  the  offices.  The  Flats  was  a  fertile  and  beautiful 
plain  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  the  residence  of  Colonel  Schuyler's  widow. 
Madam,  or  as  she  was  called  Aunt  Schuyler,  was  distinguished  by  her 
dignity  and  many  virtues,  and  her  hospitality  during  many  years  to  the 
officers  of  the  British  armies  sent  to  contend  with  the  French  on  the 
northern  frontier.  She  was  the  friend  and  benefactress  of  the  army. 
Lord  Howe  slept  at  this  celebrated  mansion  when  on  his  way  to  Ticon 
deroga.  Only  a  few  days  after  Lord  Howe's  departure,  in  the  afternoon, 
a  man  was  seen  coming  on  horseback  from  the  north,  galloping  violently, 
without  his  hat.  The  man  rode  express  and  galloped  on,  crying  out  that 
Lord  Howe  was  killed.  It  was  too  true;  two  thousand  men  were  killed, 
wounded  or  taken  on  this  disastrous  day.  General  Abercrombie  saw  the 
fruitless  waste  of  blood  that  was  every  hour  increasing  and  after  the  troops 
had  been  standing  four  hours  under  a  constant  discharge  of  cannon  and 
musketry,  he  ordered  a  retreat.  On  the  next  day,  those  most  dangerously 
wounded  were  sent  forward  in  boats  and  reached  the  Flats  before  evening. 
Aunt  Schuyler  had  her  barn  instantly  fitted  up  into  a  temporary  hospital, 
and  a  room  in  her  house  allotted  for  the  surgeon  who  attended  the 
patients.  She  tore  up  her  sheets  and  table-linen  for  bandages ;  and  she 
together  with  her  nieces  were  constantly  employed  in  attending  and 
cheering  the  wounded,  while  all  her  domestics  were  busied  in  preparing 
food  and  every  thing  necessary  for  those  unhappy  sufferers.  One  of  the 
officers  swore  in  a  vehement  manner,  that  he  was  sure  there  would  be  a 
place  reserved  for  Madam  in  Heaven,  even  though  no  other  woman 
should  be  there." 

Robert  Sanders  to  Sir  William  Johnson. 
"  Honoured  Sir :  "  Alba"J  Jul>'  27th,  1758. 

"  1  hope  this  will  find  you  with  all  yours  in  Perfect  health  &  yourself 
some  what  at  your  Ease  after  a  Tedious  Journey.  I  Embrace  this  opp;>' 
to  send  you  here  in  your  Acco1  Cur'  with  me,  whereby  you  will  find  I 
chargd  you  for  the  freight  of  your  goods  Brought  up  &  down  by  Capi 
Jacob  Van  Berithuysen  in  the  years  of  1754:  1755  &  1756  which  fell  to 
my  Share  when  we  Settled  &  Broke  off  Slooping  In  Conjunction,  the 
Acco1  of  the  particulars  thereof  I  am  not  able  to  send  you  Now,  as  he 
has  The  Sloop  Book  with  him  to  Collect  some  small  Debts  in  at  New  York, 
But  will  send  them  you  as  soon  as  he  comes  up,  which  wont  be  Long  I 
believe.  By  the  Ballance  of  the  Inclosed  Acco1  is  due  to  me  from  you 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  23 

£130  :  4  :  10 £  for  wch  sum  I  Debit  your  Acco1  on  New,  wch  please  order 
to  be  Examiri'd  &  if  free  from  Errors  please  to  order  it  to  be  Noted  in 
Conformity  with  one  in  yr  Book,  my  Espouse  Joins  me  in  Kind  Compli 
ment  to  you  and  all  yours,  believe  me,  to  be  Sincerely  Honljle  Sir, 

"  Yr  Keal  friend  &  am  Respectfully 

Sr  Yr  most  Hum.  Serv1 


"  To  Sir  Wm  Johnson  Bar'." 

Sir  William  Johnson  had  just  returned  to  his  home  at  Fort  Johnson 
from  an  important  mission  to  a  great  Indian  council  in  Pennsylvania. 
He  was  greatly  respected  by  the  Indians  and  had  much  influence  over 
them  j  having  studied  their  manners  and  learned  their  language  he  carried 
on  a  large  traffic  with  them,  supplying  them  with  goods,  and  receiving  in 
return  beaver  and  other  skins.  Not  long  before,  in  May,  he  attended  a 
grand  meeting  of  the  Six  Nations  at  Onondaga  in  which  "speaking  with 
the  belt  of  wampum"  their  grievances  were  made  known. 

Robert  Sanders  to  Thomas  HuHbard. 
«sir:  "Albany,  Sep'.  18,  1758. 

"  I  have  recd  your  Esteemed  favour  of  the  4th  Current  &  agreeable  to 
yr  Request  therein  I  have  given  John  Erwin  Fifty  Shillings  this  Cur 
rency  on  yr  Acco*  for  wc'h  you  are  Debited  or  we  Judged  it  a  Sufficient 
sum  to  Carry  him  home.  I  Gave  him  no  more,  But  told  him  if  he  fell 
Short  to  Draw  on  me  as  far  as  10  Dollars,  he  seemed  very  weak  &  it  may 
be  he  wont  Be  able  to  hold  it  out  till  home,  he  has  his  Dismission  &  I 
believe  him  to  be  Unfitt  for  Service  this  Campaign.  I  wrote  Col11  Wen 
dell  last  post  the  News  ab1  the  Reduction  of  fort  frontenac  &  Desired  him 
to  acquaint  the  Comlee  of  war  with  it  which  I  suppose  he  did,  I  have  no 
News  at  present  to  Communicate  But  what  you  will  Receive  Next  Satur 
day  from  New  York  in  print,  which  is  great  if  true  otherwise  I  would 
write  it  you.  But  in  the  Print  you  Shall  have  it  at  Large  &  we  believe 
it  to  be  true,  it  is  Expected  here  that  there  will  be  another  Attempt  made 
this  fall  on  Carillon  &  Crown  Point,  you  are  quite  wellcome  to  lay  your 
Commands  on  me,  if  you  think  me  Capable  to  do  you  or  your  Friends  any 
Service  here  Assure  you  that  I  am  with  much  Esteem 

u  Honbiu  Sir  Y1  most  Obed1  hum  :  Servant 
"  To  Thorns  Hubbard  Esqr."  "  ROBERT  SANDERS. 

"  It  was  not  until  the  campaign  in  1758,  that  affairs  assumed  a  more 
favorable  aspect  in  America.  But  upon  William  Pitt  being  at  the 
head  of  the  British  ministry  a  fresh  impulse  was  felt  by  all.  Fort  Fron 
tenac —  now  Kingston — was  erected  by  Count  Frontenac,  governor  of 
Canada,  in  1673,  and  for  eighty  years  it  was  one  of  the  strongest  military 
posts  in  America.  In  1758,  Colonel  Bradstreet  with  provincials  of  New 
York  and  New  England  captured  it.  The  commander  of  the  fort  was  ex 
changed  for  Col.  Peter  iSchuyler  of  New  Jersey,  then  a  prisoner  in 
Canada." 


24  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Robert  Sanders  to  Moses  Emerson. 
"Dear  Sir:  "Albany,  Sept.  29,  1758. 

*  *     *     «  Col.  John  Broadstreet  with  3000  men  hath  Taken  Frontenac 
and   brought   Considerable  Booty  there  you  must  Doubtless  have    heard 
the  particulars  by  the  papers  therefore  Desist  must  only  add  that  we  Ex 
pect  they  will  make  another  attack  on  fort   Carillon  [Ticonderoga]   this 
fall  wish   them  better   Success  as  last   Spring  I  fear  that  they  will  meet 
the  Strength  of  Canada  there  at  this  Season  for  I  Cant  think  they  Can  be 
under  any  apprehension  of  our  fleet  Coming  up  to  Cubec  [Quebec,]  this  fall. 
My  Espouse  &   Children   Join  me  in  Love  to  yourself,  Mrs.  Emerson  & 
young   Mr.  Emerson  who  I  hope  may  grow   up  &  be   a  better  man  than 
Ever  his  father  was  before  him.     I  remain  with  Respect  Sir, 

"  Yr  Real  friend  &  obed^  Servant 
"  Mr.  Moses  Emerson."  "  ROBERT  SANDERS. 

Robert  Sanders  to  Moses  Franks. 
«  gir .  "  Albany,  Octobr  11,  1758. 

*  *     *     u  ^ye  have  been  this  past  Summer  pretty  successful  here  we 
have  Taken   Louisburgh,  and  fort  Frontenac,  &   would  herein  give  you 
some  particulars   Thereof,  but  believe  you  will  have  them   fully  ere  this 
Reaches   your    hands,    our    forces    I  believe  will  soon   go  into    Winter 
Quarters,  there  was  a  talk  a  few  days  ago  that  they  Were  going  to  make 
a  Second  Attempt  on   Ticonderoga,  But  heresay  they  wont  go  there  this 
fall,  from  Ohio  we  hear  Little  or  Nothing  here,  only  that  they  had  a  Small 
Skirmish  with   the   Enemy  there   wherein   we  lost  &  missing   somewhat 
Better  than  one  hundred  as   is  said,  the  loss  the  Enemy  then   Sustained 
We  have  not  yet  learnt.     *     *     * 

"  Sir  Yr  Obedt  Servt, 
"  Mr.  Moses  Franks."  '"  ROBERT  SANDERS. 

The  French  general,  Montcalm,  occupied  Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point 
till  the  next  year. 


CHAPTER  II. 

COLONIAL  HISTORY. 

Robert  Sanders  to  Sir  William  Johnson. 

«  Honoured  Sir  :  "  Albany  Octo'  23rd  1758. 

I  recd  of  yr  21  Instant  yesterday  by  Mr.  Jacobus  Clement,  the  apologie 
you  therein  make  about  not  answering  my  Letter  of  the  27th  July  Last 
I  believe  to  be  true  But  am  astonished  to  see  you  therein  say  that  I 
Doubtless  must  have  heard  that  the  Assembly  only  Allowed  Ten  Shillings 


LEGACY  OP  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  25 

a  day  for  the  time  I  was  in  Canada  &  that  you  thought  it  a  very  small 
allowance  as  I  believe  Every  body  with  you  &  me  must,  &  if  I  thought 
proper  Now  to  settle  the  Acco'  so,  you  would  be  Heady  to  pay  the  Ballance 
Immediately  &  with  pleasure,  I  own  it  would  be  hard  for  you  to  pay  me 
out  of  your  own  pocket,  But  I  thought  you  Long  ere  Now  would  Reimburse 
what  you  had  agreed  to  pay  me  by  the  Governm'  &  how  Gould  I  well 
think  otherwise — -Since  it  is  above  Nine  Years  that  I  went  at  your 
Request  &  our  then  Mutual  Contract  to  Canada,  &  have  Since  often 
Settled  Acco'8  with  you  &  so  now  &  then  had  the  pleasure  of  being  in  your 
Company,  &  you  Never  mentioned  one  Single  Word  to  me  About  it  & 
you  I  believe  still  will  Remember  that  I  would  By  no  means  go  on  the 
Generosity  of  the  Assembly — you  then  told  me  you  would  not  have  me 
or  advise  me  to  go  on  their  marcy  — and  that  the  Assembly  had  Allowed 
a  Certain  sum  of  money,  &  that  you  had  or  was  soon  to  Receive  it  from 
Cap'  Petrus  Douw  for  that  purpose  &  that  you  would  agree  with  me  & 
pay  me  accordingly,  as  I  think  you  Honourably  did  for  on  the  13  Septr 
1750,  I  not  only  Settled  that  Acco'  with  you  Sworn  to  by  me  I  think 
before  John  Baptist  Van  Eps,  Esq  But  also  your  particular  Acco'  with 
me,  &  you  did  that  day  give  me  your  note  of  hand  of  your  own  accord, 
on  Demand  for  the  Ballance  due  to  me  from  you  &  on  the  17  Aug1  1752 
we  Settled  all  Acco!s  Between  us  again  &  you  of  your  own  accord  gave 
me  then  your  note  of  hand  on  Demand  for  the  then  Ballance  due  to  me 
&  in  1754  May  28th  I  Delivered  you  again  my  Acco'  Against  you  &  you 
sometime  after  Came  to  my  house  &  paid  me  of  within  a  Trifell  I  may 
say  &  kept  mute  all  that  time  What  you  now  wrote  me  &  on  the  27  July 
Last  I  Came  to  send  you  your  Acco1-  Current  as  usual  to  mention  Now  an 
Affair  which  has  been  Settled  so  Long  ago  Between  us,  I  think  Strange 
as  I  knew  I  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  Assembly  —  I  Never  Intended 
or  did  apply  to  them  for  my  pay  &  perhaps  if  I  had  &  Acquainted  them 
Rightly  of  my  Journey  &  Transactions  I  believe  I  am  apt  to  think'they 
would  have  Allowed  me  more  honorably  as  you  write  they  did  —  But  if 
I  had  applied  to  them  I  must  own  &  Confess  that  I  should  not  have  used 
you  well  &  that  I  have  hitherto  Endeavoured  to  do  &  hope  so  to  Continue. 
I  wish  you  with  all  yours  health  &  am  with  Compliments  &  much  Esteem 
Honble  Sir,  yr  most  hum  :  &  most  obed1  friend  &  Serv1. 

"  ROBERT  SANDERS. 
"  To  The  Honbl«  Sir  W'n  Johnson  Bar'." 

Money  in  those  days  was  a  scarce  commodity,  so  that  even  services 
performed  on  hazardous  business  were  not  always  well  requited  if  at  all. 
The  valuable  tract  of  land,  one  hundred  thousand  acres,  owned  by  Sir 
William  Johnson,  was  obtained  from  King  Heridrick,  the  great  chief  of 
the  Mohawk  nation  in  the  following  mariner  :  "  Being  at  the  baronet's 
house  (Fort  Johnson)  the  sachem  observed  a  new  coat,  richly  embroidered 
with  gold  lace,  which  the  former  intended  for  his  own  person  ;  and  on 
entering  his  presence  after  a  night's  rest,  he  said  to  him,  '  Brother,  me 
dreamed  last  night.'  '  Indeed,'  responded  the  royal  agent,  '  and  what 
did  my  red  brother  dream  ?  '  '  Me  dream/  was  the  chiefs  reply,  4  that 
this  coat  be  mine  ! '  '  Then,'  said  the  sagacious  Irishman,  '  It  is  yours,  to 
which  you  are  welcome.'  Soon  after  this  interview,  Sir  William  returned 
his  guest's  visit,  and  on  meeting  him  in  the  morning  said  to  him,  '  Brother, 
I  dreamed  last  night!'  •  What  did  my  pale-faced  brother  dream  ?'  inter 
rogated  the  sachem.  '  I  dreamed,'  said  his  guest,  '  that  this  tract  of  laud 

4 


26  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

was  all  my  own  !'     The  chief  replied,  '  Brother,  the  land  is  yours,  but  you 
must  not  dream  again  ! '  It  was  a  check-mate." 

Robert  Sanders  to  Col.  Jacob  Wendell. 
"Dear  Sir,  «  Albany  Novr  3,  1758. 

"  I  Recd  yrs  of  the  10  Ultimo,  with  the  Inclosed  Letter  To  Mr.  Humphry 
Chadbourn  which  I  forwarded  to  him  &  have  since  Delivered  him  Agree 
able  to  yr  Desire  Ten  Dollars  &  have  taken  his  Bill  therefor  on  his  Broth 
er  Mr.  Benj.  Chadbourn  which  you  have  Here  Inclosed  Endorsed  by  me 
to  Debit  y  Acco1  therefor  Your  Regeni'  are  all  come  down  &  major 
part  on  their  way  home  I  Can't  but  acquaint  you  that  they  have  Cut  a 
great  Deal  of  wood  for  the  service  on  yr  Land  at  the  Jser  Berg,  &  as  Every 
body  suffers  from  Cutting  wood  here  on  their  Land  for  the  service  I 
Daren't  speak  a  word,  must  therefore  Desire  to  let  me  Know  your  Senti 
ments  thereabout.  Here  is  a  Town  Talk  that  General  Abercrombie  is 
Superseded  by  General  Amherst  &  we  have  News  that  the  King  of  Prus 
sia  gained  a  Victory  over  the  Russians,  the  Express  came  Last  night  & 
says  the  Packet  is  arrived  at  New  York.  I  hear  Nothing  as  yet  ab'  Col. 
Peter  Schuyler  &  our  other  Prisoners  that  were  to  Come  in  Lieu  of  Them 
that  we  took  at  fort  Frontenac  when  I  do  I  shall  Enquire  &  write  Mr  John 
Mico  Wendell  ab!  the  Gentlemen  He  gave  me  In  Charge  of,  wc!)  please  to 
acquaint  him  as  I  have  no  time  now  to  write  him.  I  Never  Expected  our 
Prisoners  Before  the  Armies  of  Both  sides  went  Into  Winter  quarters  as 
I  know  French  Policy  too  well,  altho  our  people  here  are  very  Uneasy  & 
Expect  they  wont  come.  But  I  think  we  shall  now  soon  hear  from  them. 
I  hope  this  will  find  you  with  all  yr*  as  this  Leaves  me  with  all  mine  & 
friends  here  entirely  well. 

"  My  Espouse  Joins  me  in  Duty  to  yr  self,  Mad'n  Wendell  all  y  Child 
ren  &  friends  with  you.  Believe  me  to  be  Sincerely  Dear  Sr  Your  Affec 
tionate  Kinsman.  '  "POPART  SANDFRS 

,  rp,         rT        i  i      T          i      TTT         i     11   »  XvUxJUjJtll    kjAiSU-tirviS. 

"The  Honb!e  Jacob  Wendell. 

Elihu  Lym an's  Bill. 

"  1758  The  Colony  of  Connecticut  pr  Elihu  Lyman  }          DR. 

For  3*  forces  Under  Maj  :  General  Abercrombie  j 

June  25.  To  1  p1  Blankets £12  :     : 

Do.    28.  To  3  pf  Do  @  £  12  pr :  &  1  Single  Blanket  16s  ...    36  :    16  : 


A1,         AT          «tl    -,-ro    Errors  Excepted, £48:    16: 

Albany  Nov  :  6th,  1 , 08,  RoEEKT  gANDERS. 

"  Gentlemen, 

"Please  to  pay  the  Above  AccoT  of  forty  Eight  pounds  Sixteen  Shil 
lings  New  York  Currency  Unto  General  Lyman  or  his  order  &  his  Re 
ceipt  Shall  be  to  you  a  good  &  Sufficient  Discharge  &  you  will  very  much 
oblige,  Gent  Yr  most  hum  :  &  most 

"  Obed'  Servant,  ROBERT  SANDERS. 
"  Sir  : 

"  I  Beg  the  favour  of  you  to  Obtain  &  receipt  the  Above  Acco1  of  £48  : 
16  :  for  me  &  on  Receipt  thereof  please  to  Deduct  thereout  for  your 
Trouble  what  is  Reasonable  as  also  the  Charges  you  should  Be  at  &  Re 
mit  to  me  here  the  Remainder,  &  if  you  should  have  No  opp'v  for  this 
place  you  may  then  send  it  to  New  York  to  Messr-  Robert  &  Richard  Ray 
Merch'8  there,  Near  the  Old  Dutch  Church  &  if  I  Can  be  of  Service  here 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  27 

be  Assured  that  on  Receipt  of  ye  Commands  I  will  Endeavour  to  Execute 
them  to   the  Utmost  of  my  ability  Interim  I   am  with  profound   Esteem 

"  Yr  most  hum  :  &  obed1  Servant 
"  To  General  P.  Lyman."  "  ROBERT  SANDERS. 

"  General  Lyman  was  a  brave  and  energetic  man,  yet  most  unjustly  he 
received  none  of  the  honors  which  were  deservedly  his  due.  At  the 
battle  of  Crown  Point  in  1755,  the  whole  engagement  was  directed  by 
him  for  five  consecutive  hours  with  great  skill.'' 

Robert  Sanders  to  Genera,,  Lyman. 
"  Dear  Sir.  "Albany  November  7th  1758. 

"I  Just  now  heard  from  Mr  Sheldon  that  you  was  on  the  wing  going 
off  with  y  :  Regini'  :  this  day.  I  am  sorry  I  had  Not  the  pleasure  to  see 
you  at  my  house  as  I  Expected  to  have  Done  by  what  you  told  me  when 
I  had  the  pleasure  to  sec  you  at  Col.  Rensselaer's,  so  have  now  only  to 
Convey  you  here  in  y°  :  Government  Accott :  of  Blankets  h'tched  at  my 
house  by  Mr  Elihu  Lyman  since  Deceased,  &  my  order  for  you  to  Receive 
the  money,  I  trust  you  will  use  y  :  Endeavour  to  Receive  it,  I  wish  you 
would  add  to  the  obligations  Laid  on  me  by  this  if  you  would  Let  me 
Know  by  a  Line  from  you  how  you  Succeed  herein.  I  wish  you  a  good 
Journey  home  &  that  you  may  find  yours  all  in  Health  is  the  present 
Needfall  from  flon"" :  Sir  „  y,.  wf>^  ]mm  .  &  oMt  g^, 

"  To  Gen.  Fhineas  Lyman  at  Green  Bush."        "  KoBEKT  SANDE«S- 

This  is  the  General  Lyman  who  was  engaged  in  the  celebrated  battle  of 
Lake  George  on  September  8,  1755.  "  In  the  vicinity  of  the  Bloody  Pond. 
Hendrick,  the  noted  Mohawk  chieftain,  with  a  body  of  French  Canadians 
and  Indians  assisted  the  provincial  troops  under  Major-general,  afterwards 
Sir  William  Johnson.  Gen.  Johnson,  at  the  commencement  of  the  battle, 
received  a  flesh  wound  in  his  thigh  and  the  ball  lodged  in  it.  General 
Lyman  then  took  command,  and  continued  it  during  the  action,  but  John 
son  not  willing  to  divide  the  honors  of  the  event,  did  not  even  mention 
in  his  report,  the  name  of  General  Lymau,  the  real  leader  in  the  victory. 
It  was  immediately  after  the  battle  that  with  evident  jealousy  of  Lyman, 
he  changed  the  name  of  Fort  Lyman  to  that  of  Fort  Edward.  The  Eng 
lish  government,  elated  by  the  victory,  created  Gen.  Johnson  a  baronet 
and  gave  him  $20,000." 

Robert  Sanders  to  Col.  Wendell. 

«  Dear  Sir.  "  Albanv  APril  30>  1759' 

"  My  last  to  you  was  pr  Capt.  Grange  wherein  I  Desired  you  to  send  me 
some  pots  &  Kittles  wch  I  Doubt  not  but  was  Delivered  to  you,  Since 
arrived  several  Gentlemen  from  your  place  &  not  a  line  from  you,  hope 
it  is  not  for  want  of  health.  Having  now  a  favourable  oppT  wl>il  I 
Embrace  &  make  bold  to  Trouble  you  again  with  the  herein  closed  Note 
of  Capt.  Abra.  Keen  for  £1$  :  10  :  1U£  this  Currency  &  my  order  & 
Acco1  of  one  Capt.  French  of  the  48  Regini1  if  he  is  in  Boston  as  I  hear 
say  he  is  I  Desire  you  to  order  both  sums  of  them  to  be  rec '  &  Credit 
my  Acco1  with  you  for  the  same.  If  Capt.  French  Should  be  gone  off 
then  please  to  forward  him  this  Inclosed  Letter  after  you  have  Read  & 


28  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

sealed  it.  I  hear  Capt  Keen  is  Going  this  year  Eastward  so  am  obliged 
to  send  you  his  Note,  he  is  a  good  honest  man  &  will  pay  you  Immediately 
for  me.  Abraham  Jacobs  Lansing  Came  home  fieu  days  since  I  had  no 
letter  by  him  from  you  he  tells  me  that  you  &  he  were  Discoursing  about 
Stone  Raby  &  that  you  askt  him  £600  for  it,  if  you  are  Inclineable  to 
sell  it  for  what  people  tells  me  it  is  worth,  since  it  was  derived  from  both 
my  Grandfathers  Robert  Sanders  &  John  Wendell,  they  were  the  first 
owners  thereof  I  will  buy  it  of  you  for  myself  and  will  pay  you  Immediately 
for  it  but  no  more  then  the  Real  Value  &  send  you  the  Consideration 
money  on  lleceipt  of  y  Conveyance  to  me. 

"There  is  one  Perez  Tillson,  a  sutler  last  year  to  Col.  Dory's  Reg1 
who  owes  me  by  bond  I  believe  Between  <£70  &  £80  Inform  me  what 
you  know  or  think  about  him.  Tho'  Col  Doty  Contracted  most  part  of  the 
Debt.  I  am  Glad  to  hear  you  are  Better.  I  heartly  wish  you  with  all  y18 
health.  yr  most  Aifc  Kinsman  a  .  „ 

"  Col.  Jacob  Wendell."  R°BERT  SANBEKS' 

Robert  Sanders  to  Thomas  Hubbard. 
ugjr  Albany  June  3  1759. 

"  Mr  Isaac  Gridley's  letter  of  the  28  Ultimo  on  your  Behalf  with  the 
these  Inclosed  receipts  for  the  Sundry  Stores  you  had  Shipt  on  board  of 
Capt.  Freeman  for  Albany  I  have  this  day  recd  &  post  as  soon  as  Capt. 
Freeman  Arrives  I  shall  receive  them  in  Store  &  Deliver  them  to  Messrs 
Woodbridge  &  Savage  as  you  shall  Direct  me  in  yours  of  the  Next  post 
wcb  I  hope  will  be  before  Capt  Freeman  arrives  as  Mr.  Woodbridge  is  still 
at  home.  General  Ainhurst  went  up  to  the  army  this  morning  the  few 
Remaining  forces  yet  in  Town  are  to  set  out  to  morrow  The  Army  to  the 
Westward  Destined  did  not  delay,  but  set  out  from  Schenectady  yesterday. 
I  pray  God  to  Grant  them  success.  You  Doubtless  must  have  seen  by  the 
news  papers  that  General  Amhurst  hath  forbid  the  Carrying  up  of  any 
Spirituous  Liquors  to  the  Army  yet  this  day  believe  his  prohibition  will 
be  of  no  long  Duration  for  I  Cant  think  the  Army  can  be  without  any  a 
long  time,  I  am  with  the  Greatest  Esteem.  Hond  Sir  Y1'  most  obt  Hum  : 

6!7rj       TU  uk    ^ »  "  ROBERT  SANDERS. 

"  Hon.  Thomes  Hubbard. 

"  The  skill,  bravery,  and  activity  of  General  Amherst,  exhibited  in  the 
capture  of  Louisburg  (on  the  island  of  Cape  Breton,  at  the  mouth  of  the 
St.  Lawrence,  then  the  strongest  fortification  in  America,  and  the  rallying 
point  of  French  power  on  this  continent)  in  1758,  gained  him  a  vote  of 
thanks  from  parliament  and  commended  him  to  Pitt,  who  in  1759  ap 
pointed  him  to  the  chief  command  in  America.  He  collected  his  army 
of  eleven  thousand  men  at  Fort  Edward  and  its  vicinity  and  on  July  26 
appeared  before  Ticonderoga.  He  met  with  no  impediment  but  soon  had 
possession  of  the  fort  as  the  French  had  fled,  after  they  had  dismantled 
the  fort,  down  the  lake  to  Canada. " 

Robert  Sanders  to  the  New  Hampshire  Commissioners. 

"  Gentlemen,  "  Albanv  AuS-  3>  ^59- 

"  Col.  Zecheus  Lovewell  Delivd  to  me  on  his  Coming  down  from  Ticon- 
derago  an  ord'  to  go  In  obedience  to  Gen.  Amhurst's  ordr  with  his  Regi 
ment  to  Oswego.  Your  letter  of  the  16  May  last,  wherein  you  are  Pleased 
to  Recommend  him  to  my  favour  for  advice  &  assistance,  &  if  he  should 


LEGACY  or  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  29 

have  occasion  for  money  his  Bill  on  you  for  £100  sterl?  should  be  punctu 
ally  paid,  but  Col.  Lovewell  found  it  by  Experience  Impossible  to  go  on 
from  Albany  to  Ticonderoga  &  from  there  again  to  Oswego  with  his  Regiin1 
with  the  £100  Sterl-,  Applied  to  me  to  assist  him  as  several  of  his  men 
would  or  Could  not  go  without  a  Little  Cash,  they  said  to  Enable  them  to 
march.  I  did  advance  him  the  sum  of  =£311  :  14  Sterk  for  wcil  I  have 
sent  his  Bill  on  you  to  Rich'1  Wibird  Esqr.  :  to  whom  you  will  be  pleased 
to  give  your  Bills  for  said  sum  of  £311  :  14  Sterl'-s  payable  to  me  or  my 
order  in  London. 

"  I  cant  Enlarge  on  the  Above  with  my  heart  full  of  Joy,  must  let  you 
know  that  Ticonderoga  is  taken  and  in  our  possession  July  26,  without 
our  firing  one  Cannon  against  it,  and  that  yesterday  3  o'clock  P.M.  we  had 
an  Express  come  in  Town  from  Niagara  who  brings  us  the  agreeable 
News  that  the  Fortress  is  also  in  our  Possession  after  an  Ingagem1  with 
1500  french  and  Indians  near  by  the  said  Fort  wch  Came  from  Ohiho  & 
Ottowawa  to  assist  the  fort  of  wcil  Number  our  forces,  under  Johnson  and 
Genl.  Prideaux  (the  latter  was  killed)  Kilt  in  the  wood  400  &  have 
taken  prisoners  17  officers.  After  sd  Battle  the  fort  Surrendered  prisoners 
of  war  &  in  a  fiew  days  we  Expect  in  Town  from  there  700  prisoners  & 
300  Scalps  :  &  this  morning  we  had  an  Express  from  Ticonderoga,  that 
the  french  had  Abandoned  Crown  point.  Carried  off  all  they  could  & 
Burnt  all  that  would  Burn  there  by  all  wch  we  can  plainly  see  that  our 
fleet  is  at  Quebec,  they  left  Crown  point  the  first  Instant  &  we  took 
Niagara  the  25  Ultimo.  I  give  you  all  Joy  with  the  news  and  Could  not 
omitt  Communicating  it  to  you.  I  am  with  the  Greatest  Regards, 

"  Gen'  Yr  most  Hum  :  Servant 

"  To  Rich'i  Wibird  Daniel  Warner  )  "  ROBERT  SANDERS. 

&  Henry  Sherburne,  EsqV      ) 

The  above  gentlemen  were  members  of  the  "  Convention  that  assembled 
at  Albany,  in  the  old  City  Hall,  on  the  19th  of  June,  1754  for  the  purpose 
of  uniting  upon  some  scheme  for  the  common  defense.  Major  Henry  Sher 
burne  was  killed  in  1777  at  the  Battle  of  Germantown.  In  177G  he  was 
sent  by  Arnold  from  Montreal  with  one  hundred  and  forty  men  to  re- 
enforce  the  garrison  at  Cedar  Rapids.  About  five  in  the  evening  the 
whole  of  Foster's  (English)  Canadians  and  Indians  burst  from  an  ambus 
cade  and  fell  upon  the  republicans.  They  made  a  brave  defense  for  nearly 
an  hour  and  a  half,  when  the  Indians,  in  number  greatly  superior,  formed 
a  girdle  around  them,  and  at  a  given  signal  rushed  upon  the  devoted 
band,  and  infuriated  by  the  obstinate  resistance  of  the  Americans  butchered 
nearly  all.  T.  e  fortress  of  Niagara  was  an  important  acquisition  for  the 
English  as  it  was  at  the  mouth  of  the  Niagara  river.  On  July  25,  1759, 
General  Prideaux  invested  Niagara  but  was  killed  by  the  bursting  of  a 
mortar,  before  the  surrender  of  the  French.  The  fort,  was,  however,  cap 
tured  by  Sir  William  Johnson,  who  succeeded  him  in  command.  The  seige 
was  continued  more  than  a  fortnight,  and  the  beleaguered  garrison,  des 
pairing  of  succor,  surrendered  ;  a  large  quantity  of  ammunition  and  stores 
fell  into  their  hands.  The  capture  has  been  ascribed  to  treachery." 

Robert  Sanders  to  Jacob  Wendell. 
"Dear  Sir:  "Albany,  Oct.  17,  1759. 

"  I  have  yr  Esteemed  favours  of  the  8  &  12  Current,  by  the  first  See 
what  you  say  About  Stone  Rabia  [Stone  Arabia]  &  its  Bounds  &  that  it 
was  worth  more  money  then  I  thought  it  was,  therefore  you  Believed  I 


30  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

would  not  buy  it,  and  it  is  Some  Years  Since  when  you  sold  it  to  your" 
Kinsman  at  Albany  for  £1200  York  money  &  you  Esteem  it  at  Least 
worth  now  £1500  York  money  &  if  Canady  was  taken  as  you  Expected 
it  soon  would  rise  more  and  by  my  last  to  you  &  by  your  all  ways  agree 
able  to  me  of  the  12th  (We  had  agreeable  news  on  the  13th  pr  an  Express 
from  Oswego,  that  they  had  taken  o  french  prisoners  who  say  that  the 
City  of  Quebec  .Surrendered  on  the  18  Sept1'  to  the  English.  General : 
Amhurst  went  off  from  Crown  point  last  week  Thursday  with  4500 
forces  without  Counts  the  Marines.)  It  is  Confirmed  that  the  City  of 
Quebec  is  through  God's  Blessing  in  our  Possession,  and  believe  &  hope 
soon  to  hear  all  Canada  to  be,  So  give  you  Joy  therewith;  So  that  you 
Think  it  is  worth  more  now  than  £1500  : — : — I  hope  you  will  be  able  to 
sell  it  at  that  price  if  you  ever  Intend  to  sell  it.  But  I  have  as  great 
Reason  to  believe  you  wont  sell  it  by  Valuing  of  it  as  you  believe  I 
wont  buy  it,  I  must  own  that  I  wont  buy  it  at  £1500  this  money  nor 
Nobody  Else  I  believe  as  I  have  Before  wrote  you  the  reason  &  my 
sole  Inducern's  I  would  have  Bought  it-  &  if  you  &  yours  intend  to 
keep  it  I  am  Content.  I  am  glad  to  see  by  yours  that  you  Intend  once 
more  to  Come  &  see  your  friends  here  when  please  God  We  may  live  to  , 
see  Each  other  we  shall  talk  further  togefher.  In  mean  Time  if  you  can 
sell  it  for  £1500  I  would  Advise  you  so  to  do  it  if  you  Intend  to  sell  it, 
for  I  Can  Assure  you  that  I  have  never  hitherto  seen  the  man  yet  here, 
(p]xcept  Abraham  Corns  sons)  that  would  give  so  much  for  it  as  they 
offered  you.  All  our  friends  here  are  well  and  I  am  very  glad  to  hear 
that  you  &  your  good  Espouse  also  Continue  to  mend  Day  ley,  I  hope  you 
both  may  Enjoy  your  perfect  health  again.  With  my  Espouse  &  own 
best  regards  to  you  both  &  service  to  all  friends  I  conclude  I  am  I>  Sr 
Y<  Lov,  Cousin  &  Obed-  Servt  „  SANDERS. 

"  Col.  Jacob  Wendell. 

Robert  Sanders  to  Thorn?  Hubbard. 
11  Dear  Sir  :  "  Albany,  Oct.  28, 1759. 

"  I  have  by  the  Courier  yesterday  yr  Exceeding  kind  fa-vour  of  the  22 
&  thank  you  for  the  Trouble  you  took  to  write  me  the  Agreeable  News  it 
Contained.  In  my  Turn  must  let  you  Understand  hereby,  that  General 
Amhurst  with  his  Army  Returned  to  Crown  Point,  without  doing  more 
then  I  wrote  pf  the  last  Corrier ;  and  Sir  Win.  Johnson,  Bart,  is  come 
home  so  that  we  Expect  Nothing  will  be  Done  more  this  fall,  unless  the 
Articles  of  Capitulation  made  at  Quebec  Induces  the  Inhabitants  of 
Canada  in  order  to  keep  their  estates  to  give  the  south  part  of  Canada 
over,  as  we  are  possessed  of  the  North  part  I  can't  but  think  they  will 
Surrender  it.  I  believe  the  General  will  keep  the  Provincials  as  Long  as 
the  weather  will  permitt  them  to  work  at  the  forts  &  then  By  what 
I  can  hear  yours  will  go  home  by  the  way  of  No.  4.  Monsr  Vaudreuil 
the  governor  general  in  my  oppinion  will  take  care  Not  to  be  taken  for  he 
is  as  well  Goveruour  of  Mesisipe;  as  of  Canada.  The  hhd  Cloth?  Mr. 
Woodbridge  brought  in  store  seemed  wet  I  therefore  got  a  Cooper  this 
morning,  he  took  it  out  &  found  it  much  worse  than  I  thought  it  was,  had 
it  Dryed  &  put  up  again  otherwise  it  soon  would  have  been  Rotten.  I 
think  your  Government  sends  every  year  too  much  clothing.  My  Sincere 
Regards  to  you  and  all  friends.  With  you  I  am  with  Profound  Respect. 
"  Honble  Sir  y  most  Obliged  Hum  Servant 

Thomas  Hubbard  Esq."  "  RoBEEI  SAM)ERS' 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  31 

"  Gens.  Amherst  and  Wolfe  had  been  very  successful  this  year  in  their 
engagements  against  the  French,  and,  at  the  beginning  of  1759,  Quebec 
was  the  only  place  of  considerable  importance  in  possession  of  the  French. 
Gen.  Wolfe  was  in  command  of  the  English  forces  sent  against  Quebec. 
The  French  General  Montcalm  was  in  command  of  the  strongly  in 
trenched  camp  as  head  quarters  and  a  strong  garrison  in  the  city. 
General  Wolfe  had  his  army  of  five  thousand  British  troops  before  sun 
rise,  September  13,  1759,  drawn  up  in  battle  array  upon  the  plains  of 
Abraham  three  hundred  feet  above  the  St.  Lawrence.  The  appearance  of 
the  English  troops  upon  the  heights  was  the  first  intimation  Montcalm 
had  of  the  real  intentions  of  his  enemy.  The  English  had  waited  four 
hours  for  the  approach  of  the  French,  and  were  fully  prepared  for  action. 
Wolfe  ordered  his  men  to  load  with  two  bullets  each,  and  reserve  their 
fire  until  the  French  should  be  within  forty  yards.  These  orders  were 
obeyed  and  did  terrible  execution.  While  cheering  on  his  men  he  re 
ceived  his  third  ball  which  brought  him  to  the  ground  mortally  wounded. 
He  was  taken  to  the  rear  while  his  troops  continued  to  charge.  Shortly 
before  he  expired  rallying  himself  inquired,  '  How  goes  the  battle'?  '  Col. 
Donald  Campbell,  one  of  the  officers  who  supported  him  on  the  field  of  battle 
and  on  whose  shoulder  be  was  leaning  exclaimed,  '  They  run,  they  run  !  ' 
The  dying  hero  asked  with  emotion.  '  Who  runs  ?'  '  The  enemy,  sir  ;  they 
give  way  everywhere/  '  Now  God  be  praised,  I  die  happy  ! '  These  were 
his  last  words;  just  at  the  moment  of  victory  he  died.  Gen.  Montcalm 
also  received  a  mortal  wound,  and  died  the  next  morning.  Wolfe  and 
Montcalm  were  both  able  commanders,  and  were  idolized  by  their  respect 
ive  troops.  Five  days  after  the  battle  the  city  of  Quebec  capitulated  and 
passed  into  the  hands  of  the  English  on  September  18,  1759,  which  ter 
minated  French  rule  in  Canada/' 

Robert  Sanders  to  lion.  Richard  Wibird. 
,c  Dear  Siis  "  Albany  Nov.  18,  1759. 

"  The  bearer  Col.  Lovewell  is  Just  on  the  wing  going  home  being  afraid 
for  the  small-pox  of  which  the  City  is  pretty  full,  leaves  me  only  time  to 
write  you  these  few  lines  to  Acknowledge  the  receipt  of  the  Set  Sterling 
bills  you  forwarded  to  our  mutual  friend  Mr.  John  Mico  Wendell  of  Bos 
ton  and  he  to  me  without  a  Line  from  your  Self  or  the  Committee,  at 
which  I  was  a  little  astonished  and  did  not  know  what  to  think.  On  your 
Regiment  Coining  down  they  applied  again  to  me  for  Cash  Dollars  to 
Carry  them  home  to  Defray  the  Officers  and  mens  expenses  by  the  way  ; 
and  as  they  Could  not  get  their  Billeting  money  from  Col.  Bradstreet,  and 
Rather  then  to  Detain  and  Keep  them  here  on  Great  .Charge  of  them  and 
the  Government,  I  Suffered  Col.  Lovewell  to  prevail  on  me  to  let  him. 
have  for  the  above  Purpose  £3-11  :  1-4  :  Sterling  for  which  you  have  his 
bill  here  Inclosed  on  the  Committee.  Must  therefore  Beg  of  you  once 
more  to  obtain  for  me  in  Lieu  and  Stead  of  the  Inclosed  bill  from  your 
Committee  2  Setts  of  Sterling  bills.  The  1  for  £200  Str  :  the  other 
£141  :  14  :  Str.  payable  to  me  or  my  order  in  London,  as  Expeditiously 
as  you  possibly  can.  I  am  sorry  to  let  you  know  that  our  Aunt  Schuyler's 
Mansion-house  and  Kitchens  were  lately  all  Consumed  by  fire,  but  Goods 
Saved.  I  Doubt  not  but  you  must  have  heard  it,  as  I  wrote  to  Col.  Wendell 
at  the  time  of  it.  My  wife  Joins  me  in  Love  to  Madam  Wibird  and  your 
self.  I  am  Dear  Sir,  Your  Aff.  Kinsman  and  Obt.  Servt. 

itrr     rnu      TT      T,i       •» •   1,1    TIT-U-    i     v       »  "  ROBERT  SANDERS. 

"  To  The  Honble.  Richd.  Wibird,  Esq. 


32  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

"  In  the  summer  of  this  year  as  General  Bradstreet  was  riding  by  the 
Flats  one  day,  and  proposing  to  call  on  Madam  Schuyler,  he  saw  her  sitting 
in  a  great  chair  under  the  little  avenue  of  cherry-trees  that  led  from  her 
house  to  the  road.  All  the  way  as  he  approached  he  had  seen  smoke, 
and  at  last  flames,  bursting  out  from  t"he  top  of  her  house.  He  was  afraid 
to  alarm  her  suddenly ;  but  when  he  told  her,  she  heard  it  with  the  utmost 
composure;  pointed  out  the  likeliest  means  to  check  the  fire;  and  ordered 
the  neighbors  to  be  summoned,  and  the  most  valuable  goods  first  removed, 
without  ever  attempting  to  go  over  to  the  house  herself,  where  she  knew 
she  could  be  of  no  service;  but  with  the  most  admirable  presence  of 
mind,  she  sat  still  with  a  placid  countenance,  regulating  and  ordering  every 
thing  in  the  most  judicious  manner  and  with  as  much  composure  as  if  she 
had  nothing  to  lose.  When  evening  came,  of  that  once  happy  mansion, 
not  a  single  beam  was  left,  and  the  scorched  brick  walls  were  all  that  re 
mained  to  mark  where  it  had  stood.  Madam  could  not  be  said  to  be  left 
without  a  dwelling,  having  a  house  in  Albany  rather  larger  than  the  one 
thus  destroyed.  But  she  was  fondly  attached  to  the  spot  which  had 
been  the  scene  of  so  much  felicity,  and  was  rendered  more  dear  to  her  by 
retaining  within  its  bounds  the  remains  of  her  beloved  partner  [Co.lonel 
Philip  Schuyler  who  died  in  1757].  She  removed  to  her  brother's  house 
for  the  night.  The  news  of  what  had  happened  spread  every  where,  and 
the  next  day  people  came  from  all  quarters  to  condole,  and  ask  her  direc 
tions  where  and  how  she  would  choose  to  have  another  house  built.  And 
in  a  few  days  the  ground  was  covered  with  bricks,  timber  and  other 
materials,  brought  there  by  her  friends  in  voluntary  kindness.  General 
Bradstreet  sent  some  of  the  king's  workmen  to  assist  in  building,  and  the 
house  commenced  in  August  was  ready  for  her  by  the  early  winter.  Aunt 
Schuyler  was  very  fond  of  birds  and  to  make  them  secure  nests  procured 
the  skeleton  heads  of  horses  and  cattle,  in  great  numbers,  and  stuck  them 
on  high  poles  much  to  the  delight  of  the  feathered  warblers/' 

In  my  mother's  note-book  is  an  entry.  u  Aunt  Schuyler  at  the  Flats 
died  on  Monday  December  6th,  1802.  Buried  Thursday  9th."  The  old 
road  after  crossing  the  Patroon's  creek,  passed  down  to  the  river,  over  it 
marched  all  the  armies  for  the  North. 

Robert  Sanders  to  Richard  Wibird. 
"Dear  Sir:  "  Albany  Dec.  3,  1759. 

"  I  have  yr  Esteemed  favr  of  the  3  Instant  pr  y  Carrier  &  note  yr  Con 
tents,  that  you  would  honour  the  Drafts  on  you  in  favour  of  Messrs  Lee 
&  Clarke  &  that  you  Apprehended  there  would  be  no  need  for  me  to  send 
in  a  petition  to  yr  Court  as  you  trusted  Mr.  Woodbridge  would  attend. 
But  if  you  Judge  it  Necessary  or  Best  to  petition  the  Cour.t  I  must  beg 
of  you  to  do  it  in  my  Behalf  &  you  will  very  much  oblige  me.  Inclosed 
you  have  a  receipt  of  Mr.  Sim  .n  Leaking  I  had  no  time  to  take  a  Dupli 
cate  of  him  therefore  send  you  his  original  for  the  p1  shoes  &  money  I 
have  Debited  the  Governm'  The  other  things  therein  Mentioned  are 
of  your  Governm1  Clothing  Pickt  Last  Spring  by  Mr.  Woodbridge  so 
not  of  the  best.  At  foot  you  have  what  I  Deliv1  for  the  use  of  yr 
Sick,  the  Sugar  Chocolade  &c  I  took  out  of  my  own  store,  as  I  did  not 
chuse  to  open  y1^  In  store,  shall  replace  it  when  you  open  or  Recall  yrs  in 
store  as  I  hear  no  further  of  the  Sick,  I  have  ordered  the  Cask  raisins 
that  I  opened  in  Store  to  be  headed  up  again  I  suppose  Ebeuz  Cox  by 
my  Advise  had  them  Carried  in  wagons  to  Sheffield,  but  have  as  yet  not 


LEGACY  OP  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  33 

seen  his  draft  on  me,  I  suppose  it  still  to  be  among  some  of  our  farmers 
at  Kinderhook.  General  Amhurst  with  part  of  his  Army  came  to  town 
the  first  Instant  tarryed  here  to  the  3(1  when  the  river  was  frozen  over, 
he  then  Crossed  the  Liiver  &  went  afoot  to  New  York  in  company  with  a 
few  of  his  Officers,  he  Came  down  afoot  also  from  Lake  George  so  that 
he  is  of  good  Example  to  Officers  &  Soldiers,  we  have  no  news,  so  Con 
clude  with  best  regards.  Dr  Sr  Yr  most  hum  &  Obed'  Serv1 
•<  HonMe  Richd  Wibird  Esq."  "  RoBEBT  SANDERS. 


Robert  Sanders  to  Thomas  Ilubbard. 
n  pr  gr  .  "  Albany,  Sep'-  24  :  1761. 

"  Yesterday  I  recd  your  favour  of  the  16  Instant  pr  Mr.  Sam1  Blodgett 
with  s(i  Blodgett'  s  Receipt  for  nine  Cases  of  Clothing  &  two  hhds  hats  wch 
you  had  Ship  '  to  me  pr  Capt.  Littlefield  who  is  also  arrived  in  this  harbour 
but  the  goods  not  yet  landed.  I  have  this  day  wrote  up  to  Col  :  Salston- 
stall  &  Hoar  at  Crown  point  &  acquainted  them  of  the  Arrival  of  the 
Cloths  &  that  I  would  be  glad  of  their  order  about  them,  but  if  Major 
Ashley  In  the  meantime  Should  come  for  them  I  shall  Deliver  them  to 
him.  I  thought  to  have  sent  you  by  the  Return  of  this  Vessell  two  old 
Medicine  Chests,  yet  in  my  store.  of  yr  government  &  one  old  Bed-pan, 
the  other  bed  pan  I  Delivered  last  fall  for  the  use  of  the  Sick  soldiers  at 
Green  Bush  to  Doctr  Mather,  but  the  Cap1  is  going  from  here  to  Phila 
delphia  so  says  Can't  take  them. 

"  I  see  by  yours  as  also  by  the  prints  that  my  honoured  Uncle  Col  : 
Jacob  Wendell  Departed  this  Life  sometime  Since  &  that  he  was  Buried 
on  the  16  Instant  to  my  great  Grief,  and  am  Astonished  that  Neither 
myself  nor  any  of  his  Sisters  or  Brother-in-Laws  here  have  one  line  of  his 
family  About  him.  I  make  no  Doubt  but  that  he  is  gone  to  a  Better 
Mansion  then  here,  &  I  know  it  be  the  way  of  all  flesh,  &  I  pray  God  to 
prepare  us  all  for  the  Like  Change. 

*'  I  have  the  Honour  to  be  with  profound  Esteem 

"  Dr  Sr  Yr  most  hum  :  &  Obed1  Servant 

u  ROBERT  SANDERS. 

"  Thomas  Hubbard,  Esqr.,  Boston/' 

Robert  Sanders  to  Richard  Wibird,  &c. 

<c  Gent  :  "  Alban^  27  Octr>  ^6L 

"  My  last  to  you  was  on  the  3  Aug1  under  Cover  of  Mr.  Jn°  M.  Wen 
dell  Via  Boston  in  wch  I  sent  you  my  Acco1  Current  with  yr  Goverm1 
Ballce  thereof  in  my  favour  £15  :  14  :  1£  this  Currency  for  wch  Debit  on 
new,  also  Col.  GofFs  order  &  Mr.  Oothout  made  Before  he  was  paid,  as 
also  Col.  Goff's  on  you  in  my  favour  for  £37  :  10  Sterling  wh^  I  Doubt 
not  but  met  -with  due  honour,  I  hope  you  all  have  Rec  [  &  to*  wch  referr, 
have  Veritably  heard  it  was  to  yr  hands  otherwise  you  would  have  Dupli 
cates  herin  again.  Col.  Jn°  Goife  is  Come  Down  from  Crown  point  <fe  is 
going  down  to  New  York  to  the  General  for  the  Billetting  money  &  ap 
plied  yesterday  to  me  to  Assist  him  with  money  to  give  to  his  Officers  & 
men  to  pay  &  Bear  their  Expenses  by  the  way  going  home  &  to  Enable 
him  to  Enlist  &  pay  Bounty.  In  obedience  to  Governour  Wentworth's 
order  to  him  to  forty  Eight  private  men  &  three  Officers  as  yr  Governm'3 
proportion  to  Remain  in  the  Service  Untill  the  Month  of  July  next  En 
suing  wch  I  knew  was  Impossible  for  him  to  do  without  money,  so  paid 

5 


84  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

him  yesterday  in  half  Johanneses1  [$4]  &  Doll3 :  in  all  £345  :  17  :  ld 
Sterling  for  wch  he  gave  me  his  Bill  on  you  wch  I  here  Inclose  &  send  to 
Rich(l  Wibird  Esqr  &  Desire  you  to  give  him  yr  Bill  or  Bills  payable  to 
Mess1"5  Champion  &  Hayley,  Merch  s  in  London  for  &  on  my  Acco1  with 
them.  You  may  if  you  Please  add  to  this  Last  Bill,  if  you  have  not 
yet  to  the  first  of  £37  :  10  Sters  the  Ballance  of  £15  :  14  :  1£  due  to  me 
from  yr  Governmt  trust  Mr.  Wibird  will  be  so  good  as  to  forward  two  of 
sd  Bills  by  two  Different  opp'y3  to  s[I  Gent,  in  London,  if  any  there  Should* 
be  at  Portsmouth,  otherwise  to  send  them  to  Mr.  Jn°  Mico  Wendell  at 
Boston  or  to  Messrs  Rob1  &  Richd  Ray  in  New  York  &  the  other  pr  a 
good  oppT  to  me  here.  With  the  greatest  Regards 

I  Remain  Gentlemen  Yr  most  hum.  &  Obedr  Serv1 
"  The  Honble  Richd  Wibird,  Esq.,  "  ROBERT  SANDERS. 

"  Chairman  of  the  Comtee  of  War  Portsmouth." 

Robert  Sanders  to  Peter  Miller. 
it  gir  "  Albany M  arch  1,  1762. 

"  I  am  Sorry  to  let  you  know  hereby  that  I  am  Credibly  Informed,  that 
you  have  &  are  still  busy  In  Cutting  &  Carrying  away-  Wood  from  my 
Land  at  Poghkeepsie  altho'  rny  Cousin  forbids  you  Cutting  &  Carrying 
of  it  away  from  my  lands,  I  Intend  to  be  at  Poghkeepsie  next  Spring, 
Please  God  I  Live  and  will  not  only  Sue  you  But  every  other  that  I  can 
prove  to  have  Cut  wood  from  My  Land  Except  my  Tennant  on  Possession 
for  the  use  of  himself  on  my  farm.  Take  this  Precaution  from  me  In 
good  Earnest  &  Leave  the  wood  on  my  Land  otherwise  you  will  bring 
yourself  to  great  Trouble  and  Cost.  I  am  Sir,  your  Humble  Servant 

"To  Peter  Miller."  "  ROBERT  SANDERS. 

The  following  was  rather  a  spicy,  gentlemanly  letter  from  our  venerated 
progenitor  : 

Robert  Sanders  to  Dr.  Godfrey  Smith. 
«  gir  "Albany  Jany  24,  1763. 

"  I  have  yesterday  pr  post  from  New  York  Recd  your  Extraordinary 
Letter  of  3  Ultimo  postage  2s.  Qd.,  &  am  surprised  to  hear  and  see  you 
Run  out  to  such  a  length  against  me  for  Not  sending  to  you  the  Vinegar 
and  Turnips  which  you  and  Col :  Salstonstall  Desired  Last  November  to 
be  sent  to  Crown  Point.  I  did  then  own  &  Confess  to  Col.  Salstonstall 
that  I  had  no  Interest  Enough  in  this  Country  to  prevail  on  Waggoners 
to  go  up  to  Lake  George  that  time  of  the  Year  with  their  Waggons  and 
horses  with  Turnips  as  the  Roads  then  were.  He  then  Seemed  Sensible 
of  it  and  as  to  Vinegar  I  could  not  get  it  In  the  whole  City.  Desired 
Mr.  Blodget  to  Enquire  and  search  the  Town  for  common  Vinegar  he  was 
so  good  as  <to  do  it  (as  I  was  not  able  to  as  the  Doctor  would  not  suffer 
me  on  acct.  of  my  leg)  but  could  find  none  under  6  Shillings  Pr  gal :  and 
I  Was  advised  Then  to  send  none  at  that  price,  and  at  the  Same  Time 
Assured  that  Good  Vinegar  was  Plentifully  to  be  had  at  Crown  Point  for 
that  selfsame  price  if  not  under,  and  you  was  sensible  I  would  pay  your 
Draft  on  me  for  it. 

"You  are  pleased  to  say  in  your  Letter  ('  perhaps  you  will  send  the  De 
sired  articles  In  the  Month  of  February  when  they  will  be  Destroyed  by 
the  frost  and  not  worth  a  farthing  and  the  Govern'1  must  have  your 

1  A  Johannes  is  a  Portuguese  gold  coin  of  the  value  of  eight  dollars. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  35 

Expense').  T  am  Glad  to  know  your  sentiments  thereabout,  and  you 
may  Depend  I  will  send  no  Turnips  unless  you  Possitively  order  me  by 
a  line  or  two  from  you  to  do  it  this  Winter.  Vinegar  I  believe  is  still 
to  be  not  had  in  Town  unless  I  pay  here  6s.  pr  gallon  and  I  Chuse  not  to 
do  When  it  is  to  be  had  at  that  price  where  I  had  orders  to  send  it  to. 
I  all  ways  do  for  my  Employers  as  if  they  were  personally  present.  I 
wish  you  the^Cornpliin'*  of  the  Season. 

"  Sir,  yr  most  hum  :  &  obt'Servant 
"  To  Doctor  Godfrey  Smith."  «  HOBERT  SANDERS. 

Robert  Sanders  to  AbraJiam  J.  Lansing. 
"  Dear  Sir.  "Albany  Jany  15  1763. 

"  I  send  pr  you  to  Boston  tJme  Province  Notes  which  carry  Interest  from 
the  Date  Each  Note  of  the  Treasurer  there  (viz)  one  of  £6  Lawfull  Dated 
the  11  feby  1760  to  J.  Tyng,  one  of  £6  L'  In  dated  the  11  feb/  1760  to 
J  Tyng.  One  of  £9  L'  tn  Dated  the  13  May  1760  to  R.  Tyler,  for  which 
please  to  take  of  the  Treasurer  Spanish  mild  Dollars  or  pistoles,  &  be  so 
good  &  bring  them  with  you  here  &  you  will  oblige  me.  My  Compliments 
to  all  Enquiring  friends  &  wish  you  a  pleasant  prosperous  Journey  to 
there  &  safe  home  again.  "  I  am  Sir,  yr  most  humble  Servant. 

»  Mr.  Abraham  J.  Lansing.-  "  KOBERT  SANDERS. 

In  1763,  the  celebrated  controversy  with  New  Hampshire,  respecting 
boundaries  commenced.  The  disputed  territory  is  now  called  Vermont. 

Robert  Sanders  to  JolinM.  Wendell. 
u  Doar  gir>  "Albany  Augt  15,  1763. 

"I  did  write  to  you  last  pr  Dominie  Rownian  on  the  26  Ultimo  to  which 
am  Constrained  to  Refer  among  other  things  I  did  therein  by  way  of 
Postcript  Let  you  know  that  Mrs.  Sanders  was  then  Dangerously  Sick  of 
a  feaver  To  my  Great  Grief  and  Sorrow  Must  Hereby  let  you  know  That 
it  hath  Pleased  the  Great  Ruler  of  all  things  To  take  to  himself  after  9 
or  10  Days  Sickness  on  July  30  my  Dear  Valuable  Wife  Mrs  Sanders 
[Elizabeth  daughter  of  Col.  Peter  Schuyler,  she  was  born  January  1, 1725] 
which  Great  Loss  is  most  hetherto  Insupportable  to  me  I  pray  God  to  take 
it  some  what  from  me  &  that  God  will  prepare  and  fitt  us  all  for  the  Like 
Unavoidable  Change.  I  trust  you  will  be  good  Enough  to  communicate 
This  my  great  Grief  and  Loss  to  our  mutual  friends  with  you  &  to  Mr. 
Wibird  &  his  Espouse  if  You  have  Occasion  to  Write  to  him.  I  cant  as  yet 
write  much  you  can  Well  Think  tho'  it  may  Come  too  again  Mrs  Sanders 
left  me  Sitting  with  5  children  one  Son  &  4  daughters  the  Eldest  Daughter 
going  in  her  14  Year  [Wife  of  Philip  Van  Reusselaer]  &  the  Youngest 
Daughter  going  in  her  18  mouths  a  Suckling  yet  when  her  mother  Died. 
I  Intended  to  have  Come  &  see  you  &  to  have  Collected  my  Just  Debts 
in  your  part  Next  month  But  Now  give  over  all  thoughts  of  it  and  must 
Rely  on  Every  man's  Honesty  that  owes  me  Money.  I  shall  now  only  add 
that  I  am  with  kind  Salutations  to  all  friends  with  you  Dear  Sir,  Your 

Affected  Cousin  "  ROBERT  SANDERS. 

"  Mr  John  Mico  Wendell  Boston. 

"  It  is  very  probable  we  shall  be  obliged  to  carry  on  a  war  the  next  Year 
against  the  Ottawawa  Indians  and  some  of  our  five  Nation  Indians  for  they 
or  some  of  them  commit  daily  murders  on  our  People  in  our  Garrison.  U.S.'* 


36  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Robert  Sanders  to  Sir  William  Johnson. 
«  Honbie  Sir  :  "  Alban^  No™rn''r :  15,  1764. 

"  I  have  Just  Now  Recd  your  favour  of  the  8  Cur1  Noted  you  would 
take  up  the  Bond  wch  you  Executed  Jointly  &  severe-lly  with  Mr.  Wells 
to  me  on  the  7  June  1762  for  £700  :  —  :  —  Two  Years  &  4  months  Interest 
thereon  due  the  8  June  @li  J  Pr  C1  106  :  3  :  4  —  Amounts  in  the  whole  to 
the  7  Instant  to  £806  :  3  :  4  which  sum  you  or  they  Can  pay&  Discharge 
when  you  please  But  as  I  have  at  .present  no  Occasion  at  New  York  for 
itl  would  Chuse  to  Receive  it  here  In  New  York  Money  —  Jersey  Money 
I  find  Good  Deal  of  Trouble  into  pass  it  here  Among  our  farmers  As  you 
Doubtless  will  with  me  Daily  Experience.  I  have  Labored  above  Two 
years  under  a  Malady  which  Rendered  me  Spring  and  Summer  past  In 
capable  to  write  much  or  hardly  at  all  But  It  seems  I  mend  something 
Dayly  at  Least  I  think  so  &  thank  the  Great  Ruler  &  Disposer  of  Heaven 
&  Earth  for  it  and  am  In  Great  hopes  of  Recovering  my  Former  State  of 
health  again.  I  Cant  At  this  time  Enlarge  Shall  only  Add  that  I  am  with 
Greatest  Regards  Dear  Sir  — 

"  Your  hum,  &  most  Obd1  friend  &  well  wisher 
"  Sir  William  Johnson,  Bart."  "  ROBERT  SANDERS. 

Robert  Sanders  to  Messrs  Champion  &  Hayley. 

"Gentlemen,  "  Albany  April  13,  1765. 

"  The  Enclosed  Memorandum  I  Confirm  to  be  Copy  of  my  Last  to  you 
This  Serves  purely  to  hand  you  the  2d  Bill  thereof  to  Serve  in  Case  of 
need  and  to  Assure  you  I  am  very  Respectfully,  Gent,  Your  Most 

"  Huinbl«  Svt  ROBERT  SANDERS." 

The  following  month,  May  24, 1765,  Robert  Sanders  the  veteran  cham 
pion  of  his  country's  rights,  passed  away  from  the  stirring  scenes  of  life 
at  the  age  of  60  years,  for  the  lamp  of  life  ceased  to  burn. 

Among  the  family  effects  is  a  singular  Patent  for  CHRISTATN  STADLE, 
engraven  on  parchment,  having  attached  to  it  the  great  Seal,  stamped  on 
one  side  with  the  "  Lion  and  the  Unicorn." 

"  New  York  Secretary's  Office  30th  July  1765  — The  within  Letters 
patent  are  recorded  in  Lib.  patents  to  reduced  Officers,  &c.,  page  123. 

"G°BANYAR,  D.  Secr'y." 

"  New  York  Auditor  Generals  Office  30  July  1765  —  The  within  Letters 
p  atent  are  Docqueted  in  this  Office.  M  GO  BANYAR)  Dep  Aud/, 

"  GEORGE  The  Third,  by  the  Grace  of  God,  of  Great  Britain,  France, 
and  Ireland;  King,  Defender  of  the  faith,  and  so  forth:  To  all  whom 
these  Presents  shall  come  Greeting :  KNOW  YE,  That  of  Our  especial 
Grace,  certain  Knowledge,  and  meer  Motion,  We,  have  Given,  Granted, 
Ratified,  and  Confirmed  ;  and  Do  by  these  Presents,  for  Us,  our  Heirs, 
and  Successors,  Give,  Grant,  Ratify,  and  Confirm  unto  Our  loving  Subject 
CHRISTAIN  STADLE  being  a  disbanded  non  Commission  Officer  having 
serven  in  North  America  during  the  late  War  and  last  belonging  to  our 
Fifty-fifth  Regiment  of  Foot :  All  that  certain  Tract  or  parcel  of  Land 
situate  lying  and  being  in  the  County  of  Albany  on  the  East-side  of 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  37 

Hudsons  River  within  our  Province  of  New  York  :  Beginning  at  the 
Southwest  Corner  of  a  Tract  of  Land  Surveyed  for  John  McDonald  and 
runs  thence  East  Sixty  Chains  and  sixteen  Links  ;  Then  South  Thirty- 
five  Chains;  Then  West  Sixty  Chains  and  Sixteen  Links  and  then  North 
thirty-five  Chains  to  the  place  where  this  Tract  first  began  Containing 
Two  hundred  acres  of  Land  and  the  usual  Allowance  for  Highways." 

This  curious  Patent  is  too  lengthy  to  be  further  copied  but  it  is  closed 
by  "  IN  TESTIMONY  whereof,  We  have  caused  these  Our  Letters  to  be 
made  Patent,  and  the  Great  Seal  of  our  said  Province  to  be  here  unto 
aflixed.  Witness  our  Trusty  and  Well  beloved  CADWALLADER  GOLDEN 
Esquire  our  Lieutenant  Governor,  &c.,  &c.  *  *  *  u  p  ,  „ 

PHILIP  was  the  second  son  of  Col.  Kiliaen'Van  Renssclaer  and 
Ariaantie  Schuyler.  In  the  old  family  Record  I  find  in  my  maternal 
grandfather's  own  writing  these  notices  : 

"  1747  May  19th  New  Style  was  I,  Philip  Van  Rensselaer  born  in 
Albany." 

"  1749  October  15th  N.  Style  was  Maria  Sanders  born  in  Albany." 

"  1768  February  24th,  Philip  Van  Rensselaer  getrout  met  Maria 
Sanders  and  Elizabeth  Schuyler,  by  Dominie  Eilardus  Westerlo  at  the 
house  of  her  grandfather  Peter  Schuyler,  at  the  Flatts." 

Col.  Philip  Van  Rensselaer  was  appointed  in  July,  1776,  commissary 
of  military  stor.es  of  the  Northern  Department  by  General  Schuyler,  and 


CHERRY  HILL. 

Built  by  Philip  Van  Renssclaer,  in  17G8. 

confirmed  by  congress.  We  see  from  his  private  papers,  the  hard  times 
they  had  to  contend  with  in  raising  money  and  getting  supplies  for  the 
army.  He  was  an  upright  and  successful  merchant  and  well  deserved 
the  high  consideration  in  which  he  was  held.  When  on  a  visit  to  New 
Orleans,  he  was  prostrated  with  yellow  fever  ;  though  able  eventually  to 
return  to  his  home  at  Cherry  Hill,  a  beautiful  site  overlooking  the  Hudson 


38  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

river  and  commanding  a  fine  extended  view.  He  never  recovered  perfect 
health.  In  this  mansion,  built  by  himself  the  year  of  his  marriage,  he 
died.  The  following  notice  cut  from  a  newspaper  was  pasted  in  grandma's 
scrap  book  :  "  Died,  on  Saturday  last  (March  3,  1798),  Philip  Van 
Kensselaer,  Esqr.,  aged  51  years,  at  his  Seat  at  Cherry  Hill.  His  funeral 
rites  were  solemnized  on  Wednesday."  He  left  a  large  and  valuable  pro 
perty  to  his  wife,  and  children,  six  zoons  and  three  doegters,  only  seven 
of  whom  survived  their  father.  The  conversation  of  mv  grandparents 
was  conducted  principally  in  Dutch.  Yah  Mynheer  and  Yah  !  ya  vrouw 
was  often  interspersed  in  their  English  familiar  discourse. 

"  The  troops  quartered  in  New  York  and  Boston,  were  a  constant  source 
of  irritation  and  difficulty  with  the  inhabitants.  On  March  2,  1770,  a 
fray  took  place  in  Boston  between  a  British  soldier  and  a  man  employed 
at  a  rope  walk.  The  former  was  supported  by  his  comrades,  the  latter  by 
the  ropeniakers,  till  several  on  both  sides  were  involved  in  the  conse 
quences.  This  quarrel  was  renewed  by  the  citizens  on  the  evening  of 
the  fifth  when  a  more  dreadful  scene  was  presented.  A  part  of  Captain 
Preston's  company  when  under  arms  were  pressed  upon,  insulted  and 
pelted  by  the  mob  with  snowballs  covering  stones.  They  were  also  dared 
to  fire,  which  they  finally  did,  killing  three  of  the  multitude  and  wounding 
five  others.  The  town  was  immediately  in  commotion.  The  ringing  of 
bells,  the  beating  of  drums,  and  the  shout  to  arms  !  by  the  people,  soon 
brought  together  thousands  of  citizens.  A  body  of  troops  sent  in  the 
meantime  to  rescue  Preston's  men,  would  doubtless  have  been  massacred, 
had  not  Governor  Hutchinson  and  some  of  the  leading  citizens,  among 
whom  was  Samuel  Adams  interfered.  The  result  of  the  trial  reflected 
great  honor  on  John  Adams,  and  Josiah  Quincy,  Esqrs.,  the  council  for 
the  prisoners ;  and  also  on  the  integrity  of  the  jury,  who  ventured  to  give 
an  upright  verdict,  in  defiance  of  popular  opinion.  Three  days  after  the 
massacre,  the  obsequies  were  solemnized.  Every  demonstration  of  respect 
was  manifested.  The  stores  and  work-shops  were  closed,  the  bells  of 
Boston,  Charlestown  and  Roxbury  were  tolled,  and  thousands  followed 
the  remains  to  their  final  resting  place.  The  bodies  were  all  deposited 
in  one  vault.  The  consequences  of  this  tragical  event,  sunk  deep  in  the 
minds  of  the  people,  and  were  made  subservient  to  important  purposes. 
The  anniversary  of  it  was  observed  with  great  solemnity  for  thirteen  years 
and  tended  greatly  to  widen  the  breach  between  the  colony  of  Massachu 
setts  and  the  mother  country." 

Philip  Van  Rensselaer  to  Ids  Wife. 
"  My  Dear  Wife,  "  Wednesday  N.  York,  July  31,  1771. 

*  "  I  now  take  this  opportunity  by  Capt.  John  Fryer,  to  Acquaint 
you  that  we  arriv'd  here  Safe  a  Sunday  Morning  about  three  O'Clock  in 
a  very  good  State  of  health  hoping  that  this  will  find  you  and  our  Dear 
Little  children  and  all  the  family  in  the  same.  I  hope  to  Sitt  out  for 
home  next  Tuesday  if  the  weather  will  Permittus  to  Coast  the  Sloop  after 
our  Cargo  is  Sold.  I  have  Sold  my  Peas  most  all  att  7s  pr :  Bus.  and 
my  Wheat  is  all  Sold  but  not  Settl'd  Cause  I  am  to  have  what  Capt  Val- 
keuburgh  of  Claverack  gits  —  he  has  about  GOO  Bus.  and  he  stands  out 
for  a  Dollar.  But  1  am  of  opinion  that  he  will  not  git  more  than  7s.  lOcZ. 
pr  :  Bus  :  —  is  no  demand  for  flour,  what  has  Been  Sold  last  fitch'd  21s. 
&  20s.  (j<l,  but  1  am  in  a  fair  way  to  git  21s,  on  Condition  of  Six  weeks 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 


39 


Cr  :  Here  is  nothing  Strange  —  but  the  Country  Suffers  Very  much,  of 
all  the  Rain  it  has  had  of  Late,  a  great  a  Bundauce  of  Wheat  is  Spoilt  on 
the  fields,  flax  and  Indian  corn  likewise.  1  was  a  Sunday  three  times  att 
Church,  I  Dined  att  Mr.  Rays,  a  Monday  at  Mr.  Shaws,  this  day  I  am 
to  dine  att  Mr.  Ludlows. 

"  No  more  att  present  But  I  Remain  Your  Loving  Husband  till  Death 

"  Departs  us,  arid  Humble  Servant 
"  Mrs.  Philip  Van  Rens- 

selaer,  at  Albany." 


These  reliable  entries  are  valuable  as  showing  the  names  of  merchants 
doing  business;  the  prices  of  articles  of  merchandise;  as  well  as  other 
facts  more  or  less  important,  not  otherwise  to  be  obtained. 

The  colonists  had  become  greatly 
exasperated  with  all  their  grievances, 
the  taxation  system  was  obnoxious, 
and  a  "  rigid  observance  of  the  non 
importation  resolves  "  was  enforced. 
"The  popular  voice  decided  that  while 
the  right  to  tax  tea  was  maintained,  it 
should  not  be  landed.  In  New  York 
hand-bills  were  circulated,  threat 
ening  with  ruin  those  who  should 
vend  tea,  warning  pilots,  at  their 
peril,  not  to  conduct  ships  into  that 
port  laden  with  the  article.  The 
same  spirit  pervaded  the  people  from 
New  Hampshire  to  Georgia.  In  the 
meantime,  several  ships,  containing 
thousands  of  chests,  arrived  on  the 
coast.  So  determined  werethe  people 
not  to  allow  the  tea  to  be  landed, 
that  ship  after  ship  was  compelled  to 
return  to  England.  The  tea  ships 
designed  for  the  supply  of  Boston, 
were  consigned  to  the  son,  cousins 
and  particular  friends  of  Governor 
Hutchinson.  On  December  16,  1773 
(the  British  Governor  Hutchinson 

having  refused  a  pass  for  the  return  of  a  number  of  vessels  laden  with  tea 
which  had  just  arrived),  a  person  in  an  Indian's  dress  gave  the  war  whoop  in 
the  gallery  of  the  assembly  rooms  at  Boston.  At  this  signal,  the  people 
hurried  to  the  wharves;  when  a  party  of  about  seventeen  persons,  dressed 
as  Mohawk  Indians,  protected  by  thousands  of  citizens  on  shore,  boarded 
the  vessels,  broke  open  and  emptied  the  contents  of  three  hundred  and 
forty-two  chests  of  tea  into  the  ocean,  without  tumult  or  personal  injury 
When  the  intelligence  of  this  summary  proceeding  reached  England,  it 
was  condemned  by  the  government  as  enormously  criminal.  They  me- 


VAN  RENSSELAEK  COAT  OF  ARMS.1 


1  The  above  COAT  OF  Aims  of  our  ancestors  is  remarkable  for  a  cross  bearing 
the  motto  "  Nicmatid  Zander,"  "  No  one  without"  (a  cross). 


40  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

naced  our  province  with  the  most  exemplary  vengeance  because  their 
government  was  deprived  of  a  revenue  from  this  quarter,  and  formed  a 
scheme  still  to  introduce  tea  under  cover  of  the  East  India  Company. 
The  American  people,  however,  would  not  be  imposed  upon  and  they 
firmly  adhered  to  the  resolutions  not  to  import  or  consume  tea  at  all.  In 
consequence  of  this  step,  the  parliament  passed  the  Boston  Port  Bill 
to  discontinue  the  landing  of  goods  at  Boston.  The  first  of  June,  1774, 
was  kept  as  a  day  of  humiliation,  fasting  and  prayer  asking  Divine  direc 
tion  and  aid." 

General  Schuyler  to  Philip  Van  Eensselaer. 
„  gir .  "  Saratoga,  Nov.  18th,  1774. 

"  Please  to  bring  for  me  from  New  York  five  Dozen  Mill  Saw  files,  and 
2  Barr*  Nails  2  Barrels  20d  nails  &  2  Barrels  10d  nails.  I  would  have 
get  them  from  Henry  White,  Esqr.,  If  he  has  them  and  get  the  Bill  of 
parcels  that  I  may  settle  It  with  him  or  from  whom  you  get  them. 

"  Please  to  ask  Philip  Livingston,  Esqr.,  for  the  Bell  he  was  so  good  as 
to  promise  for  the  Saratoga  Church.     I  wish  you  a  good  passage  and  am 
Sir  Your  most 

Obed  Servant 


<^5^i^c^-^^»^2 


^ 


"  To  Capt.  Ph  :  Van  Eensselaer/' 

Robert  Ray  to  Philip  Van  Rensselaer. 
«  gir  .  "  New  York,  May  6th,  1775. 

"  My  last  to  you  was  21  Ult.  to  which  refer.  Since  recd  none  from  you. 
The  Gentlemen  concerned  in  Hogestrassers  Bond  are  anxious  for  the  £300 
which  you  received  for  them  ;  they  say  they  would  long  ago  have  drawn 
on  you  for  the  Money  according  to  your  Order ;  they  would  have  drawn 
on  you  by  Mr.  Seagrove  but  they  were  fearful  it  might  be  taken  you  to  a 
Nonpluss,  which  they  chose  to  avoid.  Cousins  Deborah  &  Betsey  (who 
are  the  Bearers  of  this)  arrived  in  a  troublesome  Time,  the  particulars  of 
which,  I  shall  not  enter  into,  as  you  have  had  them  long  since  in  the 
Newspapers,  as  such  I  could  not  advise  Cousin  Betsey  to  stay  here.  I 
have  had  thoughts  to  have  sent  my  Wife,  Sister  &  Caty  to  your  place  for 
safety,  and  some  of  my  principal  Effects  ;  but  I  am  entirely  at  a  Loss 
what  to  do  ;  however  I  have  taken  the  Liberty  to  send  pr.  Mr.  Vanburen 
twelve  hhds  H.  S.  Rum,  which  I  desire  you  will  store  for  me,  and  if  you 
can  dispose  of  them  at  2s.  Id.  pr.  Gn.  for  the  Cash,  or  2s.  8rf.  for  three  or 
four  Months  Credt.  in  good  Hands  would  have  you  do  it.  Whether  your 
place  or  ours  will  be  the  safest  against  our  unnatural  Enemies  I  cannot 
now  well  determine.  We  have  chose  a  new  Committee  here  of  100  of 
the  principal  Inhabitants,  of  which  Number  I  have  the  Honor  to  be  one  ; 
we  are  invested  with  large  Powers;  we  have  met  every  Day  for  a  Weekr 
sometimes  twice  a  Day.  We  long  to  see  the  provincial  Convention  con 
vened.  We  are  become  unanimous  here  to  a  Man,  as  you  will  see  by  the 
inclosed  Associasion ;  which  is  generally  signed  by  all  Ranks  of  People. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  41 

If  it  should  so  happen  that  you  think  our  place  greater  safety  than  your 
own,  I  have  House  Room  and  every  thing  else  for  your  Family  at  your 
Service.  It  being  12  O'Clock  at  Night  I  am  almost  too  much  confused 
to  write.  We  have  had  most  of  the  Cannon  moved  from  Town  to  Kinus- 
bridge  &c.,  and  part  of  our  Committee  have  been  out  this  Day  to  pitch 
upon  the  Ground  where  to  build  Batteries  &  Entrenchments  for  our  De 
fence,  we  are  in  good  Spirits  though  times  look  very  Gloomy;  we  expect 
by  the  15  or  18  of  this  Month,  all  our  Ports  will  be  shut  up  by  the  Con 
tinental  Congress,  all  the  Vessels  in  our  Harbour  are  hurrying  all  they 
can  to  get  away  by  that  time  ;  that  if  you  can  get  any  Wheat  down  by  that 
time,  I  believe  it  will  fetch  the  present  price  which  is  6s.  4//.  pr.  Bushel, 
&  perhaps  more;  after  that  time  I  expect  it  will  not  sell  at  all.  Inclosed 
you  have  Invo.  for  the  12  hhds  of  Hum.  Couz.  Deborah  Just  now 
shewed  me  your  letter  to  her :  I  take  it  extremely  kind  your  Inviting  my 
Wife,  Sister  Sally  and  Caty  to  Come  to  your  house  in  these  very  trouble 
some  times.  I  am  much  obliged  to  you.  After  kind  Salutation  from  us  to 
your  Family  and  All  Friends  I  am  Sir,  Your  Loving  Cousin 
"  Mr.  Philip  Vanranslear,  Mercht.,  Albany."  "  KOBERT  RAY. 

"  When  the  Provincial  Congress  assembled  May  22,  1775,  measures 
for  defense  were  taken.  Four  regiments  were  authorized  to  be  raised  j 
fortifications  at  King's  Bridge  were  ordered  and  the  Hudson  passes  in  the 
Highland  fortified/'  At  the  beginning  of  the  year  1775,  the  American 
people  were  very  much  exasperated  with  the  aggressive  measures  of  Great 
Britain  and  universally  "  expressed  open  contempt  for  all  royal  authority 
exercised  by  officers  of  the  crown/'  An  effort  was  being  made  to  induce 
the  Canadians  to  take  up  arms  against  the  rebellious  colonists.  Sir  John 
Johnson  succeeded  to  the  titles  and  estate  of  Sir  William  his  father  and 
"  exerted  his  influence  in  the  British  cause."  It  was  at  this  time  an  ex 
pedition  was  arranged  by  the  Americans  to  invade  Canada,  the  stepping- 
stone  to  which,  was  boldly  set  in  motion  by  the  marvelous  capture  of 
Ticonderoga,  on  May  10,  1775,  by  Col.  Ethan  Allen  who  demanded  it 
"  In  the  name  of  the  Great  Jehovah  and  the  Continental  Congress."  A 
zealous  divine  in  his  pulpit  prayed  :  "  Oh  !  Lord,  if  our  enemies  will  fight 
us,  let  them  have  fighting  enough.  If  more  soldiers  are  on  their  way 
hither,  sink  them,  0  Lord,  to  the  bottom  of  the  sea.  Flvery  heart  re 
sponded  Amen,  let  them  have  fighting  enough/7 

Leond   Van  Buren  to  Philip  Van  Renssdaer. 
u  Dear  gir  .  "  New  York,  8th  August,  1775. 

"  According  to  your  Desire  your  petition  has  been  Delivered  into  the 
Provincial  Congress,  they  have  according  to  your  Request  granted  that 
Four  hundred  and  fifty  Barrels  of  Pork  Shall  be  sent  by  Governor  Trumble 
of  Connecticut,  their  Order  to  the  Governor  is  (In  Provincial  Congress 
at  N.  York,  August  8th,  1775.  Ordered,  that  Governor  Trumbale  be 
requested  and  he  is  hereby  requested  by  this  Congress  to  permit  the 
Quantity  of  four  hundred  and  fifty  Barrels  pork  to  be  sent  to  N.  York  to 
the  Care  of  Messrs.  Dennis  &  Dawson  to  be  forwarded  for  the  use  of  the 
Continentile  Army  in  the  Northern  parts  of  this  Colony. 

"  A  true  Copy  from  the  Minutes 

"  JOHN  MCKESSON,  Secry." 

6 


42  LEGACY  OF  HISTOKIC&L  GLEANINGS. 

"  I  have  taken  and  send  you  A  List  of  What  is  on  Board  as  Near  As  I 
can  recollect,  you'll  be  good  enough  to  ceep  our  Salt  Separate  as  it  lays  in 
the  Sloop.  «  Your  Friend  and  Humble  Servant) 

"  Mr.  Philip  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany."  LEOND  V.  BUEEN. 

Leonard  Van  Buren  to  Philip  Van  Rensselaer. 
«  Dear  gir?  «  New  York  Aug  25th  1775. 

"  After  sending  home  our  Sloop,  I  left  New  York  on  my  Journey  to 
Governor  Trumbull  in  Chonectukitt,  and  in  going  inquired  about  Pork 
found  it  very  scarse,  it  being  allmost  all  bought  up  by  their  Commisserys, 
which- 1  Inform'd  the  Governor,  he  gave  me  a  permitt  to  buy  pork,  but 
said  could  give  me  no  order  on  the  Commissery  for  one  Barrel  pork,  but 
he  give  me  a  Letter  to  one  of  his  Chieff  Commisserys,  for  him  to  use  his 
pleasure,  that  Commissery  told  me  it  was  not  in  his  power  to  give  me  a 
Barrel  of  that  which  was  brought,  but  would  send  an  Express  Immediately 
back  to  Gov.  Trumbull,  which  he  did,  and  desired  me  In  the  meantime 
to  go  to  Danberry  to  one  Jno.  McClean  to  buy  as  much  as  possible  and 
he  would  there  let  me  know  at  Danberry.  I  waited  one  day  for  the 
Commessarys  Expre'ss  &  Bought  upwards  of  Two  hundred  Barrels  pork 
&  left  Eleven  hundred  pounds  in  Cash  Lawfull  money  with  Jno.  McClean 
for  him  to  Buy  the  four  hundred  &  fifty  barrels  and  Pay  it  in  full  &  it 
should  be  Repaid  by  us.  the  pork  he  was  to  have  sent  by  water  to  New 
York.  I  proceeded  my  Journey  to  N.  York  and  could  not  Learn  one 
word  of  our  Sloop.  I  sitt  Sail  With  Capt.  Clutt  on  Intent  to  meet  our 
Sloop  or  find  her  at  Albany  but  coming  in  Haver-straw  mett  peter  Bradt 
About  sunsett  who  Informed  me  that  our  Sloop  was  then  behind  him  about 

2  hours  Sailing,  I  being  Afraid  to  pass  her  in  the  Night  Stept  on  Boord 
of  peter  Bradts  and  Arrived  again  In  N.  York  the  24  Instant  where  now 
wait  very  Impatiently  for  our  Sloop  not  knowing  what  can  be  the  Matter 
with  our  Sloop.     Mr.  Robert  Yates  and  Mr.  Jacob  Cuyler  now  Inform  me 
that  the  Express  sent  by  the  aforesaid  Commissery  to  Governor  Jonathan 
Trumbull  was  from  there  sent  to  General  Washington  for  his  orders,  and 
he  has  sent  Express  that  Pork  must  be  had  Immediately  the  full  Quantity 
you  desired  and  sent  to  the  North  River  by  Land  and  not  by  Water  which 
I  Judge  Will  be  some  where  in  the  high  Lands,  but  will  be  farther  In 
formed  by  the  next  post. 

"  On  my  Arrivall  from  haver  Straw  in  N.  York  I  was  Informed  of  the 
unhappy  Affair  of  the  Yorkers  and  Captain  Vanderpott,  the  Citizens  being 
on  the  Battery  to  take  away  the  Cannon,  and  the  Capt.  of  the  Asia  had 
had  Information  that  Afternoon  of  some  Bad  person,  placed  his  boat  nigh 
the  Shore  to  give  him  a  Signall  as  he  Afterwards  had  wrote  himself  to  the 
Mayor  of  the  City,  the  Boat  fyred  one  gun,  One  Company  of  ours  made 
thought  they  fyred  on  them  and  gave  the  Boat  a  full  Volley  and  only 
killed  one,  the  Captain  then  began  to  fire  with  Cannon,  he  then  wounded 

3  of   our   men  very  slightly,  hit  in  several  houses.     No  more  now  for 
want  of  Room  and  time.  „  LEOND  VAR  BDBEN_ 

"Philip  Van  Rensselaer,  Esq.  Albany/' 

"  The  Committee  of  One  Hundred,  guided  by  the  popular  will  and  per 
ceiving  a  resort  to  arms  to  be  inevitable  ordered  Col.  John  Lamb,  who 
was  then  a  captain  of  artillery,  to  remove  the  cannons  from  the  grand 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  43 

battery  and  the  fort,  and  take  them  to  a  place  of  security.  He  proceeded 
to  the  battery  at  nine  o'clock  on  the  evening  of  the  twenty-third  of  August, 
accompanied  by  a  body  of  citizens  fully  prepared  for  action.  Captain 
Vandeput  of  the  Asia,  informed  of  the  intended  movement,  sent  a  barge 
filled  with  armed  men  to  watch  the  patriots.  When  they  appeared,  a 
musket  ball  was  indiscreetly  sent  among  them  from  some  over-zealous  per 
sons  on  the  barge.  It  was  immediately  answered  by  a  volley,  when  the 
barge  hastened  to  the  Asia,  bearing  several  men  killed  and  wounded. 
That  vessel  opened  her  port-holes,  and  then  hurled  three  balls  ashore  in 
quick  succession.  Lamb  ordered  the  drums  to  beat  to  arms;  the  church 
bells  were  rung,  and  while  all  was  confusion  and  alarm,  a  broadside  came 
from  the  As'ia,  but  no  lives  were  lost." 

My  father's  uncle,  Colonel  Nicholas  Van  Rensselaer,  the  third  son  of 
Colonel  Kiliaen  Van  Rensselaer  and  Ariaantie  Schuyler  was  with  General 
Montgomery  at  the  storming  of  Quebec,  '  and  engaged  in  the  disastrous 
battle  before  that  city's  beleaguered  walls  on  the  memorable  December 
31,  1775.'  I  well  remember  the  benignant  old  gentleman  when  living 
below  Greenbush  in  the  old  Dutch  house  of  small  bricks  imported  from 
Holland,  with  its  gable  and  high  pointed  roof,  facing  the  Hudson  river; 
the  heavy  wooden  stoop  with  the  wide  seats  on  either  side  and  the 
ponderous  front  door  "divided  laterally  in  two  parts,"  whose  upper  half 
was  ornamented  with  the  quaint  heavy  'old  brass  knocker  formed  like  a 
dog;  and  the  "old  shutters  with  their  curious  fastenings  and  hinges." 
There  too  was  the  antiquated  soldier  with  his  loved  pipe  for  a  constant 
companion,  to  alleviate  any  depression  of  spirits.  "  He  blew  out  a  whiff 
of  smoke  as  fleecy  as  a  '  summer  cloud  '  and  while  watching  its  fantastic 
movements  and  shapes,"  or  speaking  between  the  puffs  of  smoke  as  he 
knocked  the  ashes  from  his  burnt  out  pipe,  would  then  again  fight  the 
battle  over  for  our  instruction  and  edification.  He  had  a  conscientious 
sense  of  duty  to  posterity  and  delighted  to  tell  of  "the  heroic  lives  which 
have  been  led  and  deaths  which  have  been  died  in  defense  of  liberty." 
In  those  days  the  tight  breeches  with  silver  buckles  at  the  knee  and 
braided  long  queue  were  still  retained.  He  would  relate  "  the  stirring 
scenes  preceding  and  attending  the  battle  and  the  subsequent  gloom  and 
foreboding  that  pervaded  the  country,"  of  their  sufferings  and  hardships; 
the  rigors  of  that  cold  Canadian  winter  in  1775;  of  their  stern  resolve 
of  "  victory  or  death  "  as  before  daylight  they  came  down  from  the  Plains 
on  December  31st.  How  silently  they  marched  in  the  drifting  snow, 
leaping  over  blocks  of  ice  that  they  might  charge  the  battery  and  then, 
when  quite  near,  came  the  terrific  shower  of  grape  shot  causing  the  death 
of  their  brave  Gen.  Montgomery  and  many  others.  Col.  James  Livings 
ton  and  himself  were  within  a  few  feet  of  that  officer  when  he  fell ;  it  was 
indeed  a  most  disastrous  campaign  in  Canada,  but  Col.  V.  11.  served 
during  the  entire  war  suffering  great  privations.  He  was  accompanied 
by  two  near  relatives,  Cols.  John  Visscher  and  James  Van  Ucnsselaer, 
then  all  holding  the  rank  of  lieutenants.  Col.  Nicholas  V.  R.,  was  not 
only  at  the  storming  of  Quebec  but  was  subsequently  engaged  in  the 
battles  of  Ticonderoga,  Fort  Miller,  Fort  Ann,  and  Bemis's  heights,  and 
such  was  the  esteem  in  which  he  was  held  by  Gen.  Gates  —  being  aid 
to  Gen.  Schuyler  —  he  was  selected  to  convey  the  intelligence,  to  the 
citizens  at  Albany,  of  General  Burgoyne's  surrender  at  Saratoga  on 
October  17,  1777.  In  1818  when  the  remains  of  Gen.  Montgomery  were 


44  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

brought  to  New  York  for  interment,  Cols.  Nicholas  Van  Rensselaer  and 
John  Visscher  were  honored  pall-bearers.  The  following  letters  to  my 
mother's  father  —  Philip  Van  Rensselaer  —  descriptive  of  the  capture  of 
St.  Johns,  Chambly  arid  Montreal  are  interesting  not  only  from  recording 
these  events,  but  they  show  the  peculiar  style  of  writing  in  those  early 
days,  one  hundred  years  ago.  These  records  of  the  past  "  are  dingy 
and  discolored  by  age  and  the  letters  almost  undistinguishable  from  the 
accumulated  dust  of  years." 

James  Van  Rensselaer  to  Philip  Van  Rensselaer. 
u  Dear  Sil%  "  Ticonderoga,  Aug.  29,  1775. 

"  I  arrived  this  morning  and  should  have  gone  on  across  the  Lake,  but 
the  Bad  Weather  has  prevented  us.  I  can  inform,  that  of  our  Army  a  large 
part  is  Already  pushed  on  past  Crown-point  and  we  shall  follow  with  the 
greatest  haste.  I  expect  to  be  in  sight  of  St.  John's  in  Less  then  Ten 
Days  from  this  time  we  shall  not  wait  for  the  Troops  at  Albany,  their  De 
lay  will  be  too  Long  for  us  to  Wait  for  them.  I  believe  any  things  you 
will  have  for  me  will  be  in  Vain  to  send.  You  must  not  expect  to  hear 
from  me  before  the  reduction  of  that  place.  My  Compliments  to  All 
Friends.  And  I  remain  Dear  Sir, 

"  Very  Affectionately  Yours, 

"  JAMES  VAN  RENSSELAER. 
"  For  Philip  Van  Rensselaer,  Esq.,  Albany/' 

James  Van  Rensselaer  to  Philip  Van  Rensselaer. 
"  Dear  Sir  "  -^e  ^ux  Noix,  14  Septr.,  1775. 

"  You  no  doubt  have  heard  of  our  attempt  to  attack  Saint  Johns,  on 
the  sixth  we  landed  within  Cannon  shot  of  the  Fort  under  a  brisk  Fire 
without  the  least  hurt  from  them.  We  found  ourselves  in  a  Thick  swampy 
woods  where  our  advanced  party  Commanded  by  Major  Hobby  and  Capt. 
Mead  were  attacked  by  about  100  Indians  Commanded  by  Capt.  Tice 
which  lasted  a  Considerable  time  :  our  loss  is  5  killed  and  eight  wounded, 
3  of  which  are  since  dead.  Major  Hobby  and  Captain  Mead  are  among 
the  wounded,  by  certain  accounts  the  Loss  of  the  Enemy  is  six  killed  and 
numbers  wounded.  Capt.  Tice  is  among  the  wounded.  Since  which 
General  Montgomery  has  made  a  second  attempt  with  800  men.  On  their 
Landing  they  killed  one  Frenchman  &  Two  Indians;  but  the  behaviour 
of  our  Troops  on  the  discharge  of  a  Few  Booms  of  the  Enemy  is  such  that 
I  should  Blush  to  name  it,  they  Retired  with  the  greatest  Confusion. 
To  day  we  received  a  Letter  from  Mr.  James  Livingston  by  which  we 
Learn  that  he  with  a  number  of  Canadians  have  had  an  Ingagenient  with 
his  [erased  by  time  and  the  mice.]  Twelve  of  them,  upon  which  it  was 
this  day  Resolved  in  the  Council  of  War  to  send  off  one  Hundred  men 
with  about  Thirty  Canadians  that  were  here  to  Join  Livingston,  when 
General  Montgomery  with  the  remainder  of  the  Army  about  1100  Strong 
is  to  proceed  down  to-morrow  to  Saint  Johns.  I  hope  we  shall  succeed 
but  if  I  am  to  Judge  from  the  behaviour  of  our  Troops  on  the  Two  Late 
attacks,  I  have  but  Little  hopes  of  entire  success. 

Your  Brother  Nicholas  is  well  and  in  very  high  spirits. 

Friday  11  oclock  at  night,  in  haste.    General  Schuyler's  state  of  Health 
is  such  as  I  believe  will  be  attended  with  Great  Danger,  he   leaves  to- 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  45 

morrow  for  Ticonderoga  which  is  a  great  Discouragement  to  us.  My  kind 
Compliments  to  your  Family  and  Inquiring  Friends.  Adieu  Dear  Sir 
and  am  yours  &c  &c.  JAMES  y>  RENSSELAEB. 

"  To  Mr.  Philip  Van  Rensselaer  at  Albany. 

"  To  the  care  of  Mr.  Walter  Livingston." 


"  General  Schuyler  had  issued  a  suitable  proclamation  to  the  inhabitants 
of  Canada,  on  entering  that  territory.  He  had  also  been  informed  that 
St.  Johns  was  garrisoned  by  the  whole  regular  British  force  in  Canada 
with  the  exception  of  only  fifty  men  retained  in  Montreal  by  General 
Carleton,  but  all  this  proved  to  be  untrue.  In  consequence  of  serious  ill 
health  General  Schuyler  was  obliged  to  relinquish  the  command  to  General 
Montgomery.  After  his  return  to  Ticonderoga,  he  was  active  in  forward 
ing  re-enforcements  to  Isle,  Aux  Noix  ;  and  on  his  recovery  from  sickness 
devoted  himself  zealously  to  the  management  of  the  affairs  in  the  northern 
departments.  It  was,  indeed,  fortunate  for  the  army  that  Schuyler  re 
turned  to  Ticonderoga  at  that  time.  He  found  every  thing  connected 
with  the  forwarding  of  provisions  in  the  greatest  disorder  and  detained 
on  the  way  by  neglect  or  indolence."  Mr.  James  Van  llensselaer  was  born 
1746  and  died  in  1829.  He  married  1st  Catharine  Van  Cortlandt,  2d 
Elsie  Schuyler. 

James  Van  Rensselaer  to  Philip  Van  Rensselaer. 
"  Dear  Friend  :  "  Camp  before  St.  Johns  6  Octr.  1775. 

"  I  have  wrote  you  Several  letters  since  my  Leaving  Albany  in  hopes  of 
having  had  the  pleasure  of  one  in  return  from  you  which  would  have  given 
me  great  satisfaction  To  hear  from  you  and  Green  Bush.  As  you  are  the 
only  person  I  expect  a  line  from  in  Albany  But  the  old  saying  out  of 
sight  out  of  mind  may  be  true.  However  I  can  with  pleasure  inform  you 
that  St.  Luke  La  Come  has  Desired  a  Conference  with  us  in  behalf  of 
principal  Gentlemen  of  Montreal,  their  Meeting  will  be  To  morrow  at 
Luprairie.  We  have  Dispatched  Mr.  Me  Pherson  andMajor  Brown  to  Treat 
with  them  on  our  part.  We  hope  the  Meeting  will  be  a  means  to  con 
vince  the  Canadians  that  we  act  upon  Just  Principals  to  restore  them  to 
their  Just  rights  and  Liberties.  The  Garrison  of  St.  Johns  is  completely 
surrounded,  the  Canadians  are  Entrenching  on  the  East  Side  of  the  River 
opposite  to  the  Fort,  where  they  are  to  have  Two  Cannon  to  annoy  the 
Enemy's  Vessels  Col:  Bedel  on  the  North  Side.  Col:  Seth  Warner  at 
Laprairie  and  the  General  on  the  South.  We  have  had  a  Further  Assur 
ance  of  Friendship  from  the  Caughnawaga  Indians,  this  evening  we  shall 
have  a  13  inch  Mortar  playing  on  the  Forts.  You  Cannot  Conceive  what 
plenty  of  provisions  we  have  here  of  all  kinds  from  the  Canadians  in  the 
Irish  way  to  support  our  Army.  Your  Brother  is  in  perfect  health. 
We  are  Dayly  in  Expectation  of  a  Re-enforcement  of  400  men  from  Ticon 
deroga,  when  shall  muster  2000,  when  we  shall  be  able  to  force  our 
Enemy  out  off  their  hold.  Be  assured  this  will  be  my  Last  Letter  to  you 
unless  you  write  me  and  give  me  a  good  Excuse.  My  Compliments  to  all 
Friends  and  particularly  to  your  Spouse,  and  am  Dear  Sir,  with  the  greatest 
regard  Your  most  Obdt  Humble  Servant  „  JAMER  y  UENSSErjAERi 

"  To  Mr.  Philip  V.  Reusselaer." 


46  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

James  Van  Eensselaer  to  Philip  Van  Eensselaer. 

"  Dear  Sir  "  CamP  before  St  Johns>  23  0ctr-> 

"  The  Enclosed  is  a  list  of  the  Gentlemen  Taken  at  Chamblie.  I  hope 
you  will  show  them  all  the  kindness  in  your  power.  Major  Gansevoort 
[Peter  Gansevoort],  is  still  very  weak.  I  hope  to  Leave  this  by  the  first 
of  next  month  altho  :  the  Army  may  Take  up  their  Winter  Quarters  in 
Canada.  My  Compts  to  all  Friends. 

"  I  am  Dr.  Sir  yours  &c., 

"  JAMES  V.  RENSSELAER. 
"  To  Philip  Van  Rensselaer,  Esq.,  at  Albany, 
"  In  favour  of  Major  Stopford." 

"  A  List  of  Officer's  names , privates  &c. —  Major  Stopford,  Capt.  Price, 
Capt.  Godwin,  Lt.  Hamer,  Lt.  Harrison,  A  Surgeon,  Lt.  Shettleworth, 
Capt.  Alye  of  the  Schooner,  Commis.  McColough.  76  privates. 

"  Spoils  taken  at  Chamblie  the  ISth  List. —  80  Bar.  of  flour,  11  of  Rice, 
7  peas,  6  Butter,  134  Bar.  of  Pork,  7  do  Dam,  124  Bar.  Gunpowder  or 
6  Ton,  300  Swivel  shot,  1  Box  of  Musket  shot,  cartridges,  150  French 
Arms,  3  Royal  mortars,  61  Shells,  500  Hand  Grenades,  83  stand  of  Royal 
Fusileers,  83  Accouterments  of  do,  A  Large  Quantity  of  naval  Stores, 
&c.  &c.,  for  3  vessels,  5  French  prisoners  Taken  at  Longueuil." 

James  Van  Rensselaer,  Esq.,  was  aid-de.camp  of  General  Montgomery. 
"When  General  Carleton  was  informed  of  the  capture  of  Fort  Chambly, 
he  immediately  left  Montreal  with  a  strong  re-enforcement  for  the  garri 
son  of  St.  Johns.  With  energetic  power  he  embarked  upon  the  river 
St.  Lawrence  in  bateaux  and  flat  boats,  and  attempted  to  land  at 
Longueil,  a  mile  and  a  half  below  the  city.  Colonel  Seth  Warner,  with 
three  hundred  Green  mountain  boys,  was  on  the  alert  in  the  neighbor 
hood,  and  lay  in  covert  near  the  spot  where  Carleton  was  about  to  land. 

He  allowed  the  boats  to  get  very  near  the  shore,  when  he  opened  a 
terrible  storm  of  grape  shot  upon  them  from  a  four  pound  cannon,  which 
drove  them  accross  the  river.  The  Canadians  were  greatly  alarmed  at  all 
the  warlike  preparations  before  St.  Johns,  and  many  fled,  but  a  declara 
tion  was  sent  assuring  them  that  the  Americans  intended  to  act  only 
against  the  British  forts,  and  not  to  interfere  with  the  people  or  their 
religion. 


FORT  CHAMBLY. 


General  Montgomery  had  been  informed  by  some  of  the  Canadian 
scouts,  that  the  fort  at  Chambly  had  but  a  feeble  garrison,  because  Gene 
ral  Carleton  supposed,  as  it  was  twelve  miles  northward  on  the  river 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  47 

Sorel,  it  could  not  be  readied  by  the  Americans  unless  the  one  at  St.. 
Johns  was  captured.  The  garrison  made  but  a  feeble  resistance  and  the 
surrender  of  the  Chambly  fort  was  an  important  event,  for  it  furnished 
Gen.  Montgomery  with  means  to  carry  on  the  siege  of  St.  Johns  vigorously. 
"  The  large  quantity  of  ammunition,  among  the  stores  were  three  tons  of 
powder,  that  was  captured  was  sent  immediately  to  the  besiegers  at  St. 
Johns.  The  siege  continued  six  weeks  and  then,  on  November  1st,  the 
garrison  surrendered  prisoners  of  war,  and  the  Continental  troops  had 
possession  of  the  fort.  After  the  defeat  of  Carleton  the  commander-in- 
chief  immediately  sent  a  flag  and  letter  to  Major  Preston,  the  commandant 
of  the  garrison,  informing  him  of  the  defeat  and  demanding  a  surrender 
of  the  fortress  to  prevent  further  efi'usion  of  blood.  They  marched  out  of 
the  fort,  the  next  day,  with  the  honors  of  war,  and  the  troops  grounded 
their  arms  on  the  plain  near  by.  The  officers  were  allowed  to  keep  their 
side-arms  and  their  fire-arms  were  reserved  for  them.  The  garrison  had 
been  on  half  allowance." 

Nicholas  Van  Renssdaer  to  Philip  Van  Rcnsselaer. 
"  Dear  Brother  and  Sister,  '  Montreal  Novr  21  1775. 

"  I  embrace  of  this  opportunity  and  inform  you  that  I  am  in  good  health 
and  hope  these  may  find  you  and  your  family  in  the  same.  In  the  first 
place  I  must  give  you  Joy  with  your  young  Daughter  [my  Mother.]  In 
the  next  place  I  will  inform  you  how  we  have  carried  on  our  Seige  against 
our  Enemies.  We  lay  at  St  Johns  six  weeks  and  four  Days  before  they 
surrendered,  the  first  of  this  Instant  they  gave  up;  the  13th  of  this  Instant 
our  General  [Montgomery]  Marched  in  this  Town  without  the  firing  of  a 
gun.  General  Carleton  run  off  with  twelve  Vessels  well  Loaded  with 
provisions  and  Ammunition  and  run  Down  about  40  Miles  Below  this 
place  where  we  had  a  Battery  with  Eight  Guns  in  the  very  Narrowest 
place  in  the  whole  River,  where  they  Could  not  pass  without  Being  taken. 
They  made  an  Attempt  once  to  go  by,  but  they  Hecd  such  hoot  fire,  that 
they  was  forced  to  go  Back  ;  and  our  Royalty  followed  them  up  very  Close 
and  keep  firing  on  them  till  they  sent  out  a  flag  and  made  Capitulation. 
There  was  one  Schooner  Loaded  with  powder,  that  they  threw  all  over 
Board.  We  took  the  twelve  Vessels  and  the  Brigadier  General  one  Lieu 
tenant  Col  three  Majors  five  Captains  and  six  Lieuts  and  113  Privates, 
Besides  the  Sailors ;  they  had  a  Vast  sight  of  provisions  which  we  have 
all  took.  The  Officers  of  our  Battalion  are  all  Resolved  to  stay  till  next 
May  and  we  are  now  Inlisting  our  men  over  again  to  stay  till  that  time, 
So  you  need  not  Expect  me  home  till  then  and  if  the  Service  Requires  I 
shall  stay  Longer.  1  Expect  we  shall  within  three  Days,  March  to  Ciilack 
[Quebec]  to  take  that  the  General  is  going  off  to  morrow.  I  shall  now 
Rest  and  "  Remain  Your  Loving  Brother 

"  NICHOLAS  V.  REANSSELEAR 
"  To  Capt.  Philip  Van  Rensselaer  at  Albany." 

After  the  garrison  at  St.  John's,  which  commands  the  entrance  into 
Canada,  had  been  besieged  and  taken,  General  Montgomery  pursued  his 
success,  and  took  Montreal ;  and  designed  to  push  his  victories  to  Quebec, 
but  meanwhile  secured  the  confidence  of  the  people  by  treating  them  with 
kindness.  Governor  Carleton  escaped  at  night  in  a  boat  with  muffled 
oars,  and  arrived  at  Quebec. 


48  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

James  Van  Rensselaer  to  Philip  Van  Rensselaer. 
««Dear  Sir:  «  Montreal  24  Novr  1775 

"  Before  this  Conies  to  hand  you  will  no  Doubt  have  the  full  particulars 
of  our  Success.  I  shall  only  mention  to  you  The  Taken  of  General  Pres 
cott  and  113  privates  with  Eleven  sail  of  Vessels,  in  which  we  shall 
tomorrow  Embark  for  Quebec  to  join  Col.  Benedict  Arnold,  who  is  there 
with  about  600  of  his  Army.  Many  of  them  ,have  perished  on  their 
march  for  want  of  provisions,  this  accoT  we  have  of  Capt.  Ogden  a  Gentle 
man  from  the  Jerseys,  who  attended  Col.  Arnold.  I  hope  you  will  Treat 
General  Prescott  with  Disdain  for  his  Barbarous  Treatment  of  our  friends 
in  this  Town.  And  also  to  poor  Col.  Ethan  Allen  who  is  shipped  for 
England  and  Loaded  with  Irons.  Your  Brother  is  in  good  health  and 
will  attend  the  Army.  My  Compliments  to  all  friends,  and 

I  remain  Dr.  Sir,  your  most  obt.  Hum.  Servt, 

.. ,,    -r,,.,.    IT     -r,  *  iu         "  JAMES  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

"  Mr.  Philip  Van  Kensselaer,  Albany. 

"  Col.  Ethan  Allen  had  been  sent  a  few  weeks  before  the  taking  of  St. 
Johns  by  Gen.  Montgomery  to  arouse  the  Canadians  in  favor  of  the  re 
bellion.  He  was  induced  to  make  an  attack  upon  Montreal  but  was 
captured  with  thirty-eight  of  his  Green-mountain  boys,  and  sent  to  Eng 
land  in  irons.  Allen  deserved  his  fate  for  his  rashness  and  disobedience 
of  orders.  Still,  he  was  very  near  capturing  Montreal  with  the  small 
party  he  had  led  in  advance,  as  was  subsequently  admitted  by  one  of  the 
British  officers.  When  Colonel  Prescott  learned  by  conversation  with 
Allen,  that  he  was  the  same  man  who  had  captured  Ticonderoga,  he  was 
greatly  enraged,  threatened  him  with  a  halter,  and  ordered  him  to'be 
bound  hand  and  foot  in  chains  with  an  iron  bar  attached.  A  body  of 
troops  commanded  by  General  Arnold  was  ordered  to  march  to  Canada, 
by  the  river  Kennebec,  and  through  the  unexplored  forest.  After  suffer 
ing  every  hardship,  and  the  most  distressing  hunger  while  in  the  wilder 
ness,  the  whole  army  that  remained  arrived,  on  November  9th,  at  Point 
Levi  opposite  Quebec,  after  one  of  the  most  wonderful  marches  on  record 
during  the  space  of  two  months,  and  was  soon  joined  by  General  Mont 
gomery.  Quebec,  which  was  commanded  by  Governor  Carleton,  was  im 
mediately  besieged.  But  there  being  little  hope  of  taking  the  town  by 
siege,  it  was  determined  to  storm  it  on  the  last  day  of  the  year,  December 
31st,  by  attacking  Quebec  on  opposite  sides.  At  5  o'clock  in  the  morn 
ing,  General  Montgomery  advanced  against  the  lower  town.  He  passed 
the  first  barrier,  and  was  just  opening  to  attack  the  second,  when  the  dis 
charge  of  a  wall-piece  from  a  neighboring  house  stretched  Montgomery 
lifeless  on  the  bloody  snow,  together  with  his.  aid-de-camp,  Captain  Mc- 
Pherson.  The  death  of  Montgomery  was  deeply  lamented,  he  left  on 
the  rock  of  Quebec  his  blood,  and  to  his  country  the  legacy  of  his  fame. 
Arnold  also  was  completely  disabled  by  a  musket-wound  and  retired  about 
three  miles  from  the  town  ;  after  the  arrival  of  General  Wooster  he  re 
turned  to  Montreal.  Meanwhile  Gen.  Carleton.  being  re-inforced  from 
England  by  troops  under  General  Burgoyne,  the  Americans  were  obliged 
to  make  a  hasty  retreat,  pursued  by  Burgoyne,  and  the  whole  army  by 
July  1st  were  finally  driven  out  of  Canada. " 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  49 

James  Van  Rensselacr  to  Philip  Van  Renssdaer. 
"  Dear  Friend,  "  IIeud  Quarters,  Montreal,  Jan'y  27th,  1776. 

"  Yours  of  the  sixth  Instant  Came  to  hand  the  19;1'  Ult,  by  which  I 
find  you  expected  I  was  gone  to  Quebec  but  my  reason  for  not  going  was 
my  Lameness  in  one  of  my  feet.  General  Montgomery  advised  me  to 
stay  till  such  time  as  I  was  Recovered,  on  my  recovery  I  waited  on  General 
Wooster,  that  I  was  desirous  of  going  down.  But  he  had  during  my 
Lameness  sent  Mr.  Lockwood  his  Secretary  with  Cash  to  the  Army  at 
Quebec,  and  Insisted  on  my  staying  until  such  time  as  he  returned ,  who 
did  not  Arrive  but  two  days  before  the  defeat  and  death  of  our  brave 
General.  Since  which  time  the  Business  here  in  granting  Commissions 
to  the  Canadians  of  the  Several  parishes  who  all  choose  their  own  Officers, 
has  employed  our  time  so  Effectually  that  we  have  not  had  Leisure  for  a 
moment  to  ourselves.  Which  I  can  assure  you  has  a  very  good  effect  on 
the  Canadians  in  order  to  secure  them  to  our  interest.  Notwithstanding 
the  Cunning  Artifice  of  the  Priests  and  others,  particularly  the  Scotts 
Merchants  in  this  Town  who  have  Jointly  done  every  thing  in  their  power 
to  excite  the  Country  to  take  up  Arms  agl  us;  they  have  absolutely  re 
fused  the  people  who  are  our  friends  the  rights  of  their  Church.  The 
spirits  of  our  Distressed  Army  is  greatly  revived  by  the  Arrival  of  some 
Volunteers  from  Massachusetts  govt,  under  Arnold  ;  also  by  the  Arrival 
of  the  Military  Chest  by  Capt.  Benson  and  the  other  Gentlemen.  We 
have  sent  about  250  men  to  the  assistance  of  our  Friends  at  Quebec,  in  a 
day  or  two  the  remainder  of  the  first  Batt11  of  Yorkers  are  to  march,  Con 
sisting  of  about  100  men,  who  are  much  wanted  since  our  unhappy  Affair 
there.  They  are  Determined  to  have  possession  of  the  Town  or  perish 
before  they  Quit  the  Ground  they  now  possess.  It  is  hardly  possible  for 
you  or  any  men  in  our  Country  to  conceive  the  great  Hardships  they  un 
dergo.  They  are  oblig^  to  be  on  guard  every  other  night  and  they  are 
Continually  Laying  on  their  Arms.  The  Snow  is  about  6  feet,  the  cold 
very  severe  and  what's  still  worse  the  scarcity  of  Cash  as  nothing  but 
gold  or  silver  will  answer  here.  Unless  one  or  two  Gentlemen  from  your 
Quarter  should  undertake  to  bring  up  a  Quantity  of  Stores  and  Goods, 
and  take  Continental  Currency  in  payment.  1  have  thought  tha£  if  you 
and  Brother  Harry  should  undertake  any  thing  of  the  kind  that  I  am 
very  sure  that  you  would  make  your  fortune  in  a  very  short  time.  No 
good  Liquors  to  be  had  here,  Spirits  of  Different  Quality  is  sold  from  16 
to  20  shillings.  Rum  from  10  to  12  &c.  I  am  very  sure  that  no  person 
in  your  parts  can  afford  to  Convey  goods  to  this  place  to  so  great  an  ad 
vantage  and  with  greater  Security  than  you  might  do.  I  have  not  heard 
from  your  Brother  Nicholas  since  he  left  this  for  Quebec,  which  is  a  fort 
night  ago  this  day.  As  I  am  appointed  Muster  Master  to  this  Army  in 
Canada  I  am  ordered  as  soon  as  I  have  mustered  the  Troops  here  to  March 
down  to  Quebec  which  will  be  the  first  Week  after  next,  therefore  you 
will  not  hear  from  me  for  some  time ;  please  to  present  my  Compts  to 
your  Lady  and  the  Young  Ladies  and  to  all  friends.  If  we  should  ever 
return  I  hope  our  Brave  friends  will  be  rewarded.  I  have  recd  the 
Cutte.  I  am  Dear  Sir  Yours  &c.  «  JAMEJ|  y  IlENSSELAER. 

"  To  Mr.  Philip  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany." 


50  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

"  As  soon  as  the  news  of  General  Montgomery's  death  reached  Congress, 
resolutions  of  condolence  with  his  family  for  their  bereavement,  and  ex 
pressive  of  their  grateful  remembrance  and  respect  were  adopted." 

"  In  England  his  name  was  mentioned  in  Parliament  with  singular 
respect.  The  minister  acknowledged  his  worth  saying  :  '  Curse  on  his 
virtues,  they  have  undone  his  country.' ;; 

The  following  letters  to  my  mother's  father,  Philip  Van  Rensselaer, 
commissary  of  military  stores  of  the  Northern  Department,  show  that  the 
citizens  of  Albany  were  engaged  in  transporting  provisions  and  other 
articles,  and  that  "  Rum  was  one  of  the  principal  items  of  traffic  not  only 
with  the  Indians  on  the  frontiers  of  New  York"  but  also  to  the  army. 

Tennis  T8  Van  Vecliten  to  Philip  Van  Rensselaer. 
«  Dear  gir  .  "  Montreal  9th  Feb  :  1776. 

I  arrived  here  this  Morning  safe  with  all  my  Cargo,  but  find  the  price 
of  Rum  much  different  from  what  we  heard  it  was.  I  find  on  enquiry  that 
N.  York  Hum  sells  at  6s.  and  w.  j.  at  10s.  per  Gallon.  Mr.  Walter  Liv 
ingston  advises  me  if  I  have  a  chance  of  selling  the  whole,  at  that  price, 
to  take  it  by  all  means,  upon  which  I  have  been  to  General  Woster  and 
Gave  him  the  offer  of  the  whole,  the  N.  York  at  7s  and  the  W.  Indes  at 
11s,  upon  which  he  has  promised  to  give  me  an  answer  to  Morrow.  Goods 
I  find  so  high  here,  that  I  doubt  whether  I  shall  purchase  any  only  trifles 
that  was  sent  for,  Chocolate,  brown  Sugar,  and  Madaire  Wines,  I  find 
very  high  here.  The  former  sells  from  5s  to  6s.  by  the  Box,  but  I  doubt 
whether  it  will  answer  to  send  any  of  those  articles  up,  as  there  are  some 
Merchants  from  this  place  gone  down,  who  I  make  no  doubt  will  bring 
up  a  great  quantity  before  you  can  send  any  up,  however  you  must  do  as 
you  think  best,  I  have  no  time  to  enlarge  at  present,  but  shall  give  you 
a  Chapter  by  the  next  Slays  and  am  in  haste. 

"  Your  Most  Hble  Servt.,  TEUNIS  T8  VAN  VECHTEN. 

"  To  Mr.  Philip  Van  Rensselaer,  Merch* :  Albany. 

Tennis  Ts  Van  Vechten  to  Philip  Van  Rensselaer. 
ic  Dear  sir .  Montreal  llth  Feb>' :  1776. 

"  In  my  last  I  wrote  you  that  Rum  was  much  cheaper  here  then  we  ex 
pected,  and  that  I  had  given  General  Woster  the  offer  of  the  whole  we 
have  here  at  7  &  lls.  and  Yesterday  I  waited  upon  him  at  his  own  request 
to  know  whether  it  would  answer  for  him  to  take  it,  he  seem'd  to  have 
an  inclination  to  take  it,  but  had  some  objections  to  the  price  of  the  lls. 
and  said  if  I  would  let  him  have  it  at  9s.  4</.  he  would  take  the  whole. 
I  then  told  him  I  would  take  10  &  7s.  which  he  seem'd  to  have  no  ob 
jections  to,  but  desir'd  I  would  go  with  him  to  Price  &  Haywoods  whom 
he  had  appointed  Contractor  for  the  Army  which  I  did  and  after  some 
discourse  upon  the  Subject,  they  appear'd  to  be  glad  of  the  offer,  and 
intimated  as  much,  as  that  they  would  be  glad  to  take  the  whole  at  the 
price  the  General  offer'd,  which  I  meant  to  have  taken  up  with,  if  he 
would  give  no  more,  but  before  I  left  the  House,  the  General,  Mr.  Price 
&  Hay  wood  were  called  out  of  the  room  one  after  the  other,  and  when 
they  came  in  again,  the  General  told  me  if  I  would  take  6s.  for  the  N. 
York  he  would  take  it,  but  the  lls.  he  did  not  want.  I  told  him  I  would 
not  take  less  than  7s.  &  10s.  and  so  left  them.  It  appears  very  clear  to 
me  that  there  is  a  Combination  amongst  the  Merchants  of  this  place 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  51 

(in  which  some  others  may  be  concern'd)  not  to  purchase  our  rum,  with 
the  view  of  gitting  it  at  their  own  price,  but  I  am  determin'd  they  shall 
take  no  advantage  of  me,  and  mean  now  to  make  myself  quite  easy  untill 
Dirck  Swart  comes  up  and  take  his  advice  upon  the  matter.  I  have  sent 
nothing  down  by  the  Slays  for  want  of  Money.  Mr.  Livingston  advises 
me  now  by  no  means  to  take  less  for  our  Rum  then  7s.  &  10s.  I  have 
no  time  to  say  more  as  the  Slays  are  Just  now  setting  of,  please  not  to 
fail  to  send  up  a  Good  Cheese  by  the  first  opportunity  for  Mr.  Livingston. 
"  Ideau —  I  arn  Yours,  &c., 

«  Philip  Van  Rensseluer  at  Albany."  "  TEUNIS  T"  VAN  VECIITEN." 

1776,  February  12  —  Mr.  Philip  Van  Rensselaer  Bl  of  Henry  Oothout. 

3  Muskets  at  70s., £10  :  10 

4  do       &  3  Cartridge  Boxes, 16: 


£26 :  10 

Mr.  Robert  Ray  to  Philip  Van  Rensselaer. 
«  gir  .  «  New  York,  14  Febv  1776. 

"  this  minute  I  Recd  your  Esteemed  favr  of  the  28  Jany  and  7th  Feby 
the  Inclosed  for  Mr.  Yates  I  have  DDd  the  other  two  for  Chs  Dickenson 
and  John  Livingston  shall  endeavr  to  D.Dr  tomorrow  as  they  are  both  out 
of  town  :  I  shall  as  you  desire  endeavr  to  buy  Livingston's  Rum  for  you  : 
as  soon  as  he  Comes  to  town  :  I  have  not  heard  the  price  mentioned  of 
that  article  in  2  or  3  weeks  :  then  it  was  at  3s.  and  if  he  will  take  that  or 
less  shall  purchase  for  you  :  my  Still  house  as  well  as  all  others  have  been 
locked  up  this  2  months  :  and  I  do  not  know  if  there  be  a  hhd  to  Sell  in 
town  :  however  shall  Enquire  tomorrow:  this  being  10  O'clock  at  night. 
If  I  find  any  I  shall  be  loth  to  purchase  unless  they  will  take  the  Risque 
of  Delivering  it  at  Albany,  for  we  are  in  daily  expectation  of  having  our 
City  knocked  down  and  burned  by  the  Men  of  Warr  :  most  all  the  Effects 
are  moved  out  of  town  :  and  at  least  half  the  familys  are  gone  and  others 
agoing  so  that  we  are  a  Complete  Garrisontown  :  we  have  2500  Soldiers 
here  from  Connecticut  and  Jerseys  :  Just  now  hear  1500  more  troops 
from  Connecticut  are  at  Kingsbridge  and  many  Company's  from  the 
Countys  marching  hither  :  it  is  Said  by  Saturday  night  we  shall  have 
8000  troops  :  I  wish  my  family  was  at  your  place  :  tomorrow  morning 
Gen1  Lee  breaks  Ground  to  Intrench  from  north  to  East  River,  so  that 
you  may  Judge  of  our  unhappy  Situation,  observe  you  have  Secured  a 
house  for  me  and  would  lay  up  some  wood  for  me  :  for  which  I  am  ex- 
treemly  oblige  to  you.  I  believe  the  Sloops  that  Come  here  first  in  the 
Spring  will  meet  with  good  freight  to  move  goods  and  familys  up  the 
River,  observe  Cousin  Betsey  Sanders  is  dead  the  Lord  I  hope  will  pre 
pare  us  all  for  the  like  Change,  observe  you  take  the  brandy  to  yourself 
at  8.9.  pr  Gall :  which  is  agreable.  I  shall  pay  Mr.  Dickerson  the  Money 
if  he  Chuses  to  take  it  here. 

"  I  shall  write  you  again  Soon,  observe  you  expected  to  have  £2000  — 
hard  Money  for  me  Soon  which  will  be  Very  agreable :  you  may  draw  on 
me  for  Money  if  you  have  occasion,  observe  what  you  say  in  regard  to 
Cous11  Sarah  Babbington  which  is  Very  well  :  make  no  Doubt  you  will 
endeavr  to  get  them  some  work  so  as  they  may  get  a  living  among  you. 
My  family  are  all  in  reasonable  health  :  and  give  their  Sincere  love  to  you 
all  :  and  Couz :  John  Sanders  and  his  family  :  please  to  tell  him  we  Con- 


52  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

dole  with  him  in  the   loss  of  his   Daughter.     I  beg  you  will  push  John 
Koff  Close  to  get  that  order  paid. 

"  I  ain  Respectfully  Sir  Yr  Most  Humble  Servt. 

,      „  "  ROBT.  RAY. 

"Mr.  Philip  Van  Rensselaer." 

Richard  Yates  to  Philip  Van  Rensselaer. 
«  gjr  "  New  York,  the  15  February,  1776. 

"  I  have  already  wrote  you  pr  this  Post,  since  which  I  am  favoured  with 
yours  of  the  23  Ultimo  by  w1'  I  observe  you  had  sold  four  Chests  of  Tea 
so  as  to  Neat  4  s.  6,  pr  pd  and  that  you  should  be  able  to  gett  ine  hard 
money  for  the  whole  wch  I  take  very  kind.  I  observe  you  expected  it 
would  be  all  Sold  in  a  few  Days,  that  Article  is  now  become  very  Scarce 
here  and  the  price  is  Risen.  I  have  a  Parcell  on  Hand  wch  I  will  dispose 
of  whenever  1  can  obtain  a  Suitable  Price,  if  the  price  advances  with  you 
lett  rue  know  and  I  can  Supply  you  either  from  here,  Esopus,  Red  Hook 
or  Poughkeepsy.  I  have  no  other  Liquor  for  Sale  than  Madeira  Wine, 
you  may  have  as  much  as  you  want,  on  the  Terms  mentioned  in  the  other 
Letter.  If  you  want  any  Sweet  Oyle  I  can  supply  you,  it  is  Choice  good, 
if  you  Can  Sell  any  for  me  I  will  send  you  as  many  dozen  Quart  Bottles 
as  you  please.  I  now  inclose  you  Robert  Hoaksleys  order  for  Eleven 
Tons  of  the  first  Quality  of  Pearle  Ash  wch  I  desire  y.ou'l  receive  and 
keep  it  till  further  orders,  pray  Inform  rue  the  Price  of  Pearle  &  Pott 
Ash.  I  would  barter  any  thing  I  have  gott  for  those  Articles  provided 
the  price  is  Moderate.  Can  any  quantity  of  Beeze  Wax  be  gott  and  at 
what  Rate.  I  have  a  few  hhds.  of  Red  Wine  in  the  Hands  of  Mr.  Morvin. 
I  should  be  glad  you  c*ould  help  him  to  a  Purchaser,  lett  me  hear  from 
you  pr  first  Post  or  other  Good  Conveyance,  and  keep  all  the  money 

untill  further  orders.  ,,  Ar 

"  Your  most  hum1  berv1 

"  To  Mr.  Philip  Van  Rensselaer."  "  RICHARD  YATES. 

< 

Abraham  P.  Lott  to  Philip  Van  Rensselaer. 

<c  sir  .  "  New  York,  Feb>'  16th,  1776. 

*  *  *  «  WiH  you  aiso  be  pleased  to  keep  GOlbs  of  the  best  of  the 
Tea,  let  Mrs.  Van  Rensselaer  try  it.  Good  Tea  is  very  Scarce  here,  and 
I  want  it  for  my  own  use.  All  the  Tea  that  I  had  Sold,  except  what  you 
have.  You  will  be  pleased  to  speak  to  Sheriff  Ten  Eyck  and  Ask  him 
whether  he  has  Received  or  Secured  the  Debt  due  from  Isaac  Mann  to 
me  ;  if  not  to  Employ  a  Lawyer  to  Sue  him  Immediately.  Mrs.  &  Miss 
Lott  desire  to  be  Remembered  to  yourself  and  all  friends. 

"  I  am  Sir,  Your  very  hble  Servt. 
"  Mr.  Philip  Van  Rensselaer/'  "  ABM  P.  LOTTS. 

Mr  Abraham  P.  Lott  was  a  member  of  the  "  Committee  of  One  Hun 
dred"  whose  energetic  actions  were  exercised  in  behalf  of  the  people 
according  to  their  known  will  while  the  Provincial  Congress  legislated. 
It  was  indeed  a  grand  Committee  of  Safety  for  New  York  State,  consist 
ing  of  one  hundred  of  the  most  respectable  citizens ;  among  its  members 
were  Robert  Ray,  Richard  Yates,  John  Jay,  &c.  General  James  Wil 
kinson  (then  captain)  had  been  put  under  marching  orders  for  Canada, 
subject  to  the  command  of  Brigadier-general  Sullivan  who  succeeded 
Gen.  Thomas  after  the  death  of  the  latter  by  small-pox  at  Chambly.  In 
May  Captain  Wilkinson,  was  made  the  instrument  of  saving  General 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  53 

Arnold  and  the  garrison  of  Montreal,  from  the  grasp  of  Sir  Guy  Carleton 
who  had  arrived  within  fourteen  miles  of  Montreal  without  Gen.  Arnold's 
knowledge.  He  was  exceedingly  surprised  at  the  report,  but  he  was  able 
to  make  good  his  retreat  by  La  Prairie. 

The  army  in  Canada  were  subjected  to  very  great  hardships,  sufferings, 
and  privations  during  the  whole  of  that  disastrous  campaign.  Destitute 
of  the  necessary  supplies  of  provisions  and  stores,  exhaused  by  fatigue,  or 
reduced  by  sickness,  with  the  small  pox,  attended  by  unexampled  mor 
tality,  they  were  for  a  long  time  in  a  state  little  short  of  desperation. 
Then  too  the  misfortune  which  had  taken  place  at  the  Cedars,  about  forty 
miles  above  Montreal,  a  post  occupied  by  Col.  Bedell.  Gen.  Carleton's 
Indians  were  Jed  by  Thayendanegea  (Joseph  Brant).  Captain  Brant 
exerted  himself  to  control  the  Indians  and  prevent  the  massacre  of  the 
prisoners.  Among  these  latter,  was  Captain  John  McKinstry,  (Col. 
McKinstry,  of  Livingston  Manor,)  who  commanded  a  company  on  that 
occasion  and  was  rescued  from  torture  by  the  timely  interference  of  Brant. 
The  very  name  of  this  celebrated  chief  at  one  period  was  enough  to  throw 
the  country  into  confusion.  In  his  day,  when  the  Dutch  was  the  pre 
dominating  language,  the  terrified  inhabitants  felt  happy  when  they  as 
certained  that  the  cry  of  brandt  !  brandt  !  only  indicated  the  accidental 
breaking  out  of  fire.  Capt.  Brant  had  the  credit  of  all  the  foul  murders 
and  atrocities  of  that  period,  the  murder  of  the  Vrooman  family,  in  the 
execution  of  which  the  Tories  were  more  brutal  than  the  savages,  all  of 
whom  were  dispatched  and  scalped,  the  cruel  massacres  committed  at 
Wyoming  and  Cherry  Valley  and  the  very  affecting  story  of  the  thirty 
years'  captivity  of  young  Groat,  of  Schenectady,  were  all  attributed  to  him. 
An  incident,  however,  occurred  at  Fort  Hunter,  which  is  greatly  to  his 
credit.  After  the  enemy  had  departed,  a  woman  came  to  the  fort,  whose 
husband  and  several  other  members  of  the  family  were  missing.  She 
was  in  an  agony  of  grief,  rendered  more  poignant  by  the  loss  of  her  infant, 
which  had  been  snatched  from  the  cradle.  Early  the  next  morning,  while 
tlie  officers  at  Gen.  Robert  Van  Rensselaer's  head-quarters  were  at  break 
fast,  a  young  Indian  warrior  came  bounding  into  the  room  like  a  stag,  bear 
ing  in  his  arms  an  infant,  and  also  a  letter  from  Brant,  addressed  to  the  com 
manding  officer  of  the  rebel  army,  which  read  thus  :  "  Sir  :  Isend-you  by  one 
of  my  runners,  the  child  which  he  will  deliver,  that  you  may  know  that 
whatever  others  may  do,  I  do  not  make  war  upon  women  and  children.  I 
am  sorry  to  say  that  I  have  those  engaged  with  me  in  the  service,  who 
are  more  savage  than  the  savages  themselves."  Matters  were  now  rapidly 
approaching  a  crisis  ;  the  spirit  of  resentment  was  being  fanned  into  a 
flame  ;  a  dark  and  bloody  cloud  was  hovering  over  the  land,  and  the  great 
question  was  soon  to  be  decided,  whether  they  would  be  slaves  or  free 
men,  whether  their  names  should  be  blackened  with  the  stigma  of  rebellion, 
or  handed  down  to  posterity  as  the  saviours  of  their  country.  While 
Capt.  Wilkinson  was  actively  engaged  in  the  duties  of  his  station  in 
Canada  he  was  '  suddenly  struck  down  by  a  typhus  fever  '  which  prevailed 
with  great  violence,  and  swept  off  more  than  one  thousand  of  our  troops. 
"  As  soon  as  I  could  bear  the  motion  of  a  wagon,  was  placed  on  a  bed  and 
transported  to  Albany,  where  I  was  restored  to  health  by  the  fostering 
care  of  Philip  Van  llensselaer,  Esq.,  and  his  amiable  lady,  and  the  tender 
attentions  of  General  Schuyler  and  his  respectable  consort." 


54  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Habbard  Brown  to  Philip  Van  Rensselaer. 
«  Sir,  "  Ticonderoga  March  5th  1776. 

"  I  have  this  Instant  received  yours  of  the  24th  of  February,  shall 
take  the  first  opportunity  to  Send  all  th*e  arms  both  at  this  and  Crown 
Point  with  the  Casks  and  barrels  of  Rum  according  to  your  Order. 

"  I  am  Sir,  your  Humble  Servt, 
"  To  Mr.  Philip  Van  Rensselaer.  HUBBARD  BROWN." 

Hubbard  Brown  to  Philip  Van  Renesselaer. 
"Dear  Sir,  Ticonderoga  March  5th  1776. 

"  I  happened  to  be  at  Mr.  Adam's  when  I  received  your  letter.  Made 
Immediate  inquiry  for  your  Rum,  found  it  safe,  hired  Mr.  Adams  to  Put 
it  on  his  Slay  and  Carry  it  to  My  Store,  think  myself  happy  that  it  lays 
in  my  Power  to  oblige  you. 

"  I  am  dear  Sir,  at  any  Time,  Yours  to  Command, 

"  HUBBARD  BROWN." 

Abraham  P.  Lott  to  Philip  Van  Rensselaer. 
«  Sir:  "New  York  March  7,  1776. 

"  Whereas  I  have  Partly  Agreed  to  Supply  the  Army  here,  Shall  be 
in  want  of  a  Quantity  of  Peas.  Which  you  will  Pleas  to  Purchas  about 
five  or  six  hundred  bussells,  on  my  Act.  Lett  them  be  good  boyling  peas, 
and  Send  two  hundred  bussell  by  the  first  Oppertunity.  Lett  the  Capt : 
Land  them  at  the  North  River.  What  Teas  you  have  on  hand  of  mine 
you  Will  not  Sell  Less  then  5s.  pr  Ib.  as  it  Sells  here  for  that  Prise  by  the 
Chest.  Mrs.  Lott,  Miss  Phelu  is  Well  &  Desire  to  be  Reniernbred  to  your 
Wife  &  Aunt  Egberts  family,  they  are  in  the  Garyes  [Jerseys  ]  Sir,  I 
Remain  your  friend  to  Serve,  "  ABM.  P.  LOTT."  . 

"  Mr.  Philip  Van  Rensselaer,  Merchant  in  Albany. 

Richard  Varick  to  Philip  Van  Rensselaer. 
«  Sir  :  "  Head  Quarters  Albany  March  28.  1776. 

"You  will  be  pleased  to  deliver  to  the  Bearer  hereof  Mr  William  McGea 
of  Capt  Peter's  Company  of  Batteauxmeu,  three  Hogsheads  of  Oakham, 
twenty  Barrels  of  Pitch  and  all  the  Rope  you  have  on  Board  belonging 
to  the  Public  to  be  carried  up  to  this  Place  Immediately. 

u  I  am  sir  Your  Humble  Servant 
"  By  Order  of  General  Schuyler." 


This  Order  was  sent  by  Philip  Van  Rensselaer  To  the  officer  on 
Board  of  the  Vessel  in  which  the  Public  Stores  are  laden  who  has  the 
same  in  Charge  from  New  York  to  Albany." 

Received  From  on  Board  of  the  Sloop  Peggy  &  Betsey.  Daniel  Fur- 
gerson  Master. 

March  29,  1776,  20  Barrels  Pitch.          \ 
"       31,     «       15     do     Cap.  Peters   j 
"       31,     «       34     do     pr     Capt.  Clute \ 
&       4      Turpentine  j 

April       1     «       12       Barrels       Pitch 

5     "       19  do  «     &  a  parcel  of  loose  Oakum. 

GERRITT  J.  LANSINGH,  Capt. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  55 

"  Richard  Varick  was  a  colonel  at  the  battle  of  Stillwater  in  1777  and 
a  sterling  patriot.  He  admired  Arnold  as  a  soldier  ;  and  when  that  officer's 
defection  became  known,  Varick  was  almost  insane  for  a  day  or  two. 
Varick  became  one  of  Washington's  military  family  near  the  close  of  the 
war,  as  his  recording  secretary.  On  the  death  of  John  Jay,  he  was 
elected  president  of  the  American  Bible  Society.  He  died  on  the  30th  of 
July,  1831." 

"  The  British  army  under  General  Gage  in  Boston,  consisted  of  twenty 
regiments,  not  less  than  10,000  men.  Some  of  these  valiant  British  offi 
cers,  soon  after  they  arrived,  while  walking  on  Beacon  hill  in  the  evening, 
were  frightened  by  the  buzzing  of  beetles  in  the  air,  which  they  took  for 

the  whizzing  of  bullets."  .    .          .,  OCi,   1rT~~ 

"  Crown  point  April  25th  1776. 

"  Deliver'd  to  Coll.  Bewel  to  Be  forwarded  to  Canada  30  Hundered 
weight  of  Ledd.  13  Hundered  weight  of  Ledd  and  19  Hundered  weight 
of  Balls,  one  anvil,  one  vice,  one  Buckhorn,  one  pair  of  Belluws,  one 
Sledge,  one  pair  of  tongs,  one  Hammer  for  the  use  of  the  United  Colonys. 

"  Rec»  the  above. 


Daniel  Hale  to  Philip  Van  Rensselaer. 
De.argir:  -Saratoga  20  May  1776 

"  By  General  Schuylers  orders  I  inclose  you  a  draft  on  Doctor  Stringer 
for  £  387.  2.  which  Cash  you  will  please  to  receive  &  remitt  immediately 
to  Messes  Ludlow  &  Shaw  of  New  York  with  the  <£  20  of  Capt  Dow  for 
account  of  General  Schuyler;  when  Capt.  Varick  conies  up  again  I  purpose 
sending  you  three  or  four  hundred  more  for  the  same  purpose.  You  will 
much  oblige  me  by  inquiring  at  the  Posb  house  for  Letters  for  me. 

"  I  am  with  respect  Sir. 

"Your  very  Hble  Servt. 
"  Mr.  Philip  Van  Rensselaer.  DAN  :  HALE. 

Invoice  of  22  barrels  &  4  half  bis.  Gun  Powder  shiprl  on    Board  the 
schooner  Resolution  at  New  Windsor  on  May  23d  1776  by  Henry  Wisner 
Esq  on  Acct,  the  Continental  Congress  and  adress'd  to  Philip  V.  Rensse 
laer  ......... 

Robert  Boyd  to  Philip  Van  Rensselaer. 

"  Sir,  In  consequence  of  direction  from  Henry  Wisner,  Esqr  I  now  send 
you  Continental  Powder  as  Received  from  him  agreeable  the  Above  Invoice 
which  wish  safe  to  hand  and  in  good  Order. 

I  am  Sir,  your  most  Obedt.  Hum.  Servt., 

ROBT.  BOYD,  Junr. 

P.S.  This  will  be  handed  you  by  Lieut  Peter  Elsworth  who  commands, 
the  guard  was  thought  necessary  to  attend  whom  you'll  please  send  me  a 
Receipt  by,  also  the  freight  if  agreeable  which  think  at  least  must  be  ten 
Pounds. 

Henry  Wisner,  Esq.  was  one  of  the  delegates  to  the  first  Continental 
Congress  in  1774. 

Crown  Point  26  May  1776  —  Received  of  Lieut.  Job  Cook,  Late  Com 
manding  officer  of  this  Place  one  half  Barrel  Pork,  one  Barrel  Condemd 


56  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Pork,  Eleven  Muskets,  Two  Blunderbushes,  one  forth  of  a  Barrel  of  Oat 
Meal,  Ten  Gallons  Molasses,  Two  Iron  Pots,  one  Ax,  one  Barrel  Salt. 
Together  with  a  number  of  Towls,  Lately  taken  from  the  Ruins  of  the 
Fort,  such  as  Pistols,  Guns  &  French  Spades,  Crow-Bars  Bill-Hooks, 
Stone-Augers,  &  Stone-Hammers,  the  above  Recd  belonging  to  the  Public 
Stores  of  the  United  Collonies.  By  ^  JQHN 


Henry  Glen  to  Philip  Van  Rensselaer. 

"  Dear  Sir."  "  Schenectady,  the  1st  July,  1776. 

"  Yours  Yesterday  I  Rec'1  But  was  not  Dated  I  now  send  you  some 
Wagons  in  order  to  send  over  some  Attellry  stores  as  you  have  not  men 
tioned  the  number  you  do  want  I  am  at  the  loss  to  Know  what  number 
to  send  dont  over  load  the  wagons  as  the  Road  is  Very  Havey  &  them 
Stores  Commonly  Very  Havey.  I  shall  be  Glad  to  know  by  the  Wagoners 
the  Quantity  &  Quality  Each  Wagon  has  in.  I  had  a  few  days  ago 
orders  from  General  Schuyler  to  send  you  a  Considerable  number  of 
Wagons.  But  them  Orders  was  Contremanded  on  Ace1  of  the  Treaty 
with  the  Indians  is  Refered  till  a  further  day.  I  have  no  doubt  but 
Genl.  Schuyler  has  ordered  you  to  let  me  Know  for  the  Wagons  only  let 
me  Know  the  number  you  want  in  the  whole,  you  have  orders  I  sopose 
to  send  a  Certain  Quantity  of  Ordnance  Stores  &  its  Easy  to  tell  what 
Number  of  Wagons  you  will  want  —  each  Wagon  carrys  about  one  1,000 
weight.  I  shall  expect  to  hear  this  day  if  I  am  to  forward  them  Stores 
&  to  whom  &  if  any  Person  that  has  wheight  of  them.  I  have  no  Battoes  as 
yet  but  Can  get  them. 

"I  am  in  haste  Dear  Sir,  Your  most  Hum1  Servt. 

"  Philip  Van  Rensselaer,  Esq."  HENRY  GLEN. 

In  New  York,  the  leaden  statue  of  George  III  was  taken  down  and 
converted  into  bullets  for  the  use  of  the  Continental  Troops. 

On  the  &th  of  July,  1776,  upon  the  report  of  the  Committee,  the  13 
confederate  colonies  dissolved  their  allegiance  to  the  British  crown,  and 
boldly  declared  themselves  Free  and  Independent  under  the  name  of  the 
Thirteen  United  States  of  America.  The  declaration  of  independence 
was  signed  by  56  brave  men. 

Christopher  Tates  to  Philip  Van  Rensselaer. 

«  girj  "  Wood  Creek,  July  15th,  1776. 

"  I  Just  now  Receivd  the  Iron  works  for  the  Inglish  saw-Mill  having 
rece(1  that  of  the  Duch  some  time  ago.  I  am  in  want  for  four  Duch  Mills 
saw-files  and  four  Inglish  &c.  which  you  may  Probably  have  a  Chance  of 
sending  with  the  Iron  work  for  the  Barracks  and  the  Store  House. 

"  I  am  Sir,  your  Hum.  Serv1 

"  Mr.  Philip  Van  Rensselaer/'  "  CimisB  YATES. 

The  mills  were  situated  near  the  cascade  on  Wood  creek.  The  mouth 
of  the  creek  is  a  cascade  and  difficult  for  canoes  to  enter.  Wood  creek 
rises  in  Warren  county,  and  flowing  by  Fort  Ann  in  a  deep  and  sluggish 
stream,  receives  the  waters  of  the  Pawlet,  and  falls  into  Lake  Cham  plain 
at  Whitehall  or  Skenesborough. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  57 

"  The  Independant  States  of  New  York 

to  Abr»>  Bogert  &  Cor*  Douw  Dr.  1776,  Aug.  2. 
To  1  Anchor  Weighs  3qf  26">  with  Stock  &  Puding  @  9...  £13:   11:  6 

To  1  Runner  &  Tackle  Weighs  106J  Lb 106]  \ 

To  1  Cable  in  Length  50  Fathom  &  2£  Foot  300    j  406£  @  6d   10:     3:  3 

£23:  14:  9 

Received  Albany  23 J  Novr  of  P.  Van  llensselaer  Public  Store  keeper  the 
Sum  of  Twenty  three  pounds,  14*.  Qd.  in  full.          CoBNELIUS  Douw. 

Orders  to  the  Armorer. 
"  Sir, 

"  Mr.  John  James  Bleecker  is  in  want  of  3  Guns. 

«  To  Mr.  P.  Schuyler."  J°1IN  N'  BLEECKER' 

"  Sir, 

"  Please  to  furnish  John  James  Bleecker  with  three  Guns  he  giving 
his  Rco  for  the  same.  „  (,  RQBT  .  yATBg  gecy 

"  To  Walter  Livingston,  Esq.,  Corns*'" 

"  Kecd  the  Conteuts'  WM  THORN,  Lieut. 

The  Officers  of  the  PROVINCIAL  CONGRESS  were  Peter  van  Brugh 
Livingston  as  president;  Volkert  P.  Douw,  vice-president;  John  McKisson 
and  Robert  Benson,  secretaries. 

Capt.  Win.  Hull  to  Andrew  Adams. 
"  Dear  Sir  :  Trenton,  Jany  1st,  1777. 

"  Have  but  a  moment  which  shall  embrace  with  Pleasure  to  inform  you 
of  the  present  State  of  our  Army  and  our  late  Success.  After  we  had 
recruited  a  few  days  of  a  fatiguing  March  of  more  than  250  Miles  (thro' 
all  our  Windings)  Genl.  Washington  gave  orders  for  us  to  be  every  way 
equiped  for  Action.  On  the  Evening  of  the  25bh  Ult  (Dec.  25,  177(5) 
we  were  Ordered  to  March  to  a  ferry  [McConkey's  Ferry]  about  twelve 
Miles  from  Trenton,  where  was  stationed  near  two  Thousand  Hessians. 
As  violent  a  Storm  ensued  of  Hail  &  Snow  as  I  ever  felt.  The  Artillery 
and  Infantry  all  were  across  the  Ferry  about  twelve  O'clock,  consisting 
of  only  twenty  one  hundred  principally  New  England  Troops.  In  this 
Violent  Storm  we  marched  on  for  Trenton.  Before  Light  in  the  Morn 
ing  we  gained  all  the  Roads  leading  from  Trenton.  The  Geul.  gave 
Orders  that  every  Officer's  Watch  should  be  set  by  his,  and  the  Moment 
of  Attack  was  fixed.  Just  after  Light,  we  came  to  their  out  Guard, 
which  fired  upon  us  and  retreated.  The  first  sound  of  the  Musquetry 
and  Retreat  of  the  Guards  animated  the  Men  and  they  pushed  on  with 
Resolution  and  Firmness.  Happily  the  fire  begun  on  every  Side  at  the 
same  instant,  their  Main  Body  had  just  Time  to  form  when  there  ensued 
a  heavy  Cannonade  from  our  Field  Pieces  and  a  fine  brisk  and  lively  fire 
from  our  Infantry.  This  continued  but  a  Short  Time  before  the  Enemy 
finding  themselves  flanked  on  every  Side  laid  down  their  Arms.  The 
Resolution  and  Bravery  of  our  Men,  their  Order  and  Regulariety  gave 
me  the  highest  Sensation  of  Pleasure.  Genl.  Washington  highly  con 
gratulated  the  Men  on  next  day  in  Genl.  Orders,  and  with  Pleasure 
observed,  that  he  had  been  in  Many  Actions  before,  but  always  perceived 

8 


68  LEGACY  OF  HISTOEICAL  GLEANINGS. 

some  Misbehaviour  in  some  individuals,  but  in  that  Action  he  saw  none. 
Pennsylvania  itself  is  obliged  to  acknowledge  the  Bravery  of  New  Eng'd 
Troops.  I  have  a  List  from  Head  Quarters  of  the  killed  and  taken,  which 
was  taken  the  day  after  the  Action,  since  which  many  more  have  been 
brought  in  :  1  Col.  wounded  since  dead,  2  Lieut.  CoK  taken,  3  Majors, 
4  Capts.,  8  Lieuts.,  12  Ens'ns,  92  Serj'ts,  9  Musicians,  12  Drums,  25 
Servants,  842  Privates,  2  Capt's  killed,  2  Lieuts.  killed  50  privates 
Six  Brass  Field  Pieces,  One  Mortar,  and  about  1500  Stands  of  Arms. 
A  large  Number  of  Horses  and  a  vast  Quantity  of  Plunder  of  every  kind. 
And  this,  Sir,  I  will  assure  you  with  only  the  Loss  of  Six  or  seven  on  our 
Side,  this  is  no  Exaggeration  but  simple  fact,  'tis  impossible  to  discribe 
the  Scene  to  you  as  it  appeared.  We  immediately  retreated  across  the 
River  [Delaware]  and  did  not  get  to  our  Tents  till  next  Morning  —  two 
Nights  and  one  day  in  as  violent  a  Storm  as  I  ever  felt.  What  can't  Men 
do  when  engaged  in  so  noble  a  Cause.  Our  Mens  Time  expired  Yester 
day,  they  have  generally  engaged  to  tarry  six  weeks  longer.  My  Com 
pany  almost  to  a  man.  Orders  have  now  come  for  us  to  march  for 
Princetown.  We  have  a  Rumor  that  it  was  burned  last  night  by  the 
Enemy,  who  we  suppose  are  about  retreating.  Compliments  to  Miss 
Adams  &  Children.  Adieu  and  believe  me  to  be  sincerely  yours, 


"  ANDREW  ADAMS,  Litchfield  Connecticut." 

Captain  Hull,  the  writer  of  this  letter,  was  the  Maj.  Gen.  William  Hull 
who  subsequently,  August  16,  1812,  surrendered  the  American  army  at 
Detroit  to  the  British  General  Brock.  "  General  Washington,  far  from 
being  discouraged  by  the  loss  of  General  Lee,  had  taken  a  stand  on  the 
Pennsylvania  side  of  the  Delaware.  He  collected  his  scattered  forces  and 
on  the  night  of  the  25th  of  December  (1776)  when  the  enemy  were 
lulled  into  security  by  the  idea  of  his  weakness,  and  the  inclemency  of 
the  night,  which  was  remarkably  boisterous,  as  well  as  by  the  fumes  of  a 
Christmas  eve,  he  crossed  the  river,  and  at  breaking  of  day,  marched 
down  to  Trenton,  and  so  completely  surprised  them,  that  the  greater  part 
of  the  detachment  which  were  stationed  at  this  place,  surrendered  after  a 
short  resistance.  Gen.  Washington  was  equally  successful  in  his  attack 
on  Princeton  arid  pursued  Gen.  Cornwallis  for  some  distance. 


CHAPTER  III. 

SURRENDER  or  BURGOYNE. 

My  paternal  grandfather,  General  HENDRICK  OR  HENRY  K.,  the  eldest 
son  of  Col.  Kiliaen  Van  Rensselaer  and  Ariaantie  Schuyler,  was  born 
July  25,  1744.  "  He  was  a  brave  officer,  who  fought  with  great  ardor 
and  distinction  in  the  revolutionary  war.  He  was  in  several  engage 
ments  during  which  he  uniformly  displayed  great  coolness  and  courage  in 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  59 

trying  scenes."  The  earliest  evidence  of  his  participation  in  the  struggle 
for  Independence  is  a  letter  to  the  Committee  of  Safety,  requesting 
supplies  of  different  kinds  for  the  garrison  under  his  command  at  one  of 
the  forts  on  the  Hudson  river.  He  did  not  come  in  contact  with  the 
enemy  while  stationed  there ;  but  soon  after  was  engaged  in  a  little  affair, 
which,  though  of  no  very  material  consequence,  serves  to  illustrate  the 
well  timed  gallantry  of  a  favorite,  worthy  citizen  of  Albany,  and  therefore 
in  connection  with  his  more  important  services,  perhaps  may  merit  a  pass 
ing  notice  :  While  out  with  a  scouting  party  of  militia  some  distance 
below  West  Point,  he  was  descried  by  a  more  numerous  body  of  British 
cavalry,  which  pursued  him  so  warmly  that  he  had  barelv  time  to  gain 
the  shelter  of  a  neighboring  log  hut,  when  they  surrounded  it.  He  re 
fused  to  comply  with  the  summons  to  surrender,  when  the  enemy  dis 
mounted  and  advanced  on  foot  to  compel  him  to  do  so.  As  they 
approached,  however,  Captain  Van  Rensselaer  ranged  his  men  opposite 
the  door,  and  at  the  proper  moment  threw  it  open  himself,  with  the  word 
to  fire.  The  order  was  obeyed  with  terrific  effect,  half  of  the  enemy  fell, 
the  rest  fled  in  dismay  and  sought  to  mount  again,  but  our  brave  men  in 
their  turn  now  followed  so  closely,  th  it  the  enemy  were  obliged  to  abandon 
their  horses  and  trust  to  their  legs  for  safety.  One  or  two  only  succeeded 
in  getting  away,  all  the  rest  were  either  killed,  wounded  or  taken.  The 
captain's  own  particular  object  in  the  chase  was  to  secure  alive  the  person 
of  the  enemy's  leader  ;  it  was  frustrated,  however,  by  one  of  his  men,  who 
shot  him  down  after  a  long  run.  The  prisoners,  horses,  and  arms  were 
all  carried  to  the  American  camp.  Cnpt.  Van  Rensselaer  appropriated  a 
fusee  to  himself,  from  the  captured  weapons  and  bore  it  as  a  trophy  of 
this  victory  in  every  subsequent  expedition. 

Congress  appointed  Major  Gen.  Philip  Schuyler  to  the  command  of 
the  northern  department  including  Albany,  Ticonderoga,  &c,  and  Major 
General  St.  Clair  had  the  immediate  supervision  of  the  posts  of  Ticon 
deroga  and  Mount  Independence.  The  battle  of  Lexington  had  opened 
the  first  scene  to  the  great  drama  and  after  the  first  blood  had  been  spilled 
all  were  ready  for  the  war  which  severed  America  from  the  British  em 
pire.  In  July  1776  congress  published  their  declaration  of  Independence 
and  this  great  eveutwas  followed  by  a  desperate  struggle  on  both  sides  for 
the  ascendancy.  On  the  American's  part  every  hand  was  employed  in 
preparing  for  the  reception  of  the  enemy,  and  the  public  mind  was  turned 
from  local  and  provincial  contests  but  directed  exclusively  to  the  great 
contest  now  fiercely  raging.  The  British  General  Burgoyne  comniander- 
in-chief  of  the  English  army  in  Canada  designed  to  take  possession  of 
Ticonderoga  and  force  his  way  through  to  Albany,  and  thus  form  a  junc 
tion  with  the  British  General  Howe  at  New  York.  This  was  tho  general 
rumor,  and  apprehension  reached  its  climax  when  on  June  30th,  1777, 
General  Burgoyne's  army  at  length  made  its  appearance  near  the  posts  at 
Ticonderoga.  After  a  few  unimportant  skirmishes  with  the  garrison,  the 
British  army  was  unexpectedly  seen,  on  the  ensuing  July  5th,  to  take 
possession  of,  and  earnestly  engaged  in  extensive  preparations  for  bom 
barding  the  old  fort,  from  the  perfectly  commanding  but  hitherto  neg 
lected  height  of  Sugar-loaf  hill  or  Mount  Defiance,  only  1400  yards  off 
which  completely  overlooked  and  commanded  Ticonderoga. 

It  is  a  matter  of  surprise  to  many  of  the  present  day,  who  visit  the 
scene  of  those  operations,  that  this  important  elevation  had  never  been 
previously  fortified  by  any  one  of  the  occupants  of  this  ancient  fortress, 


60  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

and  indeed,  a  neglect  of  the  kind  now  would  be  considered  unpardonable. 
But  when  the  wild  state  of  the  country,  the  entire  want  of  roads,  difficulty 
of  access  and  the  obstacles  opposed  to  such  a  measure  from  the  broken 
nature  of  the  ground,  are  taken  into  consideration,  the  oversight  in  our 
officers  will  not  appear  so  astonishing,  particularly,  as  their  more  experi 
enced  predecessors  in  possession  of  this  fort,  both  French  and  English, 
had  deemed  themselves  sufficiently  guarded  in  natural  obstructions,  from 
any  annoyance  in  that  quarter.  However,  all  those  difficulties  were  sur 
mounted  by  the  enterprise  of  the  British  army,  who  quickly  "  scaled  the 
formidable  mount."  General  Burgoyne,  with  a  boldness,  secrecy  and  dis 
patch  almost  unparalleled,  conveyed  a  number  of  cannon,  stores,  and  troops, 
who  soon  cut  roads  through  the  forest  up  the  abrupt  sides  of  the  eminence, 
its  summit  leveled  and  by  "  hoisting  cannon  by  large  brass  tackles  from  tree 
to  tree,  and  from  rock  to  rock,  over  dens  of  rattlesnakes  "  they  transported  ' 
ordnance  from  their  vessels  to  the  heights  for  the  destruction  of  our  works 
at  Ticonderoga.  At  this  crisis,  the  foresight  of  General  St.  Clair  quickly 
pointed  out  the  inutility  of  further  defense,  and  in  a  Council  of  War 
immediately  convened  by  him,  it  was  resolved  to  evacuate  the  fort  that 
same  night,  an  act  by  which  "  though  he  had  lost  a  post  he  had  saved  a 
state,"  was  afterwards  verified.  In  pursuance  of  that  design  the  baggage, 
munitions,  ordnance,  hospital  stores,  etc.,  at  three  o'clock,  A.  M.  of  July  6th, 
1777,  were  put  on  board  the  gun  boats  and  bateaux  under  charge  of  the 
heroic  Colonel  Long,  of  New  Hampshire,  with  150  effective  men,  besides 
the  invalids,  and  sent  through  the  South  bay  of  Lake  Champlain,  to  the 
Skenesborough  falls  on  Wood  creek,  to  be  landed  there,  and  transported 
round  the  falls,  to  other  boats  above,  and  thus  to  be  dispatched  for  Fort 
Ann.  The  main  body  of  our  forces  under  Gen.  St.  Clair,  being  thus 
divested  of  all  incuuibrances,  "  retired  by  an  unfinished  road  through  the 
wilderness,"  and  encamped  the  next  night  near  Castleton-,  six  miles  beyond 
Hubbardton.  Col.  Francis  and  Col.  Seth  Warner  with  the  rear  guard  of 
about  8UO  men  in  all,  quartered  at  the  latter  place.  Interim  Gen.  Bur 
goyne,  having  ascertained  the  movements  of  our  troops,  lost  no  time  in 
pursuing  them.  Notwithstanding  his  surprise  at  the  unexpected  event, 
and  the  impediments  to  be  surmounted,  by  nine  o'clock  the  following  morn 
ing,  one  division  of  his  army,  after  detaching  two  regiments  to  garrison  the 
abandoned  works,  was  on  full  march  after  the  American  main  body.  The 
other  under  his  own  immediate  command  had  removed  t\\echevaux-de-frise 
(bridge,  boom  and  chain,  which  cost  our  people  such  immense  labor)  placed 
between  Forts  Ticonderoga  and  Independence  to  delay  him,  and  in  his 
frigate,  the  Royal  George,  with  his  flotilla,  was  soon  in  full  chase,  with  a 
favoring  breeze  after  Col.  Long. 

At  5  o'clock  the  ensuing  morning,  July  6th,  one-half  of  the  division  in 
pursuit  of  our  main  body,  under  command  of  Brigadier  Gen.  Frazer,  by 
a  forced  march  came  up  with  our  rear  guard  at  Hubbardton,  as  it  was 
parading  to  continue  the  retreat.  An  obstinate  and  bloody  action  ensued, 
in  which  victory  was  for  a  time  doubtful;  but  the  timely  arrival  of  Major 
Gen.  lliedesel  with  his  Brunswickers  and  Hessians  (furnished  to  King 
George  III  by  the  Duke  of  Brunswick  and  Prince  of  Hesse),  decided  it 
against  the  Continental  troops.  Our  loss  was  estimated  at  about  300  in 
killed,  wounded  and  missing  ;  among  the  first  was  Col.  Francis  "  who  fell 
with  other  valuable  officers  while  bravely  fighting  with  distinguished 
gallantry."  The  loss  of  the  British  and  their  allies  was  much  greater. 
After  this  affair,  our  main  body  continued  its  retreat  unniolestedly  by  a 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  61 

circuitious  route,  and  joined  Gen.  Schuyler  at  Fort  Edward.  Col.  Long 
reached  the  rapids  of  Wood-creek,  on  the  succeeding  afternoon  from 
leaving  Ticonderoga,  and  immediately  commenced  unlading  his  vessels, 
and  dispatched  the  cargo  round  the  portage.  While  thus  occupied,  he 
perceived  the  British  frigates  and  gun  boats  bearing  down  upon  him, 
their  errand  was  easily  divined,  but  the  gallant  Long  determined  to  baik 
them  if  possible.  An  express  was  sent  to  Col.  Henry  K.  Van  Kensselaer, 
at  Fort  Ann,  for  assistance.  The  stores,  as  fast  they  could  be  sent  on 
shore,  were  transferred  on  smaller  boats  and  sent  up  the  creek,  while 
every  measure  was  taken  to  facilitate  the  escape  of  the  valuable  stores  and 
to  retard  the  advancing  foe.  As  soon  as  he  was  near  enough,  such  a  tre 
mendous  fire  was  opened  upon  him  from  the  fort  at  Skenesborough  (now 
Whitehall),  that  "  the  General  (Burgoyne)  thought  proper  to  return  and 
land  his  army  at  South  bay."  At  this  time  Col.  Long,  perceiving  a 
manoeuvre  calculated  to  cut  off  his  retreat,  and  knowing  his  inability  to 
keep  this  overwhelming  force  in  check,  set  fire  to  the  fort,  mills,  store 
houses  and  bateaux,  together  with  the  bulk  of  the  baggage  and  stores,  to 
prevent  their  falling  into  Burgoyne's  hands,  and  followed  after  his  loaded 
boats,  toward  Fort  Ann,  destroying  in  his  course  every  bridge  and  felling 
trees  in  the  road  to  impede  the  progress  of  the  enemy,  or  at  least  to  render 
the  transportation  of  ordnance  impracticable.  We  experienced  no  loss  of 
men  on  this  occasion,  though  it  is  taken  for  granted,  from  the  more  ex 
posed  situation  of  the  enemy  that  they  must  have  suffered  severely. 
Lieut.  Col.  Hill  with  the  9th  Regiment  was  dispatched  after  Col.  Long, 
while  the  other  British  regiments  were  sent  in  separate  detachments 
about  the  country  to  increase  the  panic  already  occasioned  by  the  loss  of 
Ticonderoga  and  by  the  defeat  of  Cols.  Francis  and  Warner,  at  Hubbard- 
ton.  Col.  Long  was  conscious  that  the  panic  had  even  seized  his  own 
troops  and  that  therefore  an  action  with  his  pursuers  was  impolitic  even 
with  equal  forces  ;  but  with  his  inferior  number  and  order  of  troops  a 
defeat  was  morally  certain.  Yet  the  vital  importance  of  the  stores,  in  his 
charge,  to  the  army  —  consequently  to  the  independence  of  his  country  — 
was  so  great  that  he  nobly  resolved  if  overtaken  to  contend  to  the  very 
last. 

The  express  reached  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  in  the  night,  and  he  promptly 
signified  his  intention  of  complying  with  Col  Long's  request  for  assistance, 
when  every  soldier  in  his  command  volunteered  to  accompany  him.  They 
set  out  at  day  break  on  July  8,  1777,  but  had  not  proceeded  far  "  ere  the 
loud  din  of  war"  was  heard  in  the  distance  and  warned  them  of  the  brave 
Long's  jeopardy.  With  redoubled  speed  the  patriotic  corps  pushed  their 
march  and  were  soon  convinced  by  the  increasing  roar  of  fire  arms,  and 
by  the  occasional  whiz  of  a  bullet  that  they  we.re  near  the  scene  of  battle. 
A  moment's  halt  then  satisfied  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  of  the  relative  position 
of  the  contending  parties  and  of  his  eligible  point  of  attack  against  the 
now  prevailing  enemy.  The  site  he  selected  was  on  the  left  of  Col.  Long, 
where  the  foe  stood  thickest.  The  galling  fire  he  threw  among  them 
thinned  their  ranks  and  compelled  them,  according  to  their  own  story, 
to  think  "  it  necessary  to  change  their  position  in  the  very  height 
of  action."  They  were  beaten,  actually  beaten  off'  the  field,  and 
continued  to  fall  back  as  long  as  it  was  thought  expedient  to  press  them, 
but  for  the  lack  of  ammunition  this  9th  Iloyal  Regiment  would  have  been 
annihilated.  "The  enemy  being  almost  surrounded,  were  on  the  point  of 
surrendering,  when  our  ammunition  being  expended,  and  a  party  of  In- 


62  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

dians  arriving  and  setting  up  the  war-whoop,  this  being  followed  by  three 
cheers  from  the  English,  the  Americans  were  induced  to  give  way  and 
retreat/'  As  it  was,  our  chief  object  was  obtained,  the  timely  and  vigor 
ous  onset  of  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  enabled  Col.  Long  to  move  off  with  his 
invalids  and  part  of  the  baggage  which  were  subsequently  delivered  over 
to  Gen.  Schuyler  at  Fort  Edward.  "  Our  army  was  in  very  deplorable 
circumstances,  actually  deficient  in  ammunition"  and  every  necessary 
article  to  render  it  efficient  against  the  veteran  and  well  supplied  invaders. 
The  following  extract  of  a  letter  from  the  secretary  of  Gen.  Schuyler, 
written  about  this  time,  proves  the  want  of  one  of  the  indispensable 
articles  in  our  army,  viz.  bullets,  and  even  of  the  material  to  make  them. 
It  also  affords  a  criterion  to  estimate  the  value  of  Colonel  Long's  charge, 
as  that  was  one  of  the  principal  items  among  the  articles  saved  from  the 
conflagration  and  enemy's  hand  : 

"  The  citizens  of  Albany  only  can  supply  our  immediate  exigencies  ; 
recourse  must  therefore  be  had  to  the  committee,  begging  their  interposi 
tion  to  collect  such  lead  as  is  in  the  city :  the  lead  from  windows  and 
weights  may  perhaps  afford  a  supply  for  the  present.  As  soon  as  it  is 
collected,  Mr.  Rensselaer  [Philip  Van  Rensselaer  Esq.  commissary  of 
military  stores  and  member  of  the  Commitee  of  Safety,  the  father  of  Mrs. 
Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  and  "proprietor  of  the  old  Cherry  Hill  estate 
near  the  city  of  Albany]  will  have  it  made  into  ball,  and  send  it  up 
without  a  moment's  delay.  Should  a  wagon  be  sent  off  with  one  box,  as 
soon  as  it  is  ready  it  must  be  pushed  off;  also  all  the  buck  shot. 

"  By  order  of  Major  general  Schuyler, 

"  J.  LANSING,  JUN.,  Secretary." 

Mr.  Lansing  was  afterwards  chancellor  of  the  state  of  New  York.  It 
may  be  gratifying  to  learn  that  this  requisition  was  in  every  particular 
complied  with ;  lead  was  taken  from  the  windows  and  shops  at  Albany 
and  soon  moulded  into  bullets.  The  contributions  from  our  patriotic  an 
cestors  in  lead,  and  pewter  mugs,  cups,  teapots  and  platters,  not  only 
enabled  the  commissary  to  answer  the  call  for  the  then  "  immediate  em 
ergencies"  but  to  supply  a  few  extra  balls  for  the  equipment  of  some  of 
the  crowd,  then  constantly  nocking  for  the  defense  of  their  country's 
liberty  and  rights.  During  the  most  severe  part  of  the  conflict,  on  July 
8th  "  near  t'he  narrow  pass  between  some  high  rocks  and  the  river  "  in  close 
proximity  to  the  old  Fort  Ann,  Colonel  Van  Rensselaer  in  following  up 
the  advantage  he  had  gained  over  the  enemy  was  desperately  wounded, 
the  effects  of  which  he  severely  felt  through  the  remainder  of  his  life. 
He  received  a  musket-ball  in  his  leg  as  he  was  in  the  act  of  stepping  over 
a  fallen  tree.  The  ball  entered  his  thigh,  broke  the  bone  and  glanced  up 
to  the  hip  joint  where  it  lodged  and  remained  for  nearly  forty  years  in 
his  person  and  could  not  be  traced  till  after  his  death.  It  was  then  ex 
tracted,  and  found  flattened  out  to  the  diameter  of  near  an  inch,  by  striking 
the  thigh  bone ;  it  was  almost  entirely  covered  with  a  white  ossified  sub 
stance.  This  bullet  is  still  a  relic  of  1777  in  possession  of  our  family. 
Such  a  fearful  wound,  of  course,  put  a  stop  to  his  further  personal  parti 
cipation  in  the  fight,  and  threw  him  on  his  back  behind  the  mouldering 
log.  Notwithstanding  the  agony  he  suffered  now,  his  country  was  still 
uppermost  in  his  thoughts,  and  perceiving  the  consternation  of  the  men 
round  him  at  his  fall  he  called  out :  "  Don't  mind  me,  my  brave  fellows, 
leave  me  and  charge  the  enemy,  Charge  !  charge  !  I  say."  The  soldier's 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  63 

mandate  was  obeyed,  and  for  two  full  hours,  without  a  leader,  did  these 
ill-found  and  undisciplined  yeomanry,  of  five  hundred  men  who  were  en 
tirely  mustered  on  the  Van  Rensselaer  manor,  maintain  their  advantage 
over  some  of  the  finest  troops  of  Great  Britain.  The  stand  taken  by  them 
held  Burgoyne  in  check  an  entire  day,  and  enabled  Gen.  Schuyler  to  re 
move  artillery  and  stores  from  Fort  George,  strengthen  his  position  on 
Bemis's  heights,  and  gain  invaluable  time.  This  memorable  action  has 
never  occupied  the  place  in  the  history  of  that  war  which  its  importance 
entitles  it  to.  It  occurred  a  short  time  previous  to  the  great  battle  which 
resulted  in  the  defeat  and  surrender  of  Burgoyne,  on  the  heights  of  Sara 
toga,  and  was  swallowed  up  and  forgotten  in  the  superior  brilliance  and 
importance  of  that  decisive  conflict.  It  was  maintained  for  an  entire  day 
by  a  force  of  about  1000  men  against  an  advanced  brigade  of  Burgoyne's 
army,  and  was  a  series  of  desperate  and  bloody  skirmishes.  Fort  Ann 
in  Washington  county  was,  indeed,  an  honored  field  for  the  preliminary 
skhmishes  and  engagements  between  the  contending  armies  before  the 
final  yielding.  It  was  fought  by  order  of  General  Schuyler  who  felt  the 
importance  of  checking  the  enemy's  advance  at  that  point  and  gave  direc 
tions  to  defend  Fort  Ann.  There  were  large  supplies  intended  for  our 
army  at  Ticonderoga  and  Fort  George,  where  they  had  been  detained  in 
consequence  of  hearing  of  the  investment  by  land  and  water  of  our  works 
on  Lake  Champlain  ;  and  to  favor  the  design  of  the  detachment  of  wagons, 
&c.,  sent  to  remove  those  supplies  back  to  Fort  Edward,  Gen.  Schuyler 
despatched  Col.  Henry  K.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Fort  Ann  to  collect  militia 
and  oppose  tjie  British  who  were  in  pursuit  of  Col.  Long's  scattered  com 
mand.  It  was  in  consequence  of  this,  that  the  battle  with  the  9th  Regi 
ment  under  Col.  Hill  took  place. 

The  action  on  the  8th  was  a  very  close  and  severe  engagement  with 
a  very  unequal  force,  the  Americans  made  an  honorable  defense  and 
finally  a  secure  retreat,  though  not  till  alter  the  ammunition  gave  out. 
But  it  nearly  cost  the  brave  Van  Rensselaer  his  life ;  so  close  and  despe 
rate  was  the  encounter  that  he  lay  many  hours  after  he  fell,  within  hear 
ing  of  the  groans  of  Col.  Armstrong  of  the  British  army,  who  was  also 
badly  injured.  Many  of  the  wounded  enemy  were  lei't  to  our  mercy, 
among  whom  was  "  Capt  Montgomery  (brother-in-law  to  Lord  Townsend), 
of  Hill's  regiment,  a  very  gallant  officer,  who  was  severely  wounded  early 
in  the  action,  and  taken  prisoner  with  the  surgeon,  as  he  was  dressing  his 
wound,  which  happened  as  the  regiment  was  changing  its  position/' 
This  extract  from  an  English  work  (Lieut.  Anbury's  Travels  through  the 
interior  of  America  in  a  series  of  letters  by  an  officer),  is  substantially 
the  same  as  that  of  Gen.  Burgoyne  upon  the  same  subject,  and  may  be 
considered  as  an  indirect  admission  by  the  enemy  of  their  discomfiture. 
But  as  it  was  the  first  check  their  hitherto  resistless  progress  had  met 
with,  they  were  loath  to  acknowledge  it  in  plainer  terms,  and  the  subse 
quent  retreat  of  our  men  to  Fort  Edward,  where  Gen.  Schuyler  held  his 
head  quarters,  gave  them  an  apology  for  a  claim  to  victory.  The  follow 
ing  extract  of  the  examination  of  Captain  Mooney,  depy.  quarter  master 
of  the  British  army,  before  the  committee  of  the  house  of  commons  to 
investigate  the  causes  of  Gen.  Burgoyne's  failure,  indicates  the  real 
opinion  of  the  English  officers  in  relation  to  the  conduct  of  our  men  on 
this  occasion  :  Question.  "  Was  you  present  at  the  action  of  the  19th  of 
September?"  Aus.  "  I  was."  Question.  "Did  the  enemy  dispute  the 
field  that  day  with  obstinacy  ?"  Ans.  "  They  did,  and  the  fire  was  much 


64  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

f 

heavier  than  I  ever  saw  it  any  where  unless  at  the  affair  of  Fort  Ann." 
Gen.  Burgoyne  previous  to  leaving  England  "  had  vauntingly  declared  in 
the  British  parliament  that  his  army  (which  had  one  of  the  best  trains  of 
artillery  ever  seen  in  America)  should  be  led  by  him  from  Maine  to 
Georgia,  and  that  he  would  make  an  easy  conquest  of  the  whole  colony  of 
New  York."  The  gallant  leader  at  Fort  Ann  refused  every  proffer  of 
assistance  after  receiving  his  wound,  and  persisted  in  the  advance  of  all 
his  men  after  the  retiring  foe.  In  consequence  he  was  soon  left  alone ; 
but  his  anxiety  to  calculate  the  result  of  the  onset,  induced  him  ever  and 
anon  to  brave  the  pangs  of  a  movement  to  overlook  the  obstructing  log. 
When  satisfied  by  the  still  receding  noise  of  contention,  he  sought  again 
his  more  comfortable  position  on  the  level  earth.  At  the  expiration  of 
those  seemingly  unending  hours,  the  noise  was  but  indistinctly  heard  afar 
off,  when  the  sound  of  approaching  footsteps  among  the  rustling  leaves, 
drew  him  once  more  to  a  reconnoitering  attitude,  and  he  found  it  occa 
sioned  by  a  young  rustic,  whose  soiled  garments,  together  with  sundry 
circular  impressions  upon  his  lips,  evidently  made  from  a  foul  gun  barrel, 
proclaimed  him  late  from  the  scene  of  action.  Whether  his  prowess  had 
been  exerted  in  favor  of  king  or  rebel  was  not  known  to  the  colonel. 
To  ascertain  it  he  hailed  him.  "  Who  conies  there  ?"  "  Holloa !" 
ejaculated  the  startled  youth,  and  catching  a  glimpse  of  the  head  from 
which  the  unexpected  demand  had  issued,  and  of  the  fusee  in  the  act  of 
being  levelled  at  him  over  the  log,  he  quickly  made  an  oblique  spring  and 
was  safely  ensconced  behind  the  projecting  trunk  of  a  neighboring  tree. 
Here  the  instinctive  operation  of  loading  his  piece  was  speedily  performed, 
when  feeling  and  expressing  himself  "  on  a  footing"  with  his  supposed 
antagonist  he  declared  himself  "  a  continental  soldier,"  and  asked  "who 
the  devil  are  you  ?  "  "I  am  Colonel  Van  Rensselaer,"  was  the  reply, 
upon  which  the  brave  fellow  left  his  hiding  place  and  soon  collected  a  few 
of  his  comrades  with  whose  assistance  he  bore  the  drooping  cripple  to 
fort.  In  his  latter  days,  the  colonel  often  mentioned  the  manly  conduct 
of  this  soldier  with  pleasure.  At  Fort  Ann,  Col.  V.  R's  wound  was 
hastily  dressed,  and  as  the  evacuation  of  the  post  was  decided  upon,  he 
was  again  raised  upon  the  shoulders  of  his  devoted  men  and  borne  fifteen 
miles  to  Fort  Edward,  from  whence  he  was  put  on  a  boat,  with  Capt. 
Montgomery  and  another  prisoner  of  war,  and  floated  down  to  Albany. 
He  was  too  ill  to  be  taken  to  his  residence  at  Greenbush,  so  both  the 
wounded  officers  in  the  same  dwelling  submitted  the  task  of  healing  their 
wounds  to  the  skillful  hands  of  Dr.  Samuel  Stringer  (surgeon  general  of 
the  forces  under  Gen.  Schuyler  and  a  man  of  great  eminence  in  the  medi 
cal  profession,  and  ranked  among  the  first  practitioners  of  his  day,  who 
died  in  1818).  That  of  Capt  Montgomery  assumed  a  favorable  aspect, 
and  maugre  his  boding  prediction,  that  our  "sharp  shooters  had  ruined 
his  d — d  fine  legs,"  he  was  soon  in  condition  to  accept  the  invitation  from 
his  kinsman's  relict  (the  widow  of  General  Richard  Montgomery)  and 
left  the  city  to  pay  her  a  visit  at  Ilhinebeck  on  the  Hudson  river.  The 
citizens  of  Albany  were  in  momentary  expectation  of  Burgoyne's  ap 
proach  j  all  who  could  leave,  fled  from  the  city.  Colonel  Van  Kensse- 
laer's  younger  brother,  Philip,  commissary  of  military  stores,  kept  a 
sloop  at  the  dock,  prepared  to  remove  his  suffering  relative  at  the  slightest 
alarm.  The  colonel's  case  long  bid  defiance  to  all  the  arts  of  surgery. 
The  position  of  the  ball  rendered  its  extraction  impossible  without  a 
manifest  danger  to  his  life,  and  the  fragments  of  clothing  which  had 


LEGACY  OP  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  65 

been  forced  in  with  it,  kept  it  a  sore  filled  with  maggots  as  the  wound 
was  in  a  most  nauseous  state.  However,  what  with  unremitting  care  and  a 
rugged  constitution,  he  surmounted  in  a  measure  the  danger,  though  he 
was  not  again  in  condition  for  active  military  duty  while  the  war  lasted. 
In  his  subsequent  life  he  was  often  called  by  the  suffrages  of  his  fellow 
citizens  to  represent  them  in  the  state  legislature,  and  to  fill  several  other 
responsible  offices ;  but  he  always  suffered  more  or  less  from  the  effects  of 
his  wound.  Several  times  it  broke  out  in  all  its  pristine  offensiveness 
and  on  September  9,  1816,  eventually  bore  him  to  his  grave  at  the  age  of 
72  years. 

Fierce  indignation  was  aroused  in  every  true  heart,  at  the  murder  of 
Jane  McCrea  at  Fort  Edward  on  July  27,  1777.  The  young  Lidy  was 
engaged  to  a  young  officer,  David  Jones,  in  Burgoyne's  army.  She  was 
killed  and  scalped  by  a  party  of  Indians  and  when  they  arrived  at  the 
British  camp  the  long,  glossy  hair  of  Jenny  was  immediately  recognized. 
She  was  then  about  twenty  years  old,  and  a  lovely  girl." 

The  evacuation  of  Ticonderoga  and  Mount  Independence,  without 
efforts  at  defense,  occasioned  the  greatest  surprise  and  alarm  ;  it  was  loudly 
condemned  throughout  the  country,  and  brought  down  a  storm  of  indignant 
abuse  upon  the  Generals  St.  Glair  and  Schuyler,  for  much  of  tie  respons 
ibility  was  laid  upon  the  latter,  because  he  was  the  coui:nander-in-chief  of 
the  northern  department.  This  disaster  gave  to  our  cause  a  dark  and 
gloomy  aspect.  A  ridiculous  story  was  industriously  reported  and  re 
ceived  too  much  credence,  that  Generals  Schuyler  and  St.  Clair  acted  the 
part  of  traitors  to  their  country,  and  that  they  were  paid  for  their  treason 
by  the  enemy  in  silver  balh,  shot  from  Burgoyne's  guns  into  our  camp, 
and  that  they  were  collected  by  order  of  General  St.  Clair,  and  divided 
between  him  and  General  Schuyler.  General  Washington  was  perplexed, 
and  congress  suspended  St.  Clair  from  command,  and  appointed  adjutant- 
general  Gates  to  supersede  General  Schuyler.  The  Albanians  were  seized 
with  a  panic,  the  people  ran  about  as  if  distracted,  and  sent  off. their  goods 
and  furniture.  The  actions  of  the  19th  of  September  and  October  7, 
1777,  are  well  known  to  have  been  decisive  of  the  fate  of  Gen.  Burgoyne's 
proud  army.  The  latter  took  place  at  Bemis's  heights,  between  Stillwater 
and  Saratoga.  It  is  supposed  to  be  the  hardest  fought  battle,  and  the  most 
honorable  to  our  army  since  the  commencement  of  hostilities.  The  enemy 
was  completely  repulsed  in  every  quarter, ;  then  the  brave  Gen.  Frazer 
fell  as  also  many  other  officers  of  high  standing.  Gen  Frazer  was  carried 
to  the  quarters  of  Baroness  lliedesel  who  was  expecting  guests  to  dinner. 
Before  his  death,  he  requested,  if  General  Burgoyne  would  permit  it, 
he  should  like  to  be  buried  at  6  o'clock  in  the  evening  on  the  top  of  a 
mountain,  in  a  great  redoubt  which  had  been  built  there.  About  sunset 
the  corpse  was  carried  up  the  hill  by  the  officers  of  his  own  corps  and 
passed  in  view  of  both  armies.  Generals  Burgoyne,  Phillips  and  Lliedesel 
placed  themselves  in  the  humble  procession  According  to  the  statement 
of  the  adjutant  general,  Col.  Kingston,  before  the  committee  above  men 
tioned,  the  loss  of  the  20th,  28th,  and  62d  regiments  alone  was  500  or 
more,  out  of  1100  men  who  marched  into  the  bloody  field.  The  62d  suffered 
more  than  any  other,  it  brought  off  only  50  or  60  effective  men  out  of 
about  340.  Yet  Capt.  Money  who  was  actively  engaged  in  the  action  of 
Fort  Ann  and  Betnis's  heights  declares  that  the  former  was  the  more  severe 
of  the  two.  It  proved,  at  all-  events,  of  a  most  beneficial  tendency  to  our 

9 


66  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

cause.  The  illusion  of  the  invincibleness  of  our  invaders  was  dissipated. 
Panic  gave  way  to  confidence,  and  every  succeeding  battle  in  the  North 
strengthened  it  to  such  a  degree  that  the  vaunting  Burgoyne  was  event 
ually  compelled  to  yield  to  its  effects  on  the  fields  of  Saratoga.  The 
battle  of  Saratoga  is  universally  acknowledged  to  have  been  one  of  the 
seven  great  decisive  battles  in  the  history  of  the  world.  The  defeat  of 
Burgoyne  settled  the  question  of  the  existence  of  this  republic.  The 
result  of  the  revolutionary'  war  depended  upon  that  day,  and  that  day 
was  won  by  the  valor  of  the  Continental  army.  That  field  belonged  to 
the  whole  nation,  we  all  gloried  in  it ;  here  the  British  lion  got  down 
on  his  knees  before  the  American  eagle.  Gen.  Burgoyne  died  Aug.  4, 
1792.  The  following  anecdote  was  told  by  Jacob  Van  Alstyne,  who  was 
at  the  taking  of  Burgoyne.  He  was  then  adjutant  of  a  regiment  of 
llensselaer  county  militia,  under  Col.  Stephen  J.  Schuyler.  Lieut.  Col. 
Henry  K.  Van  Rensselaer  acted  in  the  two-fold  capacity  of  adjutant  and 
quarter-master.  Col.  Schuyler  was  a  brother  of  Gen.  Philip  Schuyler, 
and  having  the  oldest  commission  among  the  colonels  on  that  station,  he 
acted  as  brigadier  general  in  the  latter  part  of  the  campaign.  A  German, 
named  John  Tillman,  a  portly  gentleman  who  resided  at  Albany  after  the 
war,  acted  as  German  interpreter  for  General  Gates,  and  was  requested 
by  the  latter  to  select  a  proper  person  to  go  into  the  British  camp  as- a 
SP1J )  tne  object  of  whose  mission  was  to  circulate  letters  among  the  Hes 
sian  soldiers,  to  induce  them  to  desert,  and  to  bring  on  an  engagement  in 
such  a  manner  as  Gates  desired.  Tilltnan  selected  Christopher  Fisher,  a 
private  in  Col.  Schuyler's  regiment,  a  shrewd  fellow  and  always  ready 
with  an  answer  to  any  question  that  might  be  asked  him  ;  he  was  a  witty 
man,  true  as  steel.  Never  at  a  loss  for  a  reply,  be  it  question,  fun,  or 
joke,  his  flashes  back  would  come  with  jolly  good  cheer,  for  he  was  brim 
ful  of  good  nature  and  well  educated.  Fisher  being  well  acquainted  with 
Van  Alstyne,  visited  him  to  ask  his  advice  in  the  hazardous  undertaking, 
naming  the  reward  offered.  The  latter  told  him  what  the  consequence 
would  be  if  he  was  detected,  but  declined  giving  counsel.  '  Well/  said 
Fisher,  '  if  you  will  not  advise  me  how  to  proceed,  then  I  must  act  on  my 
own  judgment /  so  saying,  he  took  his  leave  of  Van  Alstvne,  who  thought 
but  little  more  of  the  matter  until  after  the  battle.  While  in  his  tent  after 
the  engagement,  Fisher  entered  and  showed  him  a  purse  of  gold  and  his 
discharge  from  the  service.  Van  Alstyne  then  desired  to  know  how  he 
had  proceeded.  Fisher  stated  that  on  the  day  appointed,  he  approached 
the  enemy's  picket  with  a  sheep  upon  his  back,  which  had  been  killed  for 
the  occasion.  He  was  hailed  by  the  guard,  who  demanded  of  him  his 
residence  and  the  object  of  his  visit.  Fisher  replied,  that  he  lived  a  few 
miles  back  in  the  country,  '  that  the  d — d  Yankees  had  destroyed  all  his 
property  but  one  sheep,  which  he  had  killed,  and  was  then  taking  to  his 
friends.'  On  hearing  this  reply,  the  sentinel  treated  him  kindly,  and  de 
livered  him  over  to  an  officer  with  a  favorable  report.  In  the  British 
camp,  he  was  asked  by  a  superior  officer,  what  proof  he  could  give  that 
he  was  not,  deceiving.  Said  Fisher,  '  the  rebels  are  preparing  to  give  you 
battle,  and  if  you  will  go  with  me,  I  will  convince  you  of  its  truth/  The 
officer  followed  Fisher  to  a  certain  place,  from  which  was  visible  a  wood. 
Here  had  been  stationed,  agreeable  to  the  order  of  Gen.  Gates,  a  body  of 
Col.  Morgan's  rifle  corps,  who  were  to  exhibit  themselves  in  a  stealthy 
manner.  The  riflemen  wore  frocks  and  were  easily  distinguished,  '  There, 
there/  says  Fisher,  '  don't  you  see  them  devils  of  Morgan's  dodging  about 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  67 

among  the  trees?'  And  sure  enough,  as  fast  as  the  spy  directed  his  vision 
the  British  officer  could  see  the  moving  frocks  of  the  American  riflemen. 
When  urged  to  enlist  into  the  British  service,  Fisher  pretended  an  aver 
sion  to  war,  pleading  also  the  necessity  of  returning  home  to  protect  his 
family  against  the  rebels.  He  was  allowed  to  leave  the  camp  when  he 
chose,  and  embraced  the  opportunity  while  the  armies  were  engaged.  He 
was,  however,  admitted  into  communion  as  a  genuine  royalist,  and  being 
allowed  to  mingle  for  several  hours  with  those  who  spoke  German,  he 
discharged  the  duties  of  his  perilous  mission  to  the  satisfaction  of  General 
Gates.  A  party  of  British  troops  were  sent  to  dislodge  the  riflemen 
pointed  out  by  Fisher,  a  general  engagement  followed  with  success  to  the 
Americans.  The  spy  executed  faithfully,  the  principal  object  of  his 
hazardous  enterprise,  and  many  of  those  Hessian  soldiers  deserted  the 
British  service  in  that  campaign,  and  either  entered  the  American  service, 
or  became  good  citizens  of  New  York.  Mr.  Van  Alstyne  died  in  May 
1844,  aged  nearly  ninety-five  years/' 

The  interview  between  Gen.  Gates  and  Gen.  Burgoyne,  on  the  field  of 
surrender,  was  vfiry  interesting  when,  in  the  presence  of  the  two  armies, 
Burgoyne  drew  his  sword  and  presented  it  to  General  Gates.  Not 
wishing  to  aggravate  the  painful  i'eeliugs  of  the  royal  troops  Gen.  Gates 
would  not  permit  the  American  soldiery  to  witness  the  degrading  act  of 
piling  their  arms  and  artillery  at  the  place  assigned,  at  the  command  of 
their  own  officers.  As  this  was  completed  the  British  army  filed  off  and 
took  up  their  line  of  march  for  Boston  to  embark  for  England.  The  sur 
render  took  place  near  the  spot  where  the  elegant  country  seat  of  General 
Schuyler  had  been  so  wantonly  demolished.  Baroness  liiedesel  with 
her  three  children  were  politely  accommodated  in  his  own  tent,  and  in 
vited  by  Gen.  Schuyler  to  become  his  guests  at  his  residence  at  Albany. 
When  Col-  Nicholas  Van  llensselaer  (who  was  deputed  to  convey  the 
official  intelligence  of ''the  surrender  of  Burgoyne  to  Gen.  Gates,  which 
took  place  after  the  other  British  enterprises  in  New  York  had  proved 
abortive")  reached  Albany,  he  found  the  inhabitants  were  waiting 
with  intense  anxiety  the  fate  of  the  battle  (having  chattels  packed  and 
they  ready  for  an  exodus).  As  his  horse  constantly  felt  the  prick  of 
the  spurs  he  went  flying  through  the  city,  while  the  brave  officer  cried 
aloud  the  cheering  words  "  Burgoyne  is  taken  and  we  are  victorious" 
The  scene  was  an  enthusiastic  one  ;  the  people  flocking  in  throngs,  almost 
drawing  him  from  the  horse's  back  eager  to  hear  a  confirmation  of  the 
glorious  news,  it  diffused  joy  and  gladness  not  only  there,  but  throughout 
the  union.  In  Albany  the  event  was  celebrated  with  much  display. 
An  ox  was  roasted  whole  for  the  occasion.  A  pole  passing  through  it 
and  resting  on  crotches  served  as  a  spit,  while  a  pair  of  cart-wheels  at  the 
ends  of  the  pole  were  used  to  turn  it.  A  hole  was  dug  in  the  ground,  in 
which,  beneath  the  ox,  a  fire  was  made.  While  cooking,  several  pails  of 
salt-water  were  at  hand,  to  be  applied  with  swabs  to  keep  the  meat  from 
burning.  When  roasted  ij  was  drawn  through  the  principal  streets, 
and  the  patriotic  secured  a  good  slice.  A  constant  roar  of  artillery  was 
kept  up  during  the  day. 

"  The  aged  met  with  joy  of  heart. 

The  youthful  met  with  glee  ; 
While  little  children  played  their  part, 

The  happiest  of  the  three." 


68  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

"  In  the  evening  almost  every  dwelling  in  the  city  was  illuminated. 
A  large  pyramid  of  pine  fagots  which  had  been  collected  for  the  occasion, 
in  the  centre  of  whic'h  stood  a  liberty-pole  supporting  on  its  top  a  barrel 
of  tar,  was  set  on  fire  on  Pinkster  hill,  whereon  the  state  capitol  now 
reposes,  near  the  city  early  in  the  evening.  When  the  fire  reached  the 
tar,  it  not  only  illuminated  every  part  of  the  city,  but  sent  its  ominous 
light  for  many  miles  around,  presenting  a  most  imposing  effect.  The 
capture  of  Burgoyne  and  his  army  inspired  Americans  with  confidence  as 
to  their  final  triumph."  In  the  severe  battle  of  the  7th  or1  October,  Gen. 
Burgoyne  himself,  had  a  hair-breadth  escape,  having  one  bullet  pass 
through  his  hat  and  another  tore  his  waistcoat.  At  one  time  a  part  of 
General  Gates  'a  army  was  exposed  to  imminent  danger.  "He  had  re 
ceived  what  he  supposed  to  be  certain  intelligence  that  the  main  body  of 
Burgoyne's  army  had  marched  off  for  Fort  Edward,  and  that  a  rear  guard 
only  was  left  in  the  camp.  On  this  it  was  concluded  to  advance  and 
attack  .the  camp  in  half  an  hour;  unknown  to  the  Americans,  Burgoyne 
had  a  line  formed  behind  a  parcel  of  brushwood  to  support  the  post  of 
artillery  where  the  attack  was  to  be  made.  A  British  soldier,  a  deserter, 
communicated  the  very  important  fact,  that  the  whole  British  army  were 
in  their  encampment.  Gen.  Wilkinson  too.  discovered  the  British  at  their 
post,  through  a  thick  fog  while  hi§  horse  halted  to  drink  in  fording  the 
creek,  and  he  instantly  arrested  the  march  of  our  troops.  The  intelligence 
was  conveyed  to  General  Gates,  who  countermanded  his  orders  for  the 
assault,  and  called  back  his  troops  and  thereby  saved  them  from  destruc 
tion,  but  they  sustained  some  loss  from  the  British  artillery.  It  is  known 
that  Burgoyne  has  frequently  expressed  his  extreme  disappointment  that 
he  was  baffled  in  this  stratagem,  and  Americans  should  be  most  thankful." 

"  Fort  Edward,  in  Camp  8th  July  1777. 
"  Received  of  Capt.  Huyck  283  Bullets  Received  By  me 

"  JOHN  C.  TEN  BROECK,  of  the  Continental  Troops." 

In  October,  1777,  Sir  Henry  Clinton  with  the  British  fleet  proceeded 
up  the  Hudson  to  Kingston  intending  to  cut  his  way  through  and  join 
Burgoyne  at  Saratoga,  which  fortunately  was  frustrated  by  Burgoyne's 
surrender.  While  at  Kingston  or  Esopus  he  demolished  the  place  and 
burnt  almost  every  house ;  among  which  was  the  fine  family  residence, 
dear  Hattie,  of  your  paternal  grandfather,  Peter  E.  Elrnendorf,  then  a  lad 
of  12  years. 

"  Saratoga  19  April  1777. 

"  Recd  from  Mr  John  Joans  Fifteen  Hundred  &  fifteen  Oars  for  the 
Service  of  the  United  States  of  America. 

"EpHm  VAN  VEGHTEN  Asst.  D.Q.  M.  General." 

John  Tyson  to  Governor  Lewis. 

Peekskill,  April  23rd  1777. 

Sir  :  The  Bearer  Mr.  Israel  Levano  has  15*Cwt.  of  Round  Shot,  sent 
here  by  Order  of  General  Knox  of  the  Artillery,  &  by  his  desire  forwarded 
to  Albany.  As  we  don't  know  who  is  the  Commissary  of  Ordnance  with 
you, 'have  addressed  it  to  you  &  beg  you  will  put  it  in  the  proper  Channel. 
On  behalf  of  W.  Hughs  D.  Q.  M.  '  ,j  am  ^  Jma  hb]e  g 

Morgan  Lewis,  Esq.  JNO.  TYSON. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.    .  69 

Invoice  of  Ordnance  Stores  Sent  to  Albany  to  be  from  there  for 
warded  With  all  possible  Dispatch  to  the  tlonble  Majr  Gen1  Schuyler  July 
10th,  15th,  &  16th  for  the  Sundry  Teamsters  as  pr  Duplicate  Receipts 
for  1777.  viz  :  [The  list  was  too  long  to  be  of  benefit  in  this  book.] 

Stillwater  August  6th  1777. 

Received  into  the  Public  Store  of  Captain  Conrod  Cline  of  Colonel 
Livingstons  Regiment  of  Militia  4  muskets  &  5  Cartridge  Boxes. 

Jasple  Maud  e  Gidley,  Conduct. 

Tennis  Ts  Van  Vechten  to  Philip  Van  Rcnssdaer. 

gir  .  Albany  Septr  12th  1777. 

Deliver    the  Bearer    fifty    Bushels   of  peas,  for  the    use  of   General 

Schuyler's  Family.  ,       cn     ,   0  ,      ,  * 

By  order  or  Genl.  Schuyler. 

JQHN  LANSING  Jun  Secy. 
Please  to  deliver  the  above. 

TUENIS  T8  VAN  VECHTEN  A.D.Q.M.  Gen1 
To  the  D..  Quarter  Master  General  Mr  Philip  Van    Hensselaer. 

In  August  1777  Col.  Peter  Wagoner,  of  the  county  of  Montgomery, 
held  a  command  under  Gen.  Herkimer  and  Col.  Frederick  Visscher  in 
the  battle  for  the  relief  of  Fort  Stanwix.  After  the  first  detachment  of 
our  militia  were  checked  and  their  commander  severely  wounded,  it  was 
found  necessary  to  change  the  plan  of  action.  Accordingly  our  forces  were 
ordered  to  fall  back  and  to  form  a  circle  divided  by  a  deep  bushy  ravine, 
to  prevent  the  savages  from  taking  advantage  of  the  foggy  weather  to  attack 
them  in  the  rear.  The  garrison  of  the  fort,  by  a  previous  understanding, 
were  to  have  sallied  out,  and  to  have  thereby  created  a  diversion  in  fa.vor 
of  the  relieving  party  upon  hearing  the  first  shot,  but  the  distance  from 
the  fort,  of  the  action,  rendered  it  impossible  for  the  garrison  to  hear  the 
firing  and  the  enemy  rightly  supposing  that  Gen.  Herkimer's  object  was 
to  relieve  the  fort,  sent  a  detachment  round  to  our  rear  who  in  coming 
up  towards  Col.  Wagoner,  pretended  that  they  actually  were  the  garrison 
relieved  and  continued  cheering  the  colonel's  men.  The  colonel  deceived 
by  their  cries  stepping  out  of  his  ranks  to  greet  his  supposed  friends, 
was  seized  by  them  and  undeceived  in  finding  himself  drawn  a  prisoner 
within  their  three-fold  lines  ;  but  nothing  daunted  by  his  dangerous  situa 
tion,  he  called  out  to  his  men  in  German,  his  mother  tongue  :  "  It  is  the 
enemy,  boys,  don't  mind  me,  but  fire  like  thunder."  The  order  was 
promptly  obeyed  and  the  enemy,  seeing  their  design  frustrated  by  the 
determination  of  their  prisoner  and  seeing  their  first  three  officers,  Major 
Watts,  Capt.  Hare  killed,  and  Lieut.  Shingleton  wounded,  they  turned 
and  fled  without  firing  a  gun.  The  gallant  Wagoner  not  only  escaped 
the  fire  of  his  own  men,  but  escaped  from  his  captors,  who  made  no  other 
attempt  after  but,  soon  retreated.  Their  camp,  baggage,  provisions,  with 
five  colors  were  taken  by  Lieut  Col.  Willett  with  a  party  of  200  from  the 
fort,  who  had  accidentally  discovered  through  their  spies  the  defenceless 
state  of  the  enemy's  camp.  Shingleton  was  severely  wounded  and  carried 
to  Schenectady  where  he  remained  many  months  upon  parole,  but  when 
sufficiently  recovered,  he  broke  that  and  ran  off  with  some  tories.  Major 
Watts  was  wounded  through  the  leg  by  a  ball,  and  in  the  neck  by  a  thrust 
from  a  bayonet  which  passed  through  back  of  the  windpipe  and  occasioned 


70  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

such  an  effusion  of  blood  as  to  induce  not  only  him,  but  his  captors  to 
suppose  (after  leading  him  two  or  three  miles)  that  he  must  die  in  conse 
quence.  He  begged  his  captors  to  kill  him,  they  refused  and  left  him 
by  the  side  of  a  stream  under  the  shade  of  a  bridge,  where  he  was  found 
two  days  subsequently  covered  with  fly-blows,  but  still  alive.  He  was 
borne  by  some  Indians  to  Schenectady  where  he  remained  until  sufficiently 
recovered  to  endure  a  voyage  to  England,  where  he  was  often  after  seen 
limping  about  Chelsea  hospital.  The  Scish  taken  from  him  is  still  in  pos 
session  of  the  Sanders  family.  It  was  about  this  time  that  Col.  Wemple 
of  Schenectady  having  ascertained  that  a  large  force  of  refugees  and  tories 
had  collected  at  Beaver  dam,  for  the  purpose  of  destroying  Albany  or 
Schenectady  in  the  absence  of  the  militia  who  had  been  sent  off  to  relieve 
Fort  Stanwix,  collected  the  exempts,  seventy  in  number,  and  a  body 
of  N^ew  England  troops  forty  strong,  and  falling  upon  them  bv  surprise 
effectually  routed  and  dispersed  them  though  their  force,  to  his,  was  as 
four  to  one.  Another  time  a  similar  band,  who  had  long  been  a  terror  to 
the  inhabitants  by  their  reckless  depredation  and  marauding  propensities, 
after  robbing  the  taverns  and  other  dwellings  on  the  turnpike  between 
Albany  and  Scheuectady,  drank  such  a  large  quantity  of  liquor  at  the 
half-way  house,  that  they  were  compelled  to  retire  into  the  pine  bushes, 
a  short  distance,  where  after  stationing  a  sentry  they  fell  asleep.  One  of 
the  inmates  of  the  tavern  escaped  from  the  window  destitute  of  clothing, 
save  his  shirt,  carried  the  word  to  Dorp,  when  the  good  burgers  with 
patriotic  ardor  traced  the  plunderers  by  their  tracks  in  the  sand.  The 
plunder  was  all  recovered  and  the  marauders  most  severely  punished. 
"  The  object  of  the  expedition  was  far  from  being  accomplished  by  St. 
Leger,  notwithstanding  General  Herkimer  fell  into  the  ambuscade,  and 
soon  after  died  of  his  wounds.  The  commander  did  not,  however,  despair 
of  getting  possession  of  Fort  Stanwix  ;  for  this  purpose  he  sent  in  a  flag 
demanding  a  surrender.  Colonel  Gansevoort  nobly  replied  in  the  negative, 
being  determined  to  defend  the  fort  at  every  hazard.  Aware,  however, 
of  his  perilous  situation  he  found  means  of  sending  to  General  Schuyler 
at  Stillwater  for  assistance.  General  Arnold  was  now  dispatched  with  a 
brigade  of  troops  to  attack  the  besiegers.  On  his  way  he  captured  a 
notorious  tory  spy,  Han  Yost  Schuyler,  whom  he  sentenced  to  be  hung. 
The  friends  of  the  tory  applied  to  Arnold  to  spare  his  life.  He  was  in 
exorable,  but  was  prevailed  upon  by  Major  Brooks  to  use  the  tory  for 
their  advantage.  If  he  failed  in  the  plan  proposed,  his  brother,  who  had 
consented  to  remain  as  a  hostage,  was  to  '  grace  the  same  noose  which 
had  been  prepared  for  Han  Yost/  The  life  of  his  brother  held  Han 
Yost  true  to  his  pledge.  Several  of  the  Oneida  Indians  of  his  acquain 
tance,  fell  in  with  and  readily  engaged  in  furthering  his  design.  Han 
Yost  was  acquainted  with  many  of  St.  Leger's  Indians,  and  on  arriving 
at  their  camp  told  a  sad  story  of  his  capture  and  escape.  When  asked 
as  to  the  number  of  men  Arnold  had,  he  shook  his  head  mysteriously 
and  pointed  to  the  leaves  of  the  trees.  Soon  one  of  the  Oneidas  in  the 
secret  arrived,  presently  another  dropping  into  the  camp  as  if  by  accident 
spoke  of  the  great  numbers  of  warriors  marching  against  them.  Alarm 
and  consternation  pervaded  the  whole  body  and  they  resolved  on  imme 
diate  flight.  The  Oneida  Indian  had  a  spice  of  the  wag  in  his  composi 
tion,  for  he  followed  in  the  rear  and  occasionally  raised  the  cry.  '  They 
are  coming  !  tliey  are  coming  I '  Han  Yost  soon  gave  General  Gansevoort 
the  intelligence  of  the  approach  of  Gen.  Arnold's  command  and  all  were 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  71 

saved.     Col.  Willett  had  an  elegant  sword  given  to  Mm  by  Congress  for 
liis  gallant  acts." 

Daniel  Hale  to  Philip  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir.  Fish  Kill,  4  November,  1778. 

By  the  accounts  daily  Circulating  from  New  York  there  is  great  Ex 
pectations  of  the  Enemy  leaving  the  City.  I  cannot  Say  that  I  am  fully 
Convinced  it  will  take  place  but  there  is  a  probability  of  it. 

"  You  will  please  to  think  of  the  two  pair  of  Pistols  you  was  Kind 
Enough  to  promise  me  for  myself  and  Colo.  Hay,  who  has  requested  of  me 
to  write  to  you  to  know  whether  that  business  was  determined  on  which 
you  mentioned  to  him  as  the  Season  advances  and  what  that  Gentleman's' 
opinion  was,  or  now  is,  whom  you  was  to  Consult. 

I  am  Dear  Sir,  with  Esteem,  Your  friend  &  Servt. 

Philip  Van  Pteusselaer,  Esq.  1X  HALE> 

April  12,  1779,  Philip  Van  Rensselacr  to  William  Sheldon. 

Dr. 

To  4  waggons  &  horses  coining  from  Sheffield  to  Green  Bush 
ferry  to  remove  the  public  Stores  from  Albany  to  a  place  of 
Safety  each  4  days  at  12s.  pr.  day,  .............................  £9:   12:  0: 

By  order  of  Commanding  Officer. 

Brandt  Van  Hook  To  Philip  Van  Rcns&claer. 

Sir:  Fish  Kill,  May  2  1st,  1779. 

Inclosed  you  have  an  Invoice  of  Musket  Ball  to.  make  up  the  Quantity 

Intended   to  be  forwarded  from  this  Fort  to  AlblSy.     Col.  Van  llensse- 

laer  will  be  pleased  to   send  a  receipt  for  the  same  under  cover  of  a  few 

Lines  to  Jno.  Ruddock,  P]sq  ,  by  the  first  Opportunity  which  shall  Occur. 

I  am  Sir,  Your  Iluble  Servt.      ^^  VAN  HooK    u  g  m_ 


"  Invoice  of  Musket  Ball  Sent  to  P.  Van  Rensselaer,   Esq.,  Public 
Store  Keeper  at  Albany  by  Order  of  General  Knox  (viz.)  : 

cwt.    qr.        Ib. 

88  Boxes  of  New  Musket  Ball  Weighing,  ......................    32:  1:  24: 

Tare  of  Boxes,  .....................................................       2:  0:     4: 


Total  Weight  Gross,..  .    30:  1:  20: 


The  catastrophe  at  Lexington,  April  18,  1775,  was  the  grand  impetus 
to  every  active  measure  taken  throughout  the  country  in  the  cause  of  in 
dependence.  Great  zeal  and  military  ardor  was  manifested  by  the  meet 
ing  of  companies  of  militia  in  every  section  to  receive  those  lessons  so 
necessary  to  enable  them  to  resist  successfully  a  well  disciplined  foe  in  the 
field  of  battle.  The  adherents  of  the  King  George  III,  sought  to  break 
up  such  meetings.  At  Caughnawaga,  Captain  Frederick  Visscher  when 
in  the  act  of  exercising  his  company,  saw  Sir  John  Johnson  (son  of  Sir 
William  Johnson),  the  king's  magistrate  came  rattling  on  the  parade 
ground  with  his  gay  equipage  and  drive  directly  in  front  of  the  men 
where  he  stopped  and  demanded  "  By  whose  orders  are  these  men  assembled 
here?"  The  captain  instantly  replied,  "Bymine."  "Well,  sir,  I  command 
you  in  the  name  of  the  king  to  disperse  immediately/'  "I  will  not  disperse 
them,  sir,"  was  the  undaunted  reply.  This  so  enraged  the  fiery  knight 


72  LEGACY  or  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

that  he  drew  his  pistols,  and  leveling  them  at  the  captain,  he  declared 
that  if  he  did  not  "  disperse  the  d — d  rebels,  I  will  blow  your  brains  out." 
The  words  were  scarcely  out  of  Sir  John's  mouth,  before  he,  saw  one  of 
the  men  bring  over  his  gun  and  take  deliberate  aim  at  him.  The  ex 
ample  was  followed  by  all  the  rest,  when,  not  willing  to  risk  the  threatened 
consequence  of  shooting  the  captain,  Sir  John  put  up  his  pistols  and  rode 
out  of  the  field  muttering  "  curses  upon  th'e  contumacious  rebels."  The 
spirit  there  developed  caused  him  very  shortly  after  to  leave  his  ill-gotten 
possessions  and  to  abandon  such  a  dangerous  neighborhood.  Capt. 
Visscher'-s  promotion  after  this  was  rapid,  so  was  that  of  every  officer  of 
.merit  in  those  times.  The  panic  occasioned  among  our  exposed  frontier 
inhabitants  subsequently,  in  consequence  of  Gen.  Burgoyne's  signal  suc 
cess  from  Canada  at  the  beginning  of  his  expedition,  together  with  a  well 
founded  apprehension  of  an  attack  from  his  ferocious  Indian  allies,  induced 
many  to  send  their  families  to  a  place  of  better  security  than  that  afforded 
by  their  own  dwellings.  Others,  from  whatever  cause,  more  dilatory  than 
the  rest,  were  destined  to  quaff  deeply  from  that  bitter  cup  of  affliction  so 
incidental  to  barbarian  warfare.  The  recollections  of  some  such  instances 
weighed  upon  the  hearts  of  the  few  surviving  participators  like  an  incubus, 
and  their  narrations  were  truly  well  calculated  to  excite  the  most  thrilling 
interest.  Colonel  Frederick  Visscher,  of  Caughnawaga,  was  second  in 
command  of  the  expedition  sent  for  the  relief  of  Fort  Stanwix  (or  Fort 
Schuyler  where  the  village  of  Rome  now  stands),  against  St.  Leger  and 
Sir  John  Johnson.  When  the  gallant  but  ill-fated  Gen.  Herkimer  fell, 
the  command  devolved  upon  him,  and  the  success  with  which  he  brought 
off  the  remnant  of  his  fyrce  from  that  disastrous  field  proved  him  possessed 
of  as  much  military  talent  as  of  energy.  Subsequently,  having  received 
tidings  of  the  enemy's  career,  immediately  dispatched  his  wife  and  children 
to  Schenectady,  and  while  occupied  with  arrangements  for  the  removal 
of  his  mother  and  two  sisters,  his  mansion  was  attacked  in  the  night  by 
about  a  dozen  savages.  They  were  greeted,  however,  with  so  warm  a  fire 
from  the  colonel  and  his  two  brothers,  that  they  were  obliged  to  retreat  as 
suddenly  as  they  had  made  the  assault.  At  dawn  of  day  they  returned  again 
with  an  overwhelming  reinforcement  and  breaking  through  every  barrier 
drove  the  family  before  them  from  room  to  room,  and  from  floor  to  floor, 
until  they  reached  the  garret,  where  they  closed  with  the  gallant  brothers. 
In  the  desperate  struggle  which  then  ensued  the  ladies  made  an  attempt 
to  escape  down  the  darksome  stairway.  The  mother  being  intercepted 
by  an  Indian  was  soon  knocked  down  senseless  with  a  heavy  blow  from  the 
butt  end  of  his  fire-lock,  while  the  two  young  ladies  without  hindrance 
gained  the  door  yard.  There  one  of  them  was  seized  by  a  "  huge  painted 
Indian"  who  after  tearing  the  bonnet  from  her  head,  and  the.shawl  from 
her  shoulders,  uttered  in  a  smothered  tone  the  single  word,  marchez, 
and  released  her.  Of  course  she  required  no  further  bidding,  but  thank 
ful  for  the  unexpected  permission,  bounded  off'  and  secreted  herself  in  an 
oven  near  the  dwelling.  •  Her  flying  sister  escaped  to  the  willow  shaded 
rivulet  in  the  adjoining  meadow,  where  concealed  by  the  thick  foliage, 
they  shortly  after,  each  from  her  respective  hiding  place,  saw  the  savages 
issuing  in  a  body  from  the  house.  A  solitary  one  reentered  immediately 
and  after  a  short  interval  returned  to  his  companions,  when  all  tramped 
off  together  in  a  north-easterly  direction  up  the  deep,  rocky  ravine,  which 
not  yet  ceased  to  reverberate  with  their  tremendous  whoops  of  exultation 
when  the  sisters  saw  that  the  mansion  was  in  flames,  and  then  every  rein- 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  73 

nant  of  hope  for  the  existence  of  mother  or  brothers  vanished  from  their 
bosoms. 

In  the  unequal  conflict  on  the  garret  Col.  Visscher  fell  under  two 
severe  tomahawk  blows,  and  while  lying  in  a  state  of  torpidity  was  divested 
of  his  scalp.  (The  Indian  mode  of  scalping  their  victims  is  this  :  with 
a  knife  they  make  a  circular  cut  from  the  forhead,  quite  round,  just 
above  the  ears,  then  taking  hold  of  the  skin  with  their  teeth,  they  tear  off 
the  whole  hairy  scalp  in  an  instant,  with  wonderful  dexterity.  This  they 
carefully  dry  and  preserve  as  a  trophy.)  Notwithstanding  the  severity 
of  his  various  wounds  he  became  quickly  sensible  again  of  his  own  pre 
dicament  and  of  the  continued  proximity  of  his  enemies,  and  determined 
to  deceive  them  with  a  semblance  of  that  death  which  they  supposed  to 
have  been  inflicted  upon  him.  At  first  he  was  successful  and  had  the 
satisfaction  of  hearing  them  descend  into  the  lower  part  of  the  house. 
Anxiety  to  ascertain  the  fate  of  his  brothers  induced  him  then  to  rise 
upon  his  elbow,  but  the  sound  of  footsteps  caused  him  once  more  to  seek 
his  former  position.  This  motion  owing  to  his  feeble  condition  came 
near  being  conducive  to  a  fatal  end.  It  had  the  effect  of  exciting  such  a 
degree  of  nervous  irritability  that  he  had  no  further  control  over  his 
frame,  and  the  monster,  who  came  to  assure  himself  that  the  bloody  work 
was  complete  attracted  by  the  twitching,  hastened  to  put  a  stop  to  it 
by  cutting  the  suiferer's  throat.  For  this  purpose  he  drew  a  knife  twice 
across  it,  and  seeing  the  red  bandanna,  inward  neckcloth,  through  the 
severed  folds  of  the  black  silk  outer  one,  he  went  oft'  rejoicing  in  the 
imagined  accomplishment  of  his  infernal  design.  The  colonel,  however, 
having  received  no  other  injury  from  this  last  attempt  upon  his  life,  than 
one  or  two  unimportant  flesh  wounds,  was  soon  'aware,  by  the  receding 
whoops,  of  the  departure  of  the  savages;  and  knowing  by  the  increasing 
volumes  of  smoke  that  the  house  was  on  fire,  resolved  to  escape  if  possible. 
Rising  up  from  his  bed  of  gore  he  perceived  one  brother  dead  near  to  him, 
the  other  leaped  from  a  window  but  was  killed  and  soulped.  To  drag  the 
corpse  out  of  the  reach  of  the  flames  was  a  task  of  immense  difficulty  but 
he  executed  it,  as  also  the  rescue  of  his  disabled  but  living  mother ;  but 
his  incredible  exertions  and  loss  of  blood  caused  him  to  faint.  The  chair, 
in  which  Mrs.  Visscher  was  seated,  when  drawn  out  the  house  was  on  fire, 
it  was  preserved  as  a  sacred  relic.  The  two  murdered  brothers,  with  Col. 
Visscher,  his  mother  and  two  sisters,  were  taken  in  a  boat  to  Schenectady, 
where  the  mother  and  the  colonel  were  eventually  restored  to  health. 
Many  years  after  this  tragical  event  two  of  the  identical  Indians  engaged 
in  it,  while  traveling  with  a  party  of  warriors  to  Albany  having  under 
stood  that  Col.  Visscherh  ad  survived  his  wounds,  would  not  believe  it; 
one  said  he  had  both  scalped  and  cut  his  throat;  they  wanted  to  see  him. 
Col.  Visscher  could  with  difficulty  be  restrained,  he  wished  to  sacrifice 
the  wretches.  An  intimation  was  given  them  of  the  intention  and  they 
wisely  departed  never  to  return  to  these  scenes.  Colonel  Visscher  was 
(in  1787)  appointed  by  Gov.  George  Clinton  first  judge  of  Montgomery 
county.  He  died  June  9,  1809  from  a  complaint  in  the  head  caused  by 
the  loss  of  his  scalp.  His  widow,  whose  maiden  name  was  Gazeua  De 
Graff,  died  in  1815. 

Herman  Visscher,  son  of  Col.  Frederick,  was  safe  in  Schenectady  with 
his  mother  at  the  time  these  terrific  "  scenes  were  enacted  at  the  old  re 
sidence  about  three  miles  east  of  Fonda,  on  the  north  side  of  and  near  the 

10 


74  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Mohawk  river,  and  close  by  where  the  New  York  Central  rail  road  now 
runs."  The  faithful  black  slave  who  brought  water  in  his  hat  from  a 
creek  for  Col.  Visscher  and  earned  the  stricken  household  to  Schenectady, 
had  a  handsome  horse  and  his  freedom  given  him  by  the  grateful  colonel. 
Gazena,  daughter  of  Herman  Visscher,  had  been  adopted  by  her  father's 
brother  when  quite  young  at  the  death  of  her  parents.  She  was  a  valued 
schoolmate  and  companion  of  myself.  I  waf?  present  at  her  marriage  to 
Mr.  Jesse  De  Graff  of  Schenectady,  at  the  abode  of  her  uncle,  Mr.  Visscher 
on  the  old  site.  The  last  surviving  child,  Alfred  De  Graff,  lives  in  a 
brick  dwelling  where  the  old  homestead  once  stood,  which  was  rendered 
memorable  by  such  thrilling  and  harrowing  events  in  May,  1780.  This 
farm  and  grounds  "  where  the  tomahawk  and  the  torch  did  their  sad  work 
of  death  and  destruction  a  century  ago  has  been  in  the  family  to  the  fifth 
generation,  over  one  hundred  and  twenty  years." 

When  on  a  visit  to  my  mother's  sister,  Mrs.  Jacob  S.  Glen,  in  Mont 
gomery  county,  I  often  saw  a  venerable  old  lady,  Aunty  Putman,  who 
would  graphically  narrate  the  perils  from  the  Indians  in  her  younger 
days.  Harassed  by  perpetual  alarms  night  and  day,  in  constant  fear  of 
hostilities,  and  ever  dreading  the  sight  of  the  Indians  in  their  grotesque 
paint  and  feathers,  their  encroachments  kept  all  the  whites  in  a  state  of 
terrible  commotion,  ^he  well  remembered  when  Col.  John  Johnson  in 
1780  with  a  party  of  soldiers  consisting  of  British,  tories  and  Indians, 
made  a  raid  through  that  country,  killing,  burning  and  pillaging—  she 
recalled  how  the  men  never  neglected  taking  their  guns  to  church,  or  the 
field,  with  them  ;  not  daring  to  venture  out  to  any  distance  for  fear  of  an 
ambuscade  ;  constantly  on  the  alert  regarding  the  treachery  of  the  Indians, 
or  their  creeping  up  stealthily  to  tomahawk  some  unfortunate  individual 
who  had  ventured  too  far  away  from  forts.  Many  a  tale  of  suffering  and 
privation^she  would  most  eloquently  recount.  This  old  lady  was  Margaret, 
sister  of  Col.  Frederick  Visscher  ;  she  had  four  husbands,  the  last  one  was 
Victor  Putuian  ;  she  survived  her  husband  many  years,  and  died  at  old 
Caughnawaga.  Her  fears  were  awfully  realized  at  last  in  1780  on  May 
20th  at  Tribes  hill,  part  of  Caughnawaga,  when  barns  and  houses  were 
burnt  and  people  scalped  in  the  march  of  these  savages  and  tories  from 
Johnstown  all  along  the  valley  of  the  Mohawk.  The  inhabitants,  unsus 
picious  of  danger,  were  buried  in  sleep  at  midnight  when  the  Indians  ap 
proached  in  great  numbers,  entered  the  house-of  Capt.  Garret  Putman  with 
horrid  yells,  intending  to  murder  the  entire  family,  but  fortunately  all  were 
absent;  the  people  toccupying  the  house  were  killed;  many  of  her  own 
loved  neighbors  were  instantly  slain  and  scalped.  About  the  same  time 
her  mother's  house  was  assaulted,  She  was  then  a  young  girl  living  with 
her  mother  and  sister  Rebecca  together  with  two  brothers,  her  brother 
Frederick's  family  being  safe  from,  all  trouble  in  Schenectady,  he  was 
staying  with  them.  After  her  wonderful  escape  from  the  Indian  she 
secreted  herself  in  a  large  Dutch  oven,  built  a  short  distance  from  the 
house,  where  with  the  most  indescribable  agony  she  could  hear  the  wild 
yells  of  demoniac  triumph,  and  knew  her  own  "  loved  ones"  were  the  un 
fortunate  victims. 

"  General  Washington,  while  at  Albany  in  the  summer  of  1782,  was 
invited  by  the  citizens  to  visit  Scheuectady  (over-the-piues).  He  ac 
cepted  the  invitation,  and  in  company  with  Gen  Schuyler,  rode  there  in 
a  carriage  from  Albany  on  the  30th  of  June;  where  he  was  received  with 
no  little  formality  by  the  civil  and  military  authorities  and  escorted  some 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  75 

distance  by  a  numerous  procession,  in  which  he  walked  with  his  hat  under 
his  arm.  Abraham  Clinch,  who  came  to  America  as  drum-major  under 
Gen.  Braddock,  then  kept  a  tavern  in  Schenectady  and  at  his  house  a  pub 
lic  dinner  was  given.  Having  previously  heard  of  his  sufferings,  one  of 
the  first  persons  Washington  inquired  after  was  Colonel  Frederick  Visscher, 
who  was  then  residing  in  the  place.  He  expressed  much  surprise  that  the 
colonel  had  not  been  invited  to  meet  him,  and  agreeable  to  his  request  a 
messenger  was  sent  for  him.  He  was  a  man  of  real  merit,  but  modest 
and  retiring  in  his  habits.  On  this  occasion,  he  was  found  at  work  in  his 
barn,  which,  under  the  circumstances,  he  left  with  reluctance,  but  was 
kindly  greeted  by  the  illustrious  guest  who  paid  him  marked  attention. 
At  the  dinner  table  were  assembled  a  respectable  number  of  gentlemen 
among  whom  was  Gen.  Schuyler.  Washington  assigned  the  seat  next 
his  own  to  Col.  Visscher.  This  was  indeed  a  proud  day  for  Old  Dorp. 
While  Gen.  Washington  was  walking  a  public  street  in  company  with  a 
respectable  citizen,  an  old  negro  when  passing,  iook  off  his  hat  and  bowed 
to  him  :  the  great  commander  immediately  returned  the  compliment. 
The  citizen  expressed  much  surprise  that  his  companion  thus  noticed 
this  descendant  of  Ishmael,  observing  it  was  not  the  custom  of  the  country 
to  notice  slaves.  '  1  cannot  be  less  civil  than  a  poor  negro'  was  his  manly 
reply  as  they  proceeded  onward.'7  Washington  was  in  Schenectady  on 
three  different  occasions,  the  first  was  a  flying  visit  near  the  commence 
ment  of  the  war,  he  staid  with  John  Glen,  Q.  M.  G. 

Cornelius  Ray  to  Philip  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  g}r .  Philadelphia,  Dec.  18th,  1780. 

Being  apprehensive  of  not  meeting  with  a  private  opportunity  soon,  I 
do  myself  the  pleasure  to  pay  my  respects  by  the  post;  &  inform  you 
that  the  Bills  you  entrusted  to  my  Care  were  forwarded  to  Mr.  James 
Cuming  Merchant  in  I/Orient,  first  Bills  by  Ship  Ann,  Capt.  Josiah,  2nd 
by  Brig.  Active,  and  3d  by  Ship  Shilaly,  Capt.  Holmes,  exclusive  of  the 
Goods  ordered  by  you  for  family's  use.  I  ordered  him  to  ship  the  over 
plus  in  Bohea  &  Laval  Linnens,  but  some  arrivals  having  lately  made  Tea 
v'ery  plenty  &  cheap,  I  have  this  day  desired  my  friend  to  ship  you  and 
me  a  larger  quantity  of  Laval  Linnens.  Some  China,  some  Steel  and 
some  pieces  Nankeens  if  to  be  procured.  I  suppose  the  Goods  or  some 
part  of  them  will  be  out  early  in  the  Spring,  any  further  directions  you 
may  please  to  send  respecting  them,  shall  be  punctually  complied  with. 
I  have  had  one  small  arrival  from  Amsterdam  and  .one  from  L'Orient. 
Please  to  make  my  best  respects  to  your  good  family  and  believe  me  with 
Esteem  Dear  Sir,  Your  most  Obedt.  Servt, 

CORNELIUS  Ray. 

P.  S.  You  may  get  Insurance  made  at  25  or  30  pr.  Ct. 
Philip  Van  llensselaer,  Esq.,  Albany. 

The  late  war,  which  brought  about  our  separation  from  Great  Britain, 
threw  our  ^commercial  affairs  in  great  confusion.  Through  want  of  power 
in  the  old  congress  to  collect  a  revenue  for  the  discharge  of  our  foreign 
and  domestic  debt,  our  credit  was  destroyed,  and  trade  greatly  embar 
rassed.  Before  the  revolution  Great  Britain  claimed  an  exclusive  right 
to  the  trade  of  her  American  colonies.  The  importation  of  dry  goods, 
alone,  from  that  country  was  so  great  that  our  merchants  were  drained  of 
gold  and  silver  by  the  British. 


76  LEGACY  or  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Cornelius  Ray  to  Philip  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir:  Philadelphia,  May  15,  1781. 

I  did  myself  the  pleasure  to  write  you  last  week  by  Col.  Livingston,  and 
now  am  to  inform  you  of  the  arrival  of  the  Ship  Ann,  Capt.  Josiah,  from 
L'Orient,  but  through  inattention  of  the  Capt.  or  carelessness  in  the 
Merchant,  not  one  single  Letter  is  come. 

Yesterday  I  went  and  looked  over  the  freight  list,  and  find  three  Chests 
of  Tea  with  your  Mark  &  addressed  to  me,  which  I  make  no  doubt  are 
yours,  as  such  shall  receive  them,  pay  the  freight  and  leave  them  for  your 
further  Orders.  But,  I  am  sorry,  very  Sorry  to  acquaint  you  that  there 
are  great  Grounds  to  believe  the  Ship  Luzerne,  Capt.  Bell  is  taken,  she 
sailed  in  Company  with  the  other  ship,  who  saw  her  strike  her  colors  to 
something,  whether  friend  or  Enemy,  Capt.  Josiah  could  not  tell.  T  think 
there  is  scarcely  a  doubt  from  my  last  Letters,  that  both  you  and  myself 
have  very  considerable  in  her  and  I  am  afraid  that  all  the  Goods  for  your 
family's  use  were  put  on  board  her,  though  I  positively  ordered  Mr. 
Cuming  to  divide  them  in  the  two  Vessels.  We  must  suspend  our  Judg 
ment  untill  some  other  Vessel  arrives  from  that  place,  which  may  be 
shortly,  when  I  shall  forward  your  Letters.  I  must  refer  you  for  our 
present  Situation  and  News  to  my  Uncles  Letters. 

With  great  Regard  &  Esteem  I  am  your  Sincere  friend,  &c., 

Mr.  Philip  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany.  CORNS.  RAY. 

R.  Frothingham  to  Philip  Van  Rensselaer. 

Sir  :  New  York  4th  June,  1781. 

Agreeable  to  General  Knox's  Order  I  send  you  :  six  doz11  of  port-fires, 
fifty  pounds  slow  match,  one  hundred  and  fifty  Tubes  for  9  pounders;  it 
is  requested  you  will  forward  them  the  soonest  possible  to  Fort  Schuyler. 

I  am  your  Hum.  Servant. 

T»I  M-    TT      T»  -n  RICHD  FROTHINGHAM,  L.  Cms. 

Philip  Van  Rensselaer,  Esq. 

In  January,  1781,  Brant  was  again  upon  the  war  path  in  the  neighbor 
hood  of  Fort  Schuyler.  The  provisions  were  scarce  and  if  supplies  were 
not.  speedily  obtained  the  post  would  have  to  be  abandoned.  On  May  12th 
the  old  Fort  Schuyler  was  destroyed  by  fire  and  flood,  and  was  never  re 
built. 

Cornelius  Ray  to  Philip   Van  Rensselaer. 

Dear  Sir  :  Philadelphia,  June  17,  1781. 

Enclosed  you  have  Acct  Sales  of  your  three  Chests  of  Tea.  I  got  6d  : 
per  pound  more  for  the  last  chest  than  any  have  been  sold.  You  have 
also  enclosed  your  Acct  :  as  far  as  my  present  settlement  will  admit.  I 
could  not  procure  any  more  Bills  and  have  left  a  Ballance  in  the  hands 
of  Mr.  Win.  Pollard,  as  you  will  see  by  your  Account  for  your  further 
direction.  No  more  of  your  Goods  have  yet  arrived.  .  I  desired  Mr. 
Cuming  in  my  last  letter,  that  if  he  had  shipped  what  was  ordered  for 
your  family's  use  in  Capt.  Bell  to  renew  the  Shipment;  hope'  this  order 
will  be  agreeable.  The  3d  and  4th  Bills  I  have  left  in  the  hands  of  our 
friend  W.  P. —  I  now  embark,  and  of  course  have  much  to  do.  Make 
my  best  regards  to  your  family.  I  most  sincerely  wish  you  and  them 
every  happiness.  I  am,  Your  Sincere  friend. 

Philip  Van  Rensselaer,  Esq.  C°RNSl  RAY" 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  77 

"  MAJOR  GENERAL  STEPHEN  VAN  RENSSELAER,  the  fifth  patroon  of 
Albany,  born  November  1,  17G4,  and  graduated  at  Harvard  University  in 
1782,  was  left  an  orphan  by  the  decease  of  his  father,  at  a  very  early  age, 
and  of  course  came  into  the  full  possession  of  his  princely  estate  at  the  age 
of  twenty-one.  That  event  was  celebrated  by  his  friends,  and  the  tenantry 
of  Kensselaerswyck,  by  great  rejoicings,  the  roasting  of  oxen,  killing  of 
fatlings,  and  all  the  demonstrations  of  joy  incident  to  feudal  times.  The 
following  anecdote  will  serve  to  show  the  patriotism  of  the  patroon  :  When 
the  troops  under  Gen.  Gates  were  opposing  Burgoyne  near  Saratoga.  Gen. 
Ten  Broeck,  who  was  the  guardian  of  the  patroon,  then  in  his  minority, 
visited  some  of  his  nephew's  tenants  near  the  Helderberg,and  requested 
them  to  take  all  the  provisions  and  grain  they  could  spare  (reserving  a 
bare  competency  for  their  families)  to  the  American  army.  Several  emp 
tied  their  granaries,  pork  barrels,  cattle-stalls,  and  pig-sties,  and  delivered 
their  effects  to  the  commissary  department  at  Saratoga,  not  expecting  any 
usual  reward  for  so  doing.  Some  time  after,  to  their  surprise,  the  young 
patroon  invited  those  tenants  to  Albany  and  presented  them  with  valid 
titles  to  their  lands.  Such  was  one  of  the  many  acts  of  that  good  man, 
distinguished  through  life  for  his  generosity  and  benevolence.  The  first 
wife  of  General  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer,  was  Margaret,  daughter  of  Gen 
eral  Philip  Schuyler,  who  when  a  young  girl  rescued  (at  the  time  of  an  at 
tack  on  the  Schuyler  mansion)  her  younger  sister,  afterwards  wife  of  Major 
James  Cochran  of  Oswego.  This  intrepid  girl  rushed  down  two  flights 
of  stairs,  snatched  the  still  sleeping  infant  from  the  cradle,  and  bore  it  off 
safely,  just  as  a  sharp  tomahawk  was  hurled  at  her  as  she  fled  from  the 
room;  it  slightly  injured  her  dress,  within  a  few  inches  of  the  infant's  head." 
A  great  deal  of  trouble  was  created  for  the  Committee  of  Safety,  in  the 
early  part  of  the  revolutionary  war  by  a  noted  tory,  who,  maugre  every 
attempt  to  ensnare  him,  was  continually  lurking  about  the  city  of  Albany 
in  the  capacity  of  a  spy.  He  really  appeared  to  possess  the  powers  of 
ubiquity;  but  wherever  sought  was  never  found.  One  time,  when  hotly 
pressed,  he  crawled  under  the  old  market  in  North  Market  street  (Broad 
way).  Upon  another  occasion,  being  fired  at  by  his  pursuers,  in  a  dark 
night,  when  paddling  from  them  in  a  canoe,  he  threw  himself  into  the  river, 
as  if  mortally  wounded,  and  escaped  by  pushing  his  boat  before  him  down 
the  favoring  current.  Another  "  historic  relic  for  the  lover  of  battle  fields," 
was  a  scene  also  laid  in  Albany,  when  every  means  were  resorted  to  by  the 
royalists  to  dampen  the  revolutionary  ardor  of  their  adversaries.  They 
naturally  supposed  nothing  would  have  a  greater  tendency  to  expedite  the 
desirable  end,  than  to  secure  the  persons  of  the  most  influential  rebels 
and  by  '  carrying  them  off  to  Canada,  there  to  hold  them  for  the  purpose 
of  exchange  '  they  would  have  accomplished  a  brilliant  achievement  for 
the  benefit  of  their  party.  Accordingly  an  immense  reward  was  offered 
for  the  capture  of  such,  and  several  parties  of  hostile  Indians  and  expa 
triated  tories  eagerly  set  out  from  Canada  with  the  hope  of  enriching  them 
selves  by  seizing  the  Committee  of  Safety  at  Albany  in  August,  1781. 
Col.  Philip  Van  Rensselaer,  one  of  that  committee  and  also  the  commis 
sary  of  military  stores,  having  received  an  intimation  of  the  design,  warned 
the  other  members  and  moved  his  own  family  from  his  seat  at  Cherry 
Hill  to  the  city.  The  bold  attempt  was  made  on  Col.  Gansevoort.  Gen. 
Schuyler,  who  was  another  one  of  the  committee,  thinking  that  the  vicin 
ity  of  his  residence  to  the  city  would  insure  its  protection,  did  not  deem 
it  necessary  to  remove.  The  fancied  security  was,  however,  of  little  avail. 


78  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

One  of  the  parties  alluded  to,  in  the  character  of  friend,  gained  admission 
into  the  kitchen ;  when  the  manner  and  pressing  desire  forthwith  to  see 
the  general,  excited  the  suspicions  of  a  domestic.  She,  with  admirable 
presence  of  mind,  directed  them  to  a  wrong  room  for  the  object  of  their 
search,  and  then  ran  to  the  right  one  to  inform  him  of  his  jeopardy.  Dart 
ing  through  a  secret  slide  in  the  wainscot  work,  the  general  gained  an 
upper  room  and  fastened  himself  in.  The  firing  of  his  guns  of  distress, 
brought  the  citizens  quickly  to  his  rescue. 

Copy  of  a  Return  Delivered  to  Major  Genl.  Lord  Sterling. 

24th  October  1781,  of  small  Arms  &c  on  hand  at  Albany  :  Repaired  Arms 
203;  do,  repairable  2445;  do  irrepairable  1225;  repaired  Bayonets 
303;  do  repairable  581;  do  irrepairable  831;  W'  of  powder  500,  wl  of 
Musket  Ball  400;  Flints  3000;  Tubes  616;  French  Spunges  for  4 
pounders  13  ;  wl  of  Slow  Match  87  ;  Morter  Beds  1  ;  British  Bagage  Wag 
gons  25 ;  Iron  6pd  Cannon  mounted  3 ;  do  not  Mounted  2 ;  4  pd  do  not 
Mounted  2  ;  Pistols  irrepairable  17  ;  Rheams  of  Musket  Car  :  paper  4  ;  Can 
non  do  6 ;  pounds  of  thread  15  ;  do  Twrne  40  ;  Bayonet  Scabbards  &  Belts 
191 ;  Port  fires  66  ;  Musket  Cartridges  9300. 

"The  youngest  daughter  of  Lord  Stirling  married  Colonel  William 
Duer  and  became  the  mother  of  William  A.  Duer  of  New  York."  In 
the  summer  of  1781  Lord  Stirling  was  ordered  to  the  command  of  the 
Northern  army,  and  he  made  his  head-quarters  at  Albany.  Quite  a  large 
British  force  was  at  Ticonderoga  and  vicinity,  under  St  Leger  (who  was 
repulsed  at  Fort  Stanwix  in  1777)  and  much  alarm  prevailed  above  the 
Highlands  as  an  invasion  was  expected.  "  The  vigorous  and  effective 
preparations  made  by  Lord  Stirling  intimidated  St.  Leger  and  he  returned 
to  Canada." 

State  of  New  York  to  John  F.  Pruyn  Dr. 

To  my  Service  as  Clark  to  Philip  Van  Rensselaer,  Esq.  the  Store  keeper 
of  the  Public  Militia  Stores,  from  the  14th  June  1777  to  the  1st.  No 
vember  1781  is  4  years,  9  months  &  16  days  :  4s.  pr  day  £  356  :  0  :  0 

Interest  for  9  years  at  6  pct 192  ;  4  :  6 


£548  :4  :  6 

I  do  hereby  Certify  that  the  Above  Service  has  been  performed  under 
my  Direction-  P.  VAN  RENSSELAEK. 

Killian  K.,  the  youngest  son  of  Col.  Kiliaen  Van  Rensselaer  and 
Ariaantie  Schuyler,  was  born  in  1763.  We  have  before  us  some  of  his  col 
lege  letters. 

Killian  K.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Col.  Pliilip  Van  Rensselaer. 

Yale,  June  15th,  1782. 

"  This  my  dear  Brother  will  be  handed  to  you  by  Mr.  Lee,  an  honest 
Man  and  a  very  obliging  one.  No  conveyance  offering  I  have  not  written 
you  a  letter  since  Nicoll  left  us,  tho'  the  Post  rides  Weekly.  I  thought 
proper  not  to  trouble  you  before  this.  Notwithstanding  I  was  very 
desirous  to  inform  you  that  my  health  has  been  much  impaired  of  late. 
Let  not  this  alarm  you  in  the  least,  for  I  am  recovering  fast,  five  students 
belonging  to  this  Society  have  died  within  twenty-five  days.  One  by  a 
fall  off  a  Barn  and  the  other  four  by  sickness,  these  four  were  no  less 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  79 

remarkable  for  their  Scholarship,  and  an  early  display  of  morality,  ten 
derness  of  heart  and  social  virtues,  than  for  natural  beauties,  Manly  for 
titude,  Wit  &  Vivacity  It  is  Scarcely  in  the  power  of  human  imagination 
to  paint  a  Scene  more  truly  moving  than  that  of  a  fellow  Student  witness 
ing  their  departure  from  this  World,  who  to  no  purpose  are  struggling 
before  his  Eyes,  for«that  relief  which  he  cannot  give.  A  person  has 
enough  to  do  in  performing  the  hard  tho'  necessary  task  of  a  College  life 
without  any  impediment  from  its  gross  Companion  the  Body  but  when 
this  js  also  affected,  that  can  have  little  or  no  pleasure  from  even  the 
most  agreeable  delights.  My  situation  for  these  five  Months  past  has  been 
very  agreeable,  and  happy  would  I  be,  could  I  boast  of  it  at  present.  My 
Disorder  has  arisen  from  a  sedantry  life,  the  Doctor  tells  me  and  therefore 
at  present  but  little  time  I  appropriate  to  Setting  twenty  hours  a  day  is 
spent  in  riding,  Walking  &  Sleeping,  the  other  four  I  attempt  Daily  to 
spend  in  performing  College  exercises.  My  diet  is  Milk  and  Bread  and 
you  may  judge  what  it  brings  me  to,  for  you  have  experienced  it  about 
two  years  ago.  Phil  &  Dick  are  well  and  mind  their  Studies  much  better 
then  I  expected.  Last  Thursday  Mr.  Harry  Nicoll  was  brought  in  this 
Town  a  prisoner  off  long-Island  he  will  leave  this  place  in  the  evening 
for  home,  as  he  has  already  effected  an  exchange.  He  desires  to  be 
remember'd  to  Col.  Hamilton  and  Col.  Troop,  if  they  are  with  you,  the 
latter  was  a  Classmate  of  his'n  in  York  College.  He  would  have  written 
them  each  a  letter  if  time  would  have  admitted.  What  objections  would 
you  make  in  my  going  to  Cambridge  in  July  to  see  my  two  Cousins  take 
their  Degree  ?  Stephen  writes  me  he  expects  I'll  come.  I  have  written 
him  an  answer  back  I  should  willingly  come  provided  time  would  admit 
me,  he  has  written  me  again  by  yesterday's  Post,  that  he  would  freely 
bare  my  expense  provided  I  would  come,  his  generosity  to  which  I  am  no 
stranger  too  is  beyond  what  I  could  expect.  If  I  do  sacrifice  some  time 
now  in  seeing  him  take  his  leave  (off  the  seat  of  the  Muses)Harverd 
College,  it  might  be  a  matter  that  would  effect  me  hereafter  greatly  & 
no  less  at  present  for  a  ride  my  Doctor  tells  me  I  must  take  whether  to 
Cambridge  with  Jack  when  he  returns,  or  home  is  what  you  must  deter 
mine.  Commencement  at  Cambridge  is  the  12th  of  July.  I  shall  expect 
you  will  write. me  by  next  Saturday's  post  &  inform  me  how  my  friends 
do  for  I  have  not  heard  from  Albany  once  since  last  January.  Adieu 
Mr  Lee  calls  for  my  letters.  T^  ^r 

Col.  Philip  Van  Rensselaer  Albany.    KlLLIAN  K'  VAN  ^NSSELAKR. 

Killian  K.  Van  Rensselaer  was  educated  for  the  legal  profession,  in  which 
he  for  many  years  held  a  high  rank  in  Albany.  He  served  for  several 
years  in  the  city  councils,  and  about  1800  he  represented  his  district  in 
Congress  five  successive  terms  in  the  House  of  Representatives.  He 
married  Margaretta,  daughter  of  John  Sanders  of  Scotia,  and  died  June 
18,  1845,  at  the  age  of  82,  leaving  four  sons,  two  of  whom  still  survive. 

P.  Van  Rensselaer  to  CoL  Marinus  Willet. 

Sir,  Albany,  19th  July,  1782. 

I  am  this  hour  honoured  with  your  favor  of  the  17th  Inst :  on  Receipt 
thereof  I  made  application  to  Col.  Reed  for  an  order  on  the  Quarter  Master 
for  waggoners  to  forward  to  you  all  the  fixed  ammunition  in  my  possession, 
which  will  be  about  twenty  thousand  Cartridges,  Cartridge  Boxes  I  have 
not  in  my  power  at  present  to  send.  But  expect  twenty-lour  hundred 


80  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

from  fish  Kill  which  have  been  ordered  by  his  Excellency  to  this  place 
for  your  Regt.  on  the  Arrival  of  them  no  time  will  be  lost  in  forwarding 
them  to  you,  by  Dear  Sir,  your  Most  obedient  Hum  gervt 

Marinus  Willett,  Esqr.  Col.  Com.  P'  VAN  ^NSSELAEB. 

No  5059,  I  certify,  that  there  is  due  from  the  United  States  to  Arent 
W.  Slingerlandt  the  Sum  of  Six  dollars  and  a  Quarter,  Viz  :  For  Ten 
Loads  of  Wood  at  five  Shillings  pr  Load,  $6f,  Which  Sum  of  Six  Dollars 
and  a  Quarter  shall  be  paid  to  the  said  Arent  W.  Slingerlandt  or  Order, 
in  Specie,  or  other  current  Money  equivalent,  by  the  Tenth  Day  of  Octo 
ber  next;  and  if  not  then  paid,  the  same  shall  afterwards  bear  an  Interest 
of  Six  per  Cent  per  Annum,  until  paid. 

Witness  my  Hand,  this  Twenty  Seventh  Day  of  September,  A.D.,  1782. 

Countersigned  In  behalf  of  the  Public)        TIM.  PICKERING. 

Nicholas  Quackenbush,  D.  Lott,        }        Quarter  Master  General. 

Colonel  Timothy  Pickering  was  a  member  of  the  board  of  war.  In  1780 
he  succeeded  General  Green  as  quarter  master  general.  In  1791  he  was 
appointed  post  master  general  by  Gen.  Washington,  which  office  he  held 
nearly  four  years,  when  on  the  resignation  of  General  Knox,  he  was  ap 
pointed  secretary  of  war.  In  1795  Washington  made  him  his  secretary 
of  state,  which  position  he  held  until  1800,  when  he  was  removed  by 
President  Adams  on  political  grounds.  He  was  a  United  States  senator 
in  1803  and  again  in  1805,  and  in  1814  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
United  States  house  of  representatives.  He  died  in  Salem,  Jan.  29,  1829." 

William  Pollard  to  Philip  Van  Rensselaer. 

Dear  Sir  :  Philad.,  Mar.  26th,  1783. 

Your  Esteemed  Favour  of  the  23 <]  Feb>"  is  now  before  me  &  in  conse 
quence  thereof  your  Accounts  shall  be  gone  into  immediately  ;  I  have  the 
pleasure  to  acquaint  you  that  you  have  another  small  adventure  arrived, 
the  Goods  arrived  from  Baltimore  last  Week  they  consist  of  Buttons  for 
Cloaths  amounting  to  1044  Ib  :  9  oz  :  9  dr  &  I  fear  will  be  very  unsaleable, 
but  you  may  depend  I  will  do  with  them  as  I  wou'd  for  myself. 

It  is  with  great  pleasure  I  acquaint  you  that  at  last  we  have  rec(l  the 
agreeable  ACG!S  of  Peace,  a  French  Sloop  of  War  called  the  Triumph  was 
despatched  from  Breast  with  the  News  of  the  Preliminaries  of  Peace  being 
signed  the  20' h  Jan>  by  all  the  contending  Parties,  she  was  sent  to  Count 
D'Estaing  at  Cadiz  to  stop  the  sailing  of  the  Combined  Fleets,  &  he  has 
thought  proper  to  send  her  out  here  to  inform  the  French  Minister 
thereof,  &  said  Minister  £  Congress  have  Letters  confirming  the  same 
from  the  Marquis  La  Fayette,  but  we  have  no  Official  Accounts  from 
France,  but  we  apprehend  there  cannot  be  a  possibility  of  a  Doubt,  re 
specting  the  Matter.  I  beg  leave  to  refer  you  to  the  News  Papers  for  the 
Heads  of  the  Terms,  we  are  in  hourly  expectations  of  a  Confirmation 
either  from  France  or  England.  I  am  with  great  Kespect. 
Dear  Sir,  Your  most  obed1  Serv1. 

TU     r>i  -r    ^r      T>  WM.    POLLARD. 

Mr.  Philip  Van  Rensselaer. 

A  provisional  treaty  of  peace  was  signed  January  20,  1783,  and  "  after 
protracted  negotiations  "  the  articles  were  ratified  by  a  definitive  treaty 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  81 

September  3,  1783.  "  This  peace  was  negotiated  on  the  part  of  the  United 
States  by  John  Adams,  John  Jay,  and  Benjamin  Franklin,  Esquires. 
The  independence  of  the  United  States  was  then  acknowledged  by  all  the 
foreign  dominions." 

Gen.  Gansevoort  to  Philip  Van  Rensselaer. 
Sir*  Albany  12th  April,  1783. 

Please  deliver  Lieut.  Ford  four  hundred  Weight  of  Powder  for  the  use 
of  firing  Cannon  on  the  day  the  Proclamation  of  Pea*ce  shall  be  announced 
and  proclaimed.  Guns  and  Cartridge  Paper. 

PETER  GANSEVOORT  B.  Genl. 
To  Mr.  Philip  Van  Rensselaer,  Store  Keeper. 

On  April  18th,  the  commander-in-chief  thus  addressed  the  army  on 
the  cessation  of  hostilities:  "  The  cominander-iu-chief  orders  the  cessation 
of  hostilities,  between  the  United  States  of  America  and  the  king  of  Great 
Britain,  to  be  publicly  proclaimed  to-morrow  at  twelve  o'clock,  at  the  New 
Building  ;  and  that  the  proclamation  which  will  be  communicated  here 
with,  be  read  to-morrow  evening,  at  the  head  of  every  regiment  and 
corps  of  the  army;  after  which,  the  chaplains,  with  the  several  brigades, 
will  render  thanks  to  Almighty  God  for  all  his  mercies,  particularly  for 
his  overruling  the  wrath  of  man,  to  his  own  glory,  and  causing  the  rage 
of  war  to  cease  among  the  nations." 

"  On  the  completion  of  eight  years  from  the  memorable  battle  of  Lex 
ington,  the  proclamation  of  the  congress  for  a  cessation  of  hostilities  was 
published  at  the  door  of  the  public  building, 'followed  by  three  huzzas; 
after  which,  a  prayer  was  offered  to  the  Almighty  Ruler  of  the  world,  and 
an  anthem  was  performed  by  voices  and  instruments.  Though  the  pro 
clamation  extends  only  to  the  prohibition  of  hostilities,  and  not  to  the 
annunciation  of  a  general  peace,  it  gives  sincere  satisfaction." 

Philip  Van  Rensselaer  to  Timothy  Pickering. 

Sir  :  Albany,  13th  October,  1783.   . 

An  Account  was  handed  to  me  this  day  By  a  Gentleman  of  your  family 
of  £25  :  11.  Being  for  One  Anchor  and  one  Coil  of  Rigging  delivered 
to  me  in  May  last.  Soon  after  I  had  received  the  articles  I  requested 
Major  Quackenboss  to  Settle  for  the  Same,  as  he  had  Taken  my  Sloop  in 
the  fall  of  1781  to  go  With  Troops  to  the  Highlands,  and  Lost  my  Anchor 
and  part  of  a  new  Cable  for  which  I  have  had  his  promise  to  return  me 
again.  But  could  never  accomplish  it  for  he  stood  in  need  of  them.  I 
have  not  received  any  pay  for  the  Service  of  the  Sloop,  and  wish  that  the 
Account  may  be  charged  to  Major  Quackenboss  as  part  of  payment  to  me 
for  the  use  of  the  Sloop  and  Loss  of  my  Anchor  and  Cable. 
With  respect  and  Esteem  I  am  Sir, 

your  Most  Obedt.  Humble  Servt. 

PHILIP  VAN  RENSSELAER. 
The  Honble.  Timothy  Pickering,  Esq.,  Q.  Master  General,  Fishkill. 

Many  of  the  troops  had  gone  home  on  furlough  and  this  year  General 
Washington,  having  leisure,  proceeded  up  the  Hudson  with  Governor 
George  Clinton  to  visit  the  principal  fields  of  military  operations  at  the 
north.  He  passed  over  the  battle  ground  at  Stillwater,  with  Generals 

11 


82  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Schuyler  and  Gansevoort,  and  extended  his  journey  as  far  northward  as 
Ticonderoga  and  Crown  Point,  and  westward  to  Fort  Schuyler  (now  Rome) 
on  the  Mohawk,  being  absent  nineteen  days. 

Philip  Van  Eensselaer  to  Cornelius  Ray. 
Dear  Sir :  New  York,  15  November,  1783. 

Misfortune  seems  to  attend  us  that  we  may  not  have  the  pleasure  of 
Meeting  and  spending  a  few  days  with  each  other.  I  have  now  been 
here  14  Days,  in  hopes  to  see  you  every  day  to  return,  but  to  my  great 
Disappointment,  will  not  have  that  pleasure.  And  for  the  want  of  your 
Good  Advice  and  assistance  I  have  Lost  Considerable  by  it ;  the  articles 
which  I  wanted  to  purchase  have  risen  dayly  since  I  came  to  this  place. 

I  have  purchased  this  day  of  Mr.    Governeur  40  Hhds  :   Rum  and  some 
Dry  Goods ;  but  he  cannot  deliver   me  more  than  30  Hhds  :    the  re 
mainder   which  he  has  is  Spirits  in  which   he  informs  me  you  are  Con 
cerned  in,  and   cannot   Deliver  me  until   you   return.     Which   you  will 
please  to   Consider,  and  if  you  approve   of  it  you  will  please  to  send  me 
10  Hhds  :  and  a  Box  of  your  fine  Sugar,  and  one  Tierce  of  Rice.     I  have 
Received  of  Mr.  Governeur  to  the  amount  of  £862  :  15  in  Rum  and£145  : 

II  :  1  in  Dry  Goods,  together  £1008  :  6  :  1.     And  of  Mr.  B.  Swarthout 
to  the  amount  of  —  which  I  must  Trouble  you  to  Settle  for  me  as  soon  as 
money  Comes  to  your  hands  Belonging  to  me,  and  Take  receipts  for  the 
same,  which  you  will  please  to  transmit  to  me.     Inclosed  you  have   an 
order  on    Mr.  Jacob   CuyJer,  and  he  is  expected  to  pay  you  the  Sum  of 
£31 :  14  :  5  in   New  York  Currency.     And  an   order  on   Mr.  William 
Pollard  of  Philadelphia,  to  pay  to  you  or  your  order  the  Sum  of  £513  : 
16  :  11 2  Penn.  Currency.     And  I  have  in  the  hands  of  Mr.  Martin,  At 
torney  at  Law  at  Boston  a  Considerable  Sum  which  will  in   my  opinion 
amount  to  about  £820,  or  more  which  I  have  requested  him  to  remit  to 
you  as  Soon  as   possible.     Which  when   received   you  will  first  pay  Mr. 
Swarthout  the    Sum  of  £— ;  and  Mr.  Governeur  £1008:  6:  1  and  the 
remainder  you  will  please   to  pay  yourself  with  for  such  articles  as  you 
may  send  me.     And  should  you  not  send  me  any,  you  will  please  to  keep 
the  money  in  your  hands  until  my  further  orders.     I  have  a  Quantity  of 
Barr  Iron  at  Claverack  Landing  and  will  have  fifteen  or  twenty  Tons  by 
next  Spring.     If  you  will  send  good  India  Rum  at  the  New  York  price 
and  allow  me  the  price  for  the  Iron  as  it  Sells  when   delivered,  you  will 
please  to  send  it  by  the  Bearer  Leonard  Van  Buren,  and  you  will  greatly 
oblige  Dear  Sir,  your  sincere  friend  and  Humble  Servt. 

Mr.  Cornelius  Hay,  New  York.  R  VAN  R^NSSELAER. 

"  New  York  city  at  this  time  was  esteemed  the  most  eligible  situation 
for  commerce  in  the  United  States.  It  has  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  a 
short  and  easy  access  to  the  ocean,  and  with  respect  to  foreign  markets, 
has  decidedly  the  preference  to  any  of  the  states.  The  exports  to  the 
West  Indies  are  constantly  going  on  quite  largely/' 

This  certificate  issued  from  the  treasury  : 

I  Do  Hereby  Certify,  That  Daniel  Jones  Capt.,  or  his  Assigns,  are  en 
titled  to  receive  out  of  the  Treasury  of  the  State  of  New  York,  the  Sum 
of  Twenty-five  pounds  two  shilling  &  four  pence  Current  Lawful  Money 
of  the  said  State,  with  Interest  at  Five  per  cent  per  Annum,  from  the 
twentieth  Day  of  December  One  thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighty, 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  83 

pursuant  to  the  Direction  of  a  Law  entitled  "  An  Act  for  the  Settlement  of 
the  Pay  of  the  Levies  and  Militia,  for  their  Services  in  the  late  War  ;  and 
for  other  Purposes  therein  mentioned  "  passed  the  27th  Day  of  April,  1784. 
£25.  2.  4.  GERARD  BANCKER,  Treasurer. 

During  the  war,  vast  sums  of  paper  currency  had  been  emitted  by 
congress,  and  large  quantities  of  specie  had  been  introduced,  towards 
the  close  of  the  war,  by  the  French  army  and  the  Spanish  trade.  This 
plenty  of  money  enabled  the  states  to  comply  with  the  first  requisitions  of 
congress  j  so  that  during  two  or  three  years,  the  federal  treasury  was  in 
some  measure  supplied.  But  when  the  danger  of  war  had  ceased,  and 
the  vast  importations  of  foreign  goods  had  lessened  the  quantity  of  circu 
lating  specie,  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  late  army,  and  those  who 
furnished  supplies  for  public  exigencies,  were  obliged  to  receive  for 
wages  certificates  or  promissory  notes,  which  passed  at  a  fifth  or  even  a 
tenth  of  their  nominal  value. 

This  is  to  Certify  that  Mr.  Abraham  G.  Lansingh  has  due  to  him,  from 
the  United  States  the  Sum  of  Ninety-Eight  pounds,  Sixteen  Shillings  in 
November  1777  and  in  Feby.  1779,  and  the  Sum  of  One  Thousand  one 
hundred  and  sixty  Dollars,  in  Transporting  Military  Stores  from  Spring 
field  to  this  place  for  public  use  in  June  1777. 

P.  VAN  RENSSELAER,  Public  Storekeeper. 

This  is  to  Certify  that  Casparus  Pruyn  has  due  to  him  from  the 
United  States  the  Sum  of  Seventy-One  pounds  four  Shillings,  Specie  for 
work  done  for  the  use  of  the  Indians,  by  the  request  of  the  Commissioners 
of  Indians  to  me  in  1779-1780. 

Albany  20th,  Sept.  1784.         R  VAN  ^NSSELAER,  Public  Storekeeper. 

A  Wedding  Invitation  90  years  ago  —  Jelles  Fonda  to  John  Sanders. 
Sir,  Schenectady,  4th  Nov  1785. 

I  should  Be  Glad  of  your  Company  as  also  of  Mrs.  Sanders,  your  Mother 
and  Sister  Pedgge  for  to  See  my  Daughter  Pedgge  married  Next  Tuesday 
at  12  a  Clock,  I  am  yours.  ^^Q  ^^  ^  Humb,e  ^^ 

To  Mr.  John  Sanders,  Scotia.  JELLES  FONDA. 

When  Sir  John  Johnson  began  a  devastating  march  up  the  Mohawk 
valley,  among  the  many  sufferers  on  October  18,  1780,  was  Major  Jelles 
Fonda,  from  whom  the  present  village  of  Fonda,  near  old  Caughnawaga, 
derives  its  name.  He  was  absent  from  home  at  the  time,  attending  a 
meeting  of  the  state  legislature,  of  which  he  was  a  member,  then  in  session 
at  Poughkeepsie,  Dutchess  county.  His  mansion  was  at  a  place  called 
the  Nose,  in  the  town  of  Palatine.  His  wife  escaped  under  cover  of  a 
thick  fog,  and  on  foot  made  her  way  to  Schenectady.  The  house  was 
burned,  together  with  property  valued  at  $60,000.  The  venerable  old 
David  Fonda  was  killed  and  scalped  by  an  Indian  party  attached  to  the 
expedition,  he  was  cut  in  several  parts  of  his  head  with  a  tomahawk. 
Mr.  Fonda  was  a  citizen  of  great  respectability,  eighty  years  of  age,  a  man 
who  Sir  William  Johnson  said,  was  like  a  father  to  him  when  he  settled 
in  Johnstown  and  Kingsborough,  yet  his  son,  Sir  John  Johnson,  waged 
a  cruel  war  against  him  and  his  neighbors,  robbing  them  of  property  and 
slaying  prisoners.  Weddings  in  those  days  were  celebrated  differently 


84  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

from  what  they  now  are.  The  law  then  required  the  publishing  of  the 
banns  three  successive  times,  in  a  religious  meeting,  before  the  couple  could 
get  married.  After  the  notice  had  been  once  read,  the  young  friends 
usually  had  a  dance,  and  after  the  couple  were  united,  they  had  several 
dances.  In  this  jolly  manner  the  festivities  were  continued  for  three  suc 
cessive  days.  It  was  customary  for  the  groom,  after  the  ordeal  of  pro 
posing  the  question,  to  make  his  intended  a  present  of  some  kind,  usually 
a  pair  of  silver  shoe  buckles,  sleeve  buttons,  or  snuff-box.  The  ill-bred 
custom,  of  celebrating  weddings  in  the  streets,  usually  termed  horning^  is 
still  sometimes  continued. 

There  is  an  amusing  account  of  a  novel  marriage  of  these  early  times 
well  worthy  of  preservation,  when  clergymen  were  not  so  very  plenty  as 
they  now  are.  A  young  Dutch  swain  and  his  Dulcinea  were  anxiously 
awaiting  the  happy  day  which  was  to  see  them  united  in  the  silken  bands 
of  matrimony.  They  resided  on  the  north  side  of  Tomhenick  creek,  and 
the  minister  who  had  been  engaged  to  tie  the  knot  lived  on  the  south 
side  of  the  same  stream.  As  the  fates  would  have  it  a  severe  storm  arose 
with  heavy  rains  falling. the  night  previous  to  the  nuptial  day,  and  the 
creek  became  fearfully  swollen  which  rendered  it  impassable.  Its  waters 
were  rising,  and  its  current  becoming  more  rapid  every  hour.  The  Dutch 
Reformed  clergyman  arrived  at  the  appointed  time  at  a  place  where  he 
had  been  in  the  habit  of  fording  the  creek ;  but  it  was  as  much  as  his 
life  was  worth  to  attempt  to  cross  it  then.  Here  was  a  dilemma.  He 
turned  his  horse's  head  to  return,  when  he  was  hailed  by  two  voices  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  stream,  they  were  those  of  the  groom  and  bride 
who  entreated  him  to  stay.  After  some  debate,  it  was  agreed  that  the 
ceremony  should  proceed  :  "  Stop  !"  cried  the  domineto  the  anxious  couple. 
"  Stand  vere  you  be,  and  I  will  make  you  man  and  wife."  In  the  meantime 
the  friends  of  the  betrothed  arrived  from  the  bride's  house  in  the  neigh 
borhood.  Then  was  presented  a  singular  spectacle,  the  like  whereof  was 
never  seen  before,  and  probably  will  not  be  again.  The  domine  read 
the  marriage  service  on  the  margin  of  the  creek,  while  the  parties  stood 
on  the  opposite  side.  After  the  ceremony  was  over  the  happy  couple 
turned  to  leave.  Here  was  another  dilemma,  which  cast  a  cloud  of  deep 
anxiety  over  the  tranquil  features  of  the  good  old  man.  "  Stop,  den,  my 
young  friends,  von  moment,  if  you  please.  You  cannot  toss  the  few 
guilders  across  the  creek,  but  you  can  leave  them  at  der  first  house  below. 
Tell  deni  it  is  Domine  Van  Bunschooten's  marriage  fee,  and  I  will  call 
and  get  it/'  He  put  these  directions  in  pure  Dutch  then  mounted 
his  horse  and  proceeded  homewards,  and  the  married  couple  did 
the  same.  This- is  only  one  instance  of  the  peculiar  trials  the  inhabitants 
had  to  contend  with,  but  there  are  many  others  showing  the  exciting 
occurrences  that  engrossed  their  attention,  and  the  nature  of  the  enjoy 
ments  they  found  amid  so  many  privations.  And  yet,  with  all  their  hard 
ships,  they  prospered ;  their  wants  were  few,  and  their  pleasures  were 
keenly  enjoyed.  There  were  but  few  families,  living  quite  distant  from 
each  other,  a  visit  was  enjoyed  to  the  utmost  and  there  was  no  fear  of 
criticism,  gossip  or  backbiting  to  mar  the  full  flow  of  friendliness.  Modern 
fashionable  calls  and  tea-parties,  from  the  very  hollowness  of  the  preten 
sions  made,  suffer  much  in  comparison  with  the  noble  friendship  developed 
amid  untold  trials.  The  inhabitants,  however,  generally  were  endowed 
with  physical  health,  strength,  and  activity,  and  also  were  engaged  in 
busy  scenes  of  general  usefulness. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  85 

Dancing  Assembly. 

Albany,  1791. 

The  Honor  of  Miss  H.  Van  Rensselaer's  Company  is  requested  for  the 
Season. 

Stn.  V.  Rensselaer,")  (  Dudley  Walsh, 

James  Fairlie,  Managers.          •<  G.  W.  Mancius, 

Sanders  Lansing,       )  ^  John  V.  Henry, 

As  regards  the  customs  of  our  ancestral  patriarchy,  their  habits  and 
modes  of  enjoying  themselves,  and  how  they  differ  from  the  present  time, 
is  always  entertaining  and  affords  rare  amusement ;  while  it  may  even  now 
be  hazardous  to  dissent,  we  will  highly  appreciate  the  transition  from  the 
habits  and  customs  of  those  days  to  the  modern  age.  Every  thing  was 
conducted  on  a  scale  of  economy  and  comfort,  luxury  and  ostentation 
were  then  in  their  cradle;  the  former  had  not  yet  "poured  out  her  glit 
tering  stores."  As  population  multiplied,  and  demands  of  a  social  nature 
increased,  parties  of  pleasure  sweetened  the  days  of  toil.  An  afternoon's 
visit,  perhaps  a  bee  of  some  nature,  the  quilting  bees,  apple-paring 
bees,  spinning  bees,  wool  picking,  were  all  occasions  of  rare  fun.  It 
may  be  a  husking  is  planned,  to  which  the  young  ladies  for  many  miles 
are  invited,  the  young  men  in  the  evening  coming  in  on  horseback  to  spend 
the  remaining  festive  hours,  bringing  a  violinist  with  the  party.  After 
the  work,  to  bark  corn,  was  accomplished,  the  gay  dance  and  warm  supper 
would  be  the  sequel  to  the  pleasant  gathering.  In  earlier  days,  at  certain 
times,  Albany  would  present  the  gayety  of  a  colonial  court.  Balls,  parties 
and  simple  amusements  of  every  kind  then  known,  were  interspersed  with 
the  proceedings  of  grave  conferences  with  stately  savages.  At  these  as 
semblies  for  dancing  they  came  and  retired  early,  for  in  those  days  all  were 
required  to  keep  seasonable  hours. 

Washington  divided  his  time  into  the  four  grand  departments  of  sleep, 
devotion,  recreation  and  business.  On  the  hours  of  business,  whether  in 
his  own  or  his  country's  service,  he  would  allow  nothing  to  infringe. 
While  in  camp  no  company  however  illustrious,  no  pleasures  however  ele 
gant,  no  conversation  however  agreeable,  could  prevail  on  him  to  neglect 
his  business.  The  moment  that  his  hour  of  duty  was  come,  he  would  fill 
his  glass  and  with  a  smile  call  out  to  his  friends  around  the  social  board ; 
'  Well  gentlemen  here  is  bon  repos,'  and  immediately  withdraw  to  business. 
Bon  repo*  is  a  French  cant  for  good  night.  Washington  drank  it  as  a 
signal  to  break  up;  for  the  moment  the  company  had  swallowed  the  gen 
eral's  bon  repos,  it  was  hats  and  off.  General  Wayne  who,  happily  for 
America,  understood  fighting  better  than  French,  had  some  how  or  other 
taken  up  a  notion  that  this  same  bon  repos  to  whom  Washington  always 
made  such  conscience  of  giving  his  last  bumper,  must  have  been  some 
warrior  of  the  times  of  old.  Having  by  some  extraordinary  luck  gotten 
hold  of  two  or  three  dozen  of  good  old  wine,  he  invited  a  parcel  of  hearty 
fellow  officers  to  dine  with  him  and  help  him  to  break  them  to  the  health 
of  America.  Soon  as  the  cloth  was  removed  and  the  bottles  on  the  table, 
the  hero  of  Stony  Point  cried  out :  "  Come  my  Irave  fellows,  Jill  your  glasses, 
here's  to  old  bon  repos  for  ever  !"  The  officers  were  thunderstruck,  but 
having  turned  off  their  glasses,  rose  up,  one  and  all  to  go.  "Hey  dey! 
what's  all  this,  gentlemen,  what's  all  this  ?"  "  Why,  did  not  you  drink  bon 
repos  or  good  night?"  "What!  is  that  the  meaning  of  it  ?"  "  Yes  Sir." 
"  Well  then  damn  bon  repos,  and  take  your  seats  again,  for  by  the  life  of 
Washington,  you  shan't  stir 'a  peg,  till  we  have  started  every  drop  of  our 


86  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

excellent  drink,  be  seated,  be  seated  gentlemen."  In  a  glass  case  at  the 
rooms  of  the  Historical  Library  in  Philadelphia,  with  other  relics,  is  this 
identical  silver  wine  cup,  bearing  the  initials  of  A.  W.  It  was  used  by 
General  Wayne  in  the  revolution,  and  presented  to  the  society  by  a  gen 
tleman  of  that  city,  together  with  a  small  brass  camp  kettle,  belonging  to 
the  same  notable  officer,  both  of  which  had  seen  much  service. 

At  Mrs.  Washington's  levee  the  visitors  were  seated,  then  tea  and 
coffee  were  handed,  with  plain  and  plum  cake.  The  company  was  expected 
to  retire  early.  "  The  general  retires  at  nine,  and  I  usually  precede  him," 
the  lady  would  say.  At  the  presidential  receptions  Washington  wore 
his  hair  powdered  and  gathered  behind  in  a  silk  bag.  His  coat  and 
breeches  were  of  a  plain  black  velvet;  he  wore  a  white  or  pearl  colored 
vest  and  yellow  gloves,  and  had  a  cocked  hat  in  his  hand,  with  silver 
knee  and  shoe  buckles  and  a  long  sword  with  a  finely-wrought  and  glit 
tering  steel  hilt.  The  coat  was  worn  over  this  and  its  scabbard  of  po 
lished  white  leather.  He  never  shook  hands  at  these  receptions,  even 
with  his  most  intimate  friends,  but  all  his  visitors  were  received  with  a 
dignified  bow,  and  passed  on.  At  Mrs.  Washington's  levees  the  president 
appeared  simply  as  a  private  gentleman,  with  neither  hat  nor  sword,  he 
was  constantly  engaged  in  conversation,  without  restraint  and  most  gene 
rally  with  the  ladies,  adorned  by  all  the  graces  of  true  courtesy.  At 
one  of  her  ladyship's  Friday  evening  drawing-rooms,  owing  to  the  ex 
treme  lowness  of  the  ceiling,  the  ostrich  feathers  in  the  head-dress  of  a 
most  distinguished  belle  in  New  York  city,  unfortunately  took  fire  from 
the  chandelier,  to  the  general  confusion  and  alarm.  Major  Jackson,  aid- 
de-camp  to  the  President  Washington,  flew  to  the  rescue,  and,  clapping 
the  burning  plumes  between  his  hands,  extinguished  them.  This  lady, 
who  was  Miss  Mary  McEvers,  married  Edward  Livingston,  the  minister 
to  France.  Mrs.  Washington  as  a  belle  at  the  colonial  court  in  Williarns- 
burg,  as  a  beautiful  young  widow  (Mrs.  Custis)  reigning  among  the 
chivalrous  Virginians,  as  the  wife  of  the  commander  in  chief  and  presi 
dent  of  the  new  nation,  was  a  general  favorite  and  her  benign  aspect  is 
familiar  to  all.  She  was  accustomed  to  join  Gen.  Washington  in  camp, 
traveling  with  postillions  in  white  and  scarlet  liveries.  Every  thing 
about  her  house  had  an  air  of  simplicity ;  the  table  good,  but  not  osten 
tatious,  and  no  deviation  was  seen  from  regularity  and  domestic  economy. 
She  superintended  the  whole  and  joined  to  the  qualities  of  an  excellent 
housewife  the  simple  dignity  which  ought  to  characterize  a  woman  whose 
husband  has  acted  the  greatest  part  on  the  theatre  of  human  affairs. 

The  subject  of  the  president's  title  had  caused  much  discussion  in 
society.  General  Muhlenberg,  who  had  once  been  an  earnest  clergyman 
but  had  in  1775  espoused  his  country's  cause,  thought  General  Washing 
ton  would  like  the  title  Iwjli  mightiness,  used  by  the  stadtholder  of  Holland. 
The  general,  dining  with  Washington,  observed  on  the  subject :  "  If  the 
office  could  always  be  held  by  men  as  large  as  yourself  or  Wynkoop,  it 
would  be  very  appropriate  ;  but  if  by  chance  a  president  as  small  as  my 
opposite  neighbor  were  elected  it  would  be  truly  ridiculous."  He  therefore 
voted  against  any  title.  When  Rev.  Mr.  Muhlenburg  enlisted  his  regi 
ment,  he  entered  his  pulpit  with  his  sword  and  cockade  and  preached 
his  farewell  sermon. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  87 

Union  College  Committee  to  Hon.  Philip  Scliuyler. 
Sir,  Schenectady  9th  Januy.  1792. 

You  have  Doubtless  been  informed  that  the  Citizens  of  Schenectady 
have  had  it  in  contemplation  for  a  number  of  years  to  obtain  a  publick 
Seineuiiry  of  Learning  in  this  Town.  In  the  year  1780  or  81  proposals 
were  made  on  their  part  to  the  Legislature  then  Setting  at  Kingston  to 
Endow  a  College  if  instituted  in  this  place,  with  an  Estate  of  ten  thousand 
Acres  of  Land  and  the  income  of  the  town  Ferrys  Estemated  at  more  then 
150£  pr  Annum  Since  that  period  and  after  the  passing  of  the  uneversity 
Law,  they  have  been  prevented  from  publickly  pursuing  the  object  by 
the  revival  of  an  Ancient  Law  Dispute  which  comprehended  the  proposed 
Estate  and  on  which  hitherto  no  decision  had  been  obtained,  this  however 
has  not  made  them  Lose  Sight  of  the  business.  A  conviction  that  the 
Distance  of  this  part  of  the  State  with  the  charges  Attending  a  residence 
either  at  Columbia  or  its  neighbouring  Colleges  cannot  but  operate  as  a 
very  great  discouragement  of  moderate  tho'  comfortable  Circumstances  to 
devote  their  Children  to  a  regular  course  of  Education  Leads  them  to 
persevere.  And  if  we  Add  to  these  considerations  the  amazing  increase 
of  population,  the  well  known  Centrality  and  Cheapness  of  board  in  this 
Town  the  Comparatively  few  fashionably  Vices  with  other  advantages 
which  are  obvious  we  flatter  ourselves  every  disinterest  Gentleman  of  be- 
nevolance  and  Lebirality  within  this  State  will  afford  us  their  friendship 
and  Aid  in  the  persecution.  We  conceive  a  Crises  to  offer  at  present 
favourable  to  our  views  at  Liast  if  we  can  have  the  happiness  of  meeting 
with  the  approbation  and  Countenance  of  the  Legislature.  Dirk  V.  Ingen 
Esqr  of  this  place  with  others  having  obtained  a  Leas  for  the  Term  of 
twenty  one  years  from  the  Oncida  Indians  for  a  Tract  of  Land  Called  in 
the  treaty  of  1788  the  Residue  of  their  reservation,  has  with  his  Associates 
convayed  by  Leas  15360  Acres  there  of  for  the  purpose  of  founding  and 
Supporting  A  College  in  the  Town  of  Schenectady  reserving  an  Annual 
rent  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  Dollars  for  the  benifet  of  said  Indians.  The 
Management  of  this  Estate  is  by  ample  powers  intrusted  into  the  hands  of 
the  Gentlemen  acting  as  Trustees  of  the  Academy  in  this  Town,  these 
Gentlemen  considering  this  fund  as  gradual  in  its  Proceeds  and  temporary 
in  its  Nature  have  determined  to  petition  the  Legislature  for  a  Law  to 
impower  them  at  their  own  expence  to  purchase  from  the  Indians  their 
reservation  to  this  Donation.  This  petition  supported  by  a  Number  of 
the  most  respectable  Characters  in  the  City  and  County  of  Albany  will  be 
laid  before  the  Legislature  at  an  Early  Stage  of  the  season.  We  cannot 
form  any  doubt  of  its  propriety.  Instead  of  injuring  the  Interests  of  the 
Indians  it  may  be  made  to  render  to  them  the  most  Substantial  advantage, 
the  idea  of  supporting  and  Educating  a  few  of  their  young  Men  has  been 
thrown  out  to  some  of  their  principal  Chiefs  who  appeared  to  be  exceed 
ingly  pleased  and  Expressed  their  Wishes  that  we  might  Succeed  besides 
after  deducting  the  above  Quantity  they  retain  in  their  Reservation  more 
then  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  Acres  to  be  Cultivated  by  about  one 
hundred  families.  And  it  must  be  obvious  that  such  institution  would  be 
of  the  greatest  advantage  to  Society  &  the  State.  But  whatever  facts  or 
reasons  may  be  plead  in  behalf  of  the  Subject  we  are  conscious  that  in 
order  to  succeed  we  need  the  interest  and  Aid  of  friends  in  the  Legisla 
ture.  From  my  knowledge  therefore  of  your  candour  and  liberality  I 
take  the  Liberty  humbly  to  request  your  Council  and  Assistance  in  the 


88  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

business  at  Least  as  far  as  you  shall  Conceive  Consistant  and  beg  further 
to  Suggest  that  We  wish  you  to  make  such  use  of  this  Letter  as  you  shall 
think  conducive  to  promote  our  wishes. 

We  are  Sir,  Your  very  Humble  Servts, 
ABRM  OOTHOUT. 

MYNDI  S.  TEN  EYCK,     NICHOLAS  VEEDER. 
JOHN  G-LEN,  CORNELIUS  N.  VAN  SLYCK. 

Honorable  Philip  Schuyler,  Esqr.,  Member  of  the  Senate,  New  York. 

Philip  Van  Rensselaer  to  Gov.  George  Clinton. 
Dear  Sir,  Albany  1  Feby,  1792. 

I  take  the  Liberty  to  inform  your  Excellency,  that  I  have  not  been  so 
Successful  as  to  have  my  Acco1  adjusted  by  the  Gentlemen  Appointed  by 
Law  for  my  Service  during  the  Late  war,  and  for  which  I  have  your  Excel 
lency's  promise  that  I  should  be  well  Rewarded,  this  will  be  Delivered  to 
your  Excellency  by  Capt.  Mathew  Trotter  by  whom  I  wish  to  Receive  a 
Line  from  the  Governor  with  Advice  what  Steps  I  must  Take  in  order  to 
obtain  my  Just  Right.  I  have  Requested  Col°  Varick  to  call  on  your 
Excellency  on  this  Business. 

With  Esteem  I  am  your  Excellency's  Real  and  Sincere  friend 
and  Hum^ie  Serv1. 

His  Excelleacy  Governor  George  Clinton.   PHILIP  VAN  R^NSSELAER. 

Philip  Van  Rensselaer  to  Ricliard  Varick. 

Dear  Colonel : 

I  take  the  Liberty  to  trouble  you  to  call  on  the  Governor  to  know  what 
Steps  I  must  take  to  obtain  my  pay  for  my  Service  during  the  Late  War, 
for  which  I  have  his  promise  that  I  should  be  well  Rewarded,  his  Ex 
cellency's  oppinion,  together  with  your  good  advice,  will  be  my  Guide  on 
this  head,  which  you  will  please  to  Communicate  to  me  by  a  Line  with 
the  Return  of  the  Bearer  Captain  Trotter.  I  am  yours  Sincerely. 

The  Worshipful  Richard  Varick,  Esq.,  New  York.R  V>  RENSSELAER. 

"  In  1792  a  sort  of  stage  was  established  to  run  from  Albany  to  Whites- 
town,  near  Utica,  which  performed  the  route  once  a  fortnight.  Some 
enterprising  persons  residing  in  the  Genesee  county,  which  was  the  great 
west  of  that  day  established  another  to  meet  the  one  at  Whitestown. 
The  next  year  a  stage  undertook  to  carry  passengers  from  Albany  to 
Cooperstown." 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  89 


CHAPTER  IV. 

GENERAL  WAYNE'S  CAMPAIGN. 

Under  the  authority  of  the  act  of  congress  1701,  Arthur  St.  Glair, 
governor  of  the  north  western  territory,  had  been  appointed  major 
general  and  commander  in  chief.  Every  exertion  was  made  to  raise 
an  army  and  provide  provisions  and  arms  tor  it,  after  which  it  assembled 
at  Fort  Washington.  On  the  17th  day  of  September,  1791,  the  army 
left  Fort  Washington,  and  cut  a  road  through  the  wilderness,  to  where 
Hamilton  now  stands.  Here  a  fort  was  erected,  and  called  Fort  Hamilton  ; 
having  completed  this  and  garrisoned  it,  St.  Clair  marched  some  twenty 
miles  northward  and  erected  Fort  St.  Clair,  and  marching  twenty  miles 
further  due  north,  he  established  another  military  post  and  called  it  Fort 
Jefferson.  More  than  two  thousand  warriors  had  been  watching  St.  Clair's 
movements  for  several  days,  all  night  long  the  sentinels  had  been  firing 
upon  prowling  Indians,  and  the  men,  by  order  of  the  commanding  gene 
ral,  had  slept  upon  their  arms.  Major  Hamtramck  had  been  despatched 
with  a  sufficient  force  to  bring  back  about  sixty  men  who  had  deserted  in 
a  body,  and  the  main  army,  only  fourteen  hundred  strong,  moved  for 
ward,  to  where  afterwards  Fort  Recovery  was  erected,  within  the  limits 
of  Mercer  county.  The  troops  had  been  early  mustered  and  dismissed 
from  parade  on  the  beautiful  morning  of  November  4th,  1791.  They 
were  preparing  for  breakfast,  when,  half  an  hour  before  sunrise,  a  body  of 
Indians,  led  on  by  Little  Turtle,  with  yells  that  wakened  horrid  echoes 
miles  away  through  the  forest,  fell  suddenly  upon  the  militia.  Many  of 
these  had  never  seen  service  and  fled  in  an  instant,  they  rushed  into  the 
regular's  camp,  and  spread  terror  and  confusion  where  they  ran.  The 
officers  exerted  themselves,  to  the  utmost,  to  restore  order,  but  in  vain  • 
they,  however,  did  their  duty  bravely,  and  were  shot  down  in  great  num 
bers,  by  the  enemy,  who  took  a  sure^tnd  fatal  aim  at  them.  The  Indians 
always  shoot  at  the  officers.  General  St  Clair  was  so  worn  down  by  fatigue 
and  disease,  gout  and  rheumatism,  that  he  was  not  able  to  mount  his  horse 
without  assistance,  but  he  behaved  gallantly  during  the  dreadful  scene. 
He  was  not  in  uniform,  his  chief  covering  was  a  coarse  cappo  coat,  and  a 
three  cocked  hat  from  under  which  his  white  hair  was  seen  streaming  as 
he  rode  up  and  down  the  lines  during  the  battle.  He  had  three  horses 
killed  under  him.  Eight  balls  passed  through  his  clothes.  He  finally 
mounted  a  pack  horse,  and  upon  this  animal,  which  could  with  difficulty 
be  spurred  into  a  trot,  he  followed  the  frightened  soldiers  in  the  general 
retreat.  The  ground  was  covered  with  snow,  two  or  three  inches  deep. 
The  march  was  a  very  disorderly  one,  from  Fort  Jefferson  to  Fort  Wash 
ington  now  Cincinnati.  There  were  in  the  army,  at  the  commencement 
of  the  action,  about  tw>  hundred  and  fifty  women,  of  whom,  fifty-six  were 
killed  in  the  battle,  and  the  remainder  were  made  prisoners  by  the  enemy, 
except  a  small  number  who  reached  Fort  Washington.  One  of  the  sur 
vivors,  Mrs.  Catharine  Miller,  lived  in  Cincinnati  till  her  death  in  1838. 

12 


90  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

This  woman  ran  ahead  of  the  whole  army,  in  their  flight  from  the  field  of 
battle.  Her  large  quantity  of  long  red  hair,  floated  in  the  breeze,  which 
the  soldiers  followed  through  the  woods,  as  their  avant  courier  that  moved 
rapidly  onward,  to  the  place  of  their  ultimate  destination.  Many  of  the 
prisoners  taken  were  by  the  Indians  roasted  alive  by  a  slow  fire. 

This  defeat  of  General  Arthur  St.  Clair  had  produced  the  greatest  alarm 
among  all  the  settlers  in  the  West,  and  it  cast  a  gloom  over  society  in  all 
parts  of  the  Union,  and  checked  for  a  short  time  the  tide  of  emigration  in 
the  direction  of  Ohio.      St.  Clair  was  condemned  in  unmeasured  terms  by 
men  of  all  classes  and  parties,  and  the  indignation  of  President  Washington 
was  exceeding  hot.     Although  naturally  of  a  mild  disposition,  Washing 
ton  had  a  temper  which  was  vehement  and  almost  irresistible.     The  sad 
news  had  greatly  excited  the   general ;   he  walked   slowly  backward  and 
forward  in  silence,  he  seemed  much  agitated,  and  broke  out  suddenly  : 
"  It's  all  over,  St.  Clair  is  defeated,  routed,  the  officers  nearly  all  killed,  the 
men  by  wholesale.     The  rout  is  complete,  and  a  surprise  in  the  bargain  !" 
All  this  was  said  with  great  vehemence  •  then  pausing,  he  again  paced  the 
floor  in  silence,  violently  agitated.      When  near  the  door  he  stopped  shore, 
stood  for  a  moment,  and  then  there  was  another  terrible  explosion  of  wrath. 
"  Yes,"  he  exclaimed,  "on  this  very  spot  I  took  leave  of  him  ;  I  said,  Be 
ware  of  a  surprise.     You  know  how  the   Indians  fight   us,   I  repeated  j 
Beware  of  a  surprise.     He  went  off  with  this  warning  in  his  ears,  and  jet 
to  suffer  the  army  to  be  butchered  by  a  surprise,  the  very  thing  I  guarded 
him  against.     Oh,  God  !  Oh,  God  !"     He  threw  up  his  hand,  and  while 
his  frame  shook  he  exclaimed  :  "  He  is  worse  than  a  murderer.      How  can 
he  answer  it  to  his  country  ?  The  curse  of  widows  and  orphans  is  upon  him." 
The  president's  private  secretary,  Tobias  Lear,  was  present  and  remained 
speechless  till  the  paroxysm  passed  away.     He  was  charged  by  the  general 
never  to  divulge  his  display  of  temper,  and  that  he  was  in  a  passion.  Gen. 
Washington,  however,  was  both  generous  and  just,  and  St.  Clair  found  in 
him  a  most  faithful  friend  ;  his  case  was  investigated  by  a  committee  of  the 
house  of  repiesentatives  and  he  was  honorably  acquitted,  having  no  court 
martial  to  try  him.     jGeneral  Anthony  Wayne  was  appointed  to  fill  his 
place.      Congress  authorized   an  increase   of  the   regular  army  to  a  little 
over  five  thousand  men,  and  a  part  of  it,  the  Legion,  was  assigned  to  him. 
For  many  years  the   Indians  had  been  very  troublesome  on  our  north 
western  frontier,  and   were  ever  on    "  the    old   war  path."      The    first 
settlers  there   were   constantly  armed;  they  always  went   to    their  work 
with  their  guns  near  them,  and  had  sentinels  posted  also  close  by,  on  some 
high  stump  of  a  tree.     All  males  capable  of  bearing  arms,  were  ordered 
to  carry  them  even  while  attending  public  worship.     By  neglecting  some 
times  to  obey  this  order,  not  a  few  men   lost  their  lives.     The  consumma 
tion  of  our   Independence  was  not   only  a  source  of  mortification  to  the 
government  of  Great  Britain,  and  to  the  monarchists  generally  of  the  old 
continent,  but  to  companies  and  to  individuals  engaged  in  the  valuable 
•fur  trade  of  the  new  one.     It  was  their  policy  to  throw  every  obstacle  in 
the  way  of  our  prosperity;  and  as  one  great  step  to  further  their  object, 
they  instigated  the  unfortunate  Indians  to  lift  the  hatchet  once  more 
against  us,  and  now  unfortunately  these  "  kings  of  the  forest"  had  broken 
the  "  pipe  of  peace,"  and  unearthed  the  buried  weapon   symbolical   of 
hatred,  and  the   Indian  war  assumed  a  serious  aspect.     Our   two  armies, 
under  General  Josiah  Harmar  and  General  Arthur  St.  Clair,  had  already 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  91 

fallen  victims  to  the  subtle  fury  of  such  implacable  foes,  and  in  the  con 
sequent  confidence  inspired  by  success,  their  blood  thirsty  propensity 
knew  no  bounds.  Almost  every  settler  north  of  the  Ohio,  and  west  of  the 
Alleghauy,  were  either  carried  into  captivity  or  cruelly  murdered,  for  "  the 
torch  of  war  was  kindled/'  In  augmenting  the  army  at  this  crisis,  the 
wisdom  of  President  Washington,  most  judiciously,  directed  him  to  the 
intrepid  Wayne,  or  "  Mad  Anthony  "  (a  title  gained  him  for  the  im 
petuosity  exhibited  during  the  old  war  for  independence),  as  the  proper 
officer  to  crush  the  growing  evil  and  to  compel  the  savages  to  cease  their 
depredations.  He  was  destined  in  his  victorious  career  to  achieve  peace 
and  permanent  security  to  a  dreaded  wilderness.  It  was,  however,  very 
difficult  to  enlist  soldiers  for  that  hazardous  service,  and  now  a  new 
champion  for  his  country's  rights  appears  on  the  military  field. 

SOLOMON,  the  fourth  child  of  Major  General  Henry  R.  Van  Rensselaer 
and  Alida  Bradt,  was  born  August  6,  1774,  lict  groen  bosch  or  Greenbush, 
opposite  Albany,  in  what  was  subsequently  called  the  old  Genet  mansion. 
He  inherited  his  illustrious  father's  military  disposition ;  and  in  the 
year  1792,  before  he  was  eighteen,  told  his  sire,  who  was  a  man  of  posi 
tion  and  influence,  that  he  must  go  if  only  as  a  private  soldier  to  join  the 
army.  General  Van  Rensselaer  obtained  for  his  son  a  commission  as 
cornet  of  dragoons  in  the  4th  legion  of  cavalry,  and  he  immediately  en 
tered  upon  duty  as  a  recruiting  officer  at  Albany,  N.  Y.,  as  the  principal 
rendezvous.  His  instructions  say  :  "  You  will  recruit  for  the  service  of 
the  cavalry  only.  No  foreigners  are  to  be  enlisted.  None  but  active, 
healthy  young  men  of  good  characters  and  morals  are  to  be  engaged." 
The  youthful  cornet  raised  the  new  soldiers  in  his  own  county  of  Rensse 
laer,  and  with  the  most  determined  perseverance  surmounted  every  annoy 
ance  incidental  to  the  charge  of  raw  recruits,  ardently  impelled  to  the 
duty  by  a  noble  love  of  country.  With  the  sacred  commission  of  Gen. 
Washington  in  his  pocket,  in  obedience  to  the  secretary  of  war's  direc 
tions,  he  soon  left  the  amenities  and  courtesies  of  life  in  his  early  home, 
and  "joined  General  Anthony  Wayne's  expedition  to  the  Maumee  in  the 
same  battalion  with  Gen.  William  II.  Harrison,  and  before  he  was  twenty 
was  promoted  to  the  command  of  a  troop  in  1794."  It  was  under  this 
efficient  soldier,  Wayne,  that  the  young  Dutchman  with  his  heart  "  full  of 
courage,  lion-like,  afraid  of  none,"  commenced  his  military  career.  On 
their  westward  route  our  little  corps  of  valiant  Greenbushers  marched 
through  a  dense  wilderness  of  several  hundred  miles,  far  from  succor,  des 
titute  of  comforts,  constantly  in  danger  of  falling  into  an  ambuscade,  for 
the  wily  savages  were  concealed  in  the  bushy  ravines  and  engaged  in 
many  diabolical  stratagems  to  entrap  the  unwary.  They  encountered 
many  .troubles,  and  had  much  toil  on  their  perilous  way,  but  in  due  time, 
without  a  single  desertion,  they  reached  the  cantonment  at  Fort  Washington . 

General  Henry  Knox  to  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer. 
Sir,  War  department,  March  15th,  1792. 

The  President  of  the  United  States  by  and  with  the  advice  and  consent 
of  the  Senate  has  appointed  you  a  CORNET  of  a  troop  of  Light  Dragoons. 

You  will  please  immediately  to  signify  your  acceptance  or  non-accept 
ance  of  this  appointment.  In  order  that  you  may  judge  of  the  pay,  rations 
and  emoluments  for  the  commissioned,  and  non-commissioned  Officers  and 


92  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

privates  in   the   Service  of  the  United  States,  I  enclose  you  the   act  of 
Congress  relative  to  the  military  establishment. 

I  am  Sir,  Your  humble  Servant. 


Cornet  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer. 

The  above  warrant  was  received  and  the  appointment  accepted  with 
joy.  It  was  true  also  his  enthusiastic  feelings  were  greatly  excited  by  the 
anxiety  and  continual  alarm  that  harassed  the  people,  for  a  dark  and 
ominous  cloud  gathered  over  the  colony  and  filled  the  inhabitants  with 
alarm.  The  banner  of  hostility  was  again  raised  and  the  savages  were 
preparing  to  go  out  upon  the  old  war  paths.  As  was  said  of  another  so 
of  him  :  "The  bud  of  the  young  cornet's  life  was  just  developing  into 
the  blossom  of  youth,  and  his  plastic  mind  was  continually  impressed  with 
words  and  deeds  that  left  ineffaceable  records  of  memory  there,  to  be 
consulted  in  future  years."  And  now  the  great  question  of  his  lite  work 
was  decided.  . 

Gen.  Knox  to  Captain  Rodger  s. 
Sir,  War  department,  June  28,  1792. 

Your  letter  of  the  15  instant  is  received.  I  enclose  you  a  copy  of  my 
letter  to  you  of  the  15th  inst.  directing  you  to  come  forward  to  New 
Brunswick,  in  New  Jersey,  with  all  your  recruits.  This  request  I  again 

I  am  Sir,  Your  humble  Servant. 


Captain  Jedediah  Rodgers.  H'  KlTOX>  SeC>-  of  War' 

Capt.  Rodgers  to  Cornet  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir, 

I  have  this  moment  recevd  your  Letter  of  this  day's  date  by  the  trum 
peter,  also  those  from  the  department  of  War.  I  know  of  no  circumstance 
that  will  prevent  my  embarking  on  Fryday  at  12  o'clock.  You  be  pleased 
to  accomodate  your  business  to  that  Hour.  1  wrote  to  Mr.  Hale  this 
morning  informing  him  of  the  time,  tomorrow  morning  will  see  you  in 
Albany,  be  so  kind  as  to  ask  Mr.  Hale  if  the  troops  can  be  furnished  with 
hard  bre'd.  j  am  Dr  ^  Y(mrg  SincerelV) 

Cornet  Solomon  Van  Reusselaer. 

The  captain  was  then  in  Troy  ;  but  having  been  arrested,  after  orders 
for  marching  arrived  from  General  Henry  Knox,  secretary  of  war,  the 
command,  consequently  of  the  company,  devolved  upon  the  cornet. 

Marching  Orders.  —  General  Knox  to  Captain  Rodgers. 
Sir  :  War  department,  July  12th,  1792. 

Captain  Mills  is  instructed  to  muster  and  inspect  your  recruits,  and  to 
place  in  your  hands  one  Months  pay  for  them.  He  will  also  deliver  you 
four  Months  pay  and  three  Months  subsistence  and  forage  for  yourself, 
and  four  Months  pay  and  three  Months  subsistence  and  forage  for  Cornet 
Van  Rensselaer,  and  a  further  sum  of  fifty  dollars  for  the  contingent  ex 
penses  of  your  march. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  93 

As  soon  as  the  clothing  arrives,  and  which  is  now  on  the  road  to  New 
Brunswick,  I  request  that  after  clothing  your  men,  you  will  immediately 
commence  your  march,  agreeably  to  the  orders  which  are  enclosed. 

You  will  apply  to  Mr.  Bray  to  furnish  you  a  waggon  to  transport  the 
baggage  of  your  detachment  from  Brunswick  to  Trenton,  where  Mr. 
Hunt  will  accomodate  you  in  the  same  manner  to  Heading  in  Pennsylva 
nia.  At  Reading  James  Collins,  Esqr,  will  procure  you  the  means  of 
transportation  to  Pittsburg. 

Let  me  hear  from  you  by  every  opportunity  while  on  the  march. 
I  am  Sir,  Your  humble  Servant, 

H.  KNOX,  Secy,  of  War. 
Capt.  Jedediah  Rodders,  Light  Dragoons. 

Waterford,  10  miles  above  Albany,  State  of  New  York. 

On  the  16th  of  June,  1775,  the  day  before  the  battle  of  Bunker's 
hill,  a  young  American  patriot,  HENRY  KNOX,  escaped  from  Boston  in 
disguise.  He  was  accompanied  by  his  wife,  and  she  had  quilted  into  the 
lining  of  her  cloak  a  sword,  for  which  it  was  expected,  there  would  be 
immediate  use.  He  made  his  way  to  the  headquarters  of  the  American 
general  at  Cambridge ;  he  was  employed,  and  that  sword  was  a  busy  one 
for  the  next  eight  years.  The  commission  is  decorated  with  the  Ameri 
can  eagle  holding  the  olive  branch  in  one  talon,  and  a  bundle  of  thirteen 
arrows  in  the  other,  while  his  beak  holds  a  scroll  with  the  motto  E 
Pluribus  Uuum,  in  the  centre  at  the  head  of  the  parchment;  with  the 
great  seal  of  the  United  States  Board  of  War  and  Ordnance. 

"  GEORGE  WASHINGTON,  PRESIDENT  of  the  UNITED  STATES  OF  AME 
RICA.     To  all  who  shall  see  these  Presents  GREETING  : 

KNOW  YE,  That  reposing  special  Trust  and  confidence  in  the  Patriot 
ism,  Valour,  Fidelity  and  Abilities  of  SOLOMON  VAN  RENSSELAER,  I 
have  nominated  and  by  and  with  the  Advice  and  Consent  of  the  Senate, 
do  appoint  him  a  LIEUTENANT  OF  LIGHT  DRAGOONS,  in  the  Service  of 
the  UNITED  STATES  :  To  take  Rank  from  the  Eighteenth  of  September, 
one  thousand  seven  hundred  &  ninety-two.  He  is  therefore  carefully 
arid  diligently  to  discharge  the  Duty  of  LIEUTENANT,  by  doing  and  per 
forming  all  Manner  of  Things  thereunto  belonging.  And  I  do  Strictly 
charge  and  require  all  Officers  and  Soldiers  under  his  Command,  to  be 
obedient  to  his  Orders  as  LIEUTENANT.  And  he  is  to  observe  and  Follow 
such  Orders  and  Directions  from  time  to  time,  as  he  shall  receive  from 
me,  or  the  future  PRESIDENT  of  the  UNITED  STATES,  or  the  General  or 
other  superior  Officers  set  over  him,  according  to  the  Rules  and  Disci 
pline  of  War.  This  Commission  to  continue  in  Force  during  the  Pleasure 
of  the  Presidlnt  of  the  United  States  for  the  Time  being. 

GIVEN  under  my  Hand,  at  Philadelphia  this  Nineteenth  day  of  March 
in  the  Year  of  our  Lord  One  Thousand  Seven  Hundred  and  Ninety  Three 
and  in  the  Seventeenth  Year  of  the  Independence  of  the  United  States. 

G° :  WASHINGTON. 

By  Command  of  the  President  of  the  United  ) 
States  of  America.  j 

H.  Knox,  Secretary  of  War. 


94  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Abstract  of  Sundries  from  the  Quarter  Master's  Book. 

INVOICE  OF  CLOTHING  remaining  in  Boxes  No.  2  &  3  for  Capt.  Rogers. 
Box  No.  2  No.  3. 


10  Vests  9  Coats  1  Frock 
45  Pr  L.  Breeches,  108  Shirts 
5  Linen  overalls  16  Pr  Stockings, 
8   Stocks  9  Valeeces   52  Pr  Shoes. 


10  Caps, 

45  Pr  Boots  11   Swords  &  Belts  9 

Slings 
10  Blankets. 


THE  SIZE  ROLL,  being  a  Descriptive  list  of  Recruits  inlisted  in  the 
Company  of  Capt.  Jedediah  Rogers.  Containing  Names,  Age,  Size,  in  feet 
and  inches,  Complexion,  Hair,  Eyes,  Trade,  Where  Enlisted,  and  for 
what  number  of  years,  What  Town,  What  State  was  Born,  What  County 
and  Town,  in  which  he  was  Born. 

Place  of  Residence,  What  State,  County  and  Town,  Remarks. 

The  oldest  man  of  the  troop  was  32  years  of  age,  and  the  youngest  was 
19  years,  the  average  age  was  23.  The  recruits  were  enlisted  for  three 
years ;  each  recruit  received  a  bounty  of  eight  dollars ;  each  recruit  was 
over  five  feet  and  five  inches  in  height,  without  shoes,  one  was  5  feet  10 \ 
inches.  The  clothing,  arms  and  accoutrements  were  furnished  the  re 
cruits  ;  also  with  rations,  barracks,  barrack  utensils,  straw,  fuel  and  such 
necesary  medical  assistance  as  they  might  require. 

INVOICE  OF  EQUIPMENTS  furnished  Sergt.  Major  Breck. 

1  Cap,  1  Coat,  1  Stock,  1  Cloak,  1  Pr  Leather  Breeches,  1  Pr  Boots,  1 
Pr  Shoes,  1  Pr  Boot  Buckles,  1  Pr  Spurs,  1  Pr  Spur  Leathers,  2  Pr  Stock 
ings,  1  Valeece,  1  Saddle,  1  Bridle,"  1  Halter,  1  Nose  Bag,  1  Pr  Pistols, 
1  Cartouch  Box,  1  Stable  frock,  1  Sword  Belt  &  sling,  1  Pr  Brushes  & 
Black  Ball. 

Received  the  above  articles. 

Fort  Washington,  December  10,  1792.  J<  BRECK>  S'  MaJ°r- 

Fort  Hamilton,  May  llth,  1793. 

Received  of  Lieut.  Van  Rensselaer  Qr.  Mr.  L.  D.,  One  Cap,  one  Coat, 
one  pair  Leather  Breeches,  one  Pair  Linen  Overalls,  four  shirts,  two  Pair 
Stockings,  two  Pr.  Boots,  two  Pr.  Shoes,  one  Pr.  boot  bucklers,  one  Stock, 
one  clasp,  one  Stable  frock,  and  one  Pair  Spurs  for  the  use  of  a  Sergeant 
Major  in  Capt.  Henry  Bowyer's  Troop.  L  CoviNGTONj  Lieut.  L.D. 

Fort  Hamilton,  May  16th,  1793. 

Received  of  Lieut.  Van  Rensselaer  Qr.  Mr.  L.  D.,  Eleven  dozen  pistol 
Cartridges  for  the  use  of  a  detachment  of  Dragoons  for  Command. 

GEO.  H.  DUNN,  Cornet,  L.D. 

Hobson's  Choice,1  June  1st,  1793. 

Received  of  Lieut.  Van  Rensselaer  Qr.  Mr.  L.  D.,  Ten  Swords  and 
Scabbards  for  the  use  of  my  Troop. 

ROBERT  Ms.  CAMPBELL,  Capt.  2nd  T.L.D. 

Hobson's  Choice,  June  1st,  1793. 

Received  of  Lieut.  Van  Rensselaer  Qr.  Mr.  L.  D.,  Thirty-six  horse 
brushes  and  thirty-six  main  Combs  for  the  use  of  Capt.  Winston's  Troop. 

J.  WEBB,  JR.,  Cornet  L.  Dragoons. 

1  The  low  grounds  near  Fort  Washington. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  95 

Hobson's  Choice,  June  6th,  1793. 

Received  of  Lieut.  Van  Rensselaer  Q.  M.L.D.,  One  quire  of  writing 
paper,  half  a  paper  of  ink  powder,  five  quills,  half  a  box  of  wafers,  four 
Books  of  Barou  Stubeus  Military  Instructions  and  one  orderly  book  for 

the  use  of  niy  Troop.  ^r  ,    -.   .   ^ 

W.  A.  LEE,  Capt.  1st.  Troop,  L.D. 

Hobson's  Choice,  June  llth,  1793. 

Received  of  Lieut.  Van  Rensselaer  ten  pounds  Brimstone,  five  pounds 
Antimony,  two  pounds  salt-petre,  ten  pounds  Castiel  Soap,  five  pounds 
copperas,  ten  pounds  tobacco,  ten  pounds  bees-wax,  twenty  pounds  hog's 
lard,  ten  yards  tick  ling  burgh,  four  gallons  tar,  twelve  fathom  rope  and 
one  old  canip  kettle  for  the  use  of  the  Squadron  under  my  command. 

R.  Ms.  CAMPBELL,  Capt.  Comman.  L.  Dragoons. 

In  the  summer  of  1793,  General  Wayne  tried  to  treat  with  the  In 
dians,  and  Fort  Massac  was  built  under  him,  to  prevent  an  expedition 
against  New  Orleans,  which  Citizen  Genet  was  planning.  Gen.  Wayne 
sent  out,  in  succession,  Colonel  Hardin,  and  Major  Trueman  with  a  flag 
of  truce,  medals,  talks  and  presents  to  the  Indians  in  order  to  make  a 
peace  with  them.  These  messengers  of  peace  were  killed  in  succession, 
as  soon  as  they  arrived  among  the  savages.  Their  medals,  and  speeches, 
sent  by  them,  and  all  they  had  with  them,  were  taken  by  the  Indians 
who  slew  the  bearers  of  them.  These  medals  were  made  at  the  expense 
of  a  gentleman  of  Philadelphia,  and  by  him  sent  as  »  token  of  General 
Washington's  friendship  to  the  Indians.  Every  other  effort  was  made  by 
General  Wayne,  that  summer,  to  bring  about  a  peace  with  the  savages, 
but  all  in  vain,  and  worse  than  in  vain.  But  notwithstanding  all  the 
efforts  to  make  a  peace,  yet,  nothing  was  omitted  that  could  be  done,  to 
prepare  for  a  vigorous  war  against  them.  Notwithstanding  all  the  efforts 
of  General  Washington,  in  favor  of  this  bleeding  frontier,  congress  and 
the  nation  were  too  much  engaged  with  other  objects  to  bestow  much 
attention  on  this  war  in  the  distant  far  West.  The  French  revolution 
had  turned  the  heads  of  many  members  of  congress  towards  that  dazzling 
object  and  at  this  time  Genet  was  busily  engaged  in  his  endeavors  to 
draw  our  nation  into  the  vortex  of  European  politics.  His  '  filibustering 
expedition  '  on  an  extended  scale,  against  the  Spanish  dominions,  the 
object  being  no  less  than  the  seizure  of  Florida  and  New  Orleans  was  a 
failure,  but  not,  until  his  schemes  of  conquest  had  produced  annoying 
effects  upon  the  national  government.  Early  in  this  year  General  Wash 
ington,  in  company  with  Colonel  Timothy  Pickering,  made  a  tour  to  the 
Indians  of  Western  New  York.  This  visit  was  made  to  conciliate  those 
savages,  and  to  prevent  their  joining  in  the  war,  with  the  British  Indians, 
as  they  hud  done  all  along  before  this  period.  Many  New  York  Indians 
were  present  at  St.  Clair's  defeat,  and  some  fought  against  Gen.  Wayne. 

Received  at  Fort  Hamilton,  July  20th  1793,  of  Lieut.  Van  Rensselaer 
late  Qr.  Master  L.  D.  one  pair  of  boots  for  my  own  use.  , 

HERCULES  W  HALEY,  Sergt.  4th  Troop. 

Received  of  Lieut.  Van  Rensselaer,  Q.  M.  L.  D.  Six  Setts  of  Horse 
Shoes  for  the  use  of  a  detachment  of  Light  Dragoons  under  my  Command. 

JON.  TAYLOR,  Lieut,  of  L.  D. 
Fort  Hamilton,  July  24th,  1793. 


96  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Received  at  Fort  Hamilton,  October  9th,  1793,  of  Captain  Van  Rensse- 
laer  four  Saddles  and  four  pistols  complete,  which  I  promise  to  deliver 
him  when  called  for.  F.  SALANDER,  Asst.  Qr.  Master. 

Greene  Ville,  October  29th  1793. 

Received  of  Capt.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  Seven  pounds,  Seven 
Shillings  &  Eight  pence  in  full  on  Troop  Account.  A  tr  T  ^  n 

Received  of  Captain  Van  Rensselaer  five  pack  Horses  and  three  pack 
Saddles  which  I  am  to  Deliver  to  Captain  Benhem,  from  whom  they  were 
received.  DANIEL  TORREY,  Cornet  &  Q.  Mr.  L.  D. 

Nov.  1st,  1793. 

Received  of  Cornet  John  Posey,  One  Damaged  Horseman's  Tent. 

ROBERT  LEE,  Pay  &  Qr.  Master  of  the  4th  Sub  Legion. 
Camp  llth  November,  1793. 

The  "  Fort  Hamilton"  was  built  by  General  Arthur  St  Clair,  governor 
of  the  North  Western  Territory.  On  the  17th  day  of  September,  1791, 
the  army  left  Fort  Washington,  and  cut  a  road  through  the  wilderness, 
to  where  Hamilton  now  stands.  Here  a  fort  was  erected,  and  called  Fort 
Hamilton.  It  was  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Great  Miami  river,  about 
twenty  miles  within  the  present  limits  of  this  state. 

Capt.  R.  Ms.  Campbell  to  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer. 
My  Dear  Rensselaer,  Fort  Washington,  Jany  29th,  1794. 

Here  I  am  and*  shall  be  untill  tomorrow,  when  I  shall  set  out  with  Genl. 
Wilkinson  for  Greenville,  in  a  sleigh.  There  is  a  fine  Snow  on  the  ground. 
There  is  no  great  news  here  to  inform  you  of.  My  family  connections  all 
broke  up,  tho'  the  Dulcinia  is  still  on  the  ground.  I  am  anxious  to  Return 
to  Camp,  I  fear  I  shall  not  be  able  to  see  you  so  soon  as  I  contemplated.  I 
fear  Capt.  Lee's  Tryal  will  be  Tedious  But  I  shall  press  my  Return  as 
soon  as  possible.  I  am  to  take  on  the  army  papers  to  Head  Quarters.  I 
hope  I  shall  be  able  to  Briiig  on  Some  Money  for  the  Corps.  Let  me 
hear  from  you  by  Every  opportunity.  Make  my  compliments  to  the  gen 
tlemen  of  the  Corps,  tell  Posey  I  shall  write  him  from  Head  Quarters, 
and  that  he  must  not  be  offended  at  the  fatherly  Liberty  I  have  taken  in 
my  Severe  letter  to  him,  if  he  finds  himself  able  to  Read  it.  I  love  the 
young  man  for  his  amiable  Disposition,  therefore  cannot  Refrain  from 
giving  my  advice.  I  wish  to  have  something  to  Say  with  Posey  before 
he  accepts  finally  of  the  Staff  appointment  he  is  about  to  have  Conferred 
on  him.  What  a  pitty  it  is  that  all  men  are  Born  to  be  Slaves,  but  as 
this  misfortune  pervades  the  universe  of  Mankind,  be  my  situation  what 
soever  it  may,  I  am  determined  to  possess  a  happy  mind  ;  that's  enough 
for  me  or  for  any  soldier.  Indeed  it's  victuals,  drink  and  clothing  to  all 
men  who  possess  it,  give  me  health  of  Body,  Peace  of  Mind,  a  Pretty 
Girl,  a  clean  shirt,  and  a  Guinea,  and  I'm  Rich  and  happy.  N"ow's  the 
time  my  Dear  Rensselaer  to  look  forward  to  great  and  Brilliant  actions  in 
the  East,  it  is  now  said  that  a  War  with  Great  Britain  is  inevitable, 
though  not  actually  declared.  I  am  my  Dear  Rensselaer  your  friend  &c. 

Capt.    Sol.    V.    Rensselaer  of 

Dragons.  < 

Beliipherontia,  Kentucky. 


PRESIDENT  Q/  th*  'UNITED  STATES  of  ^ 

a//  tv/6   tda//  tee  -t/aie 


ana    wowwnce  in  Jne    ^safatoJtJm, 


/  o?  / 

inff    &on4ent  #/  < 
/ 

Captain  *n  St/urtd  ron  of  Light  Dragoons,  in  /Ae  <jeii>ice  of  f/c  'Htuitfd  jittttC.S: 

Jo     fane    tan/t    if/tin     we    <^/eiienfeenit/t    of      %u/i>/,     (vne   ^/t6a4anft    4even   A 

•     x      s/  p^      •     j/      /  /  //  /    /•/•        v/  /•    / 

time fu-t/t see.          '.j/foe   14  ffielefC'le   caie/tttiy    ante    af/twnuy.   to    at-Jc/tatae 

c/>,  /  W  /    %  •//     /  .          /  ,      •-      //  /P//'  ,      "  /  Q? //•  <       y    /• 

<j<f.jis(    <_s     cto    (J-tttcfiit    c/ia/<7e    and    -tes/ cute    af€    (_syyfcet4    a  net    ^/6uuee4    unael    '/t(4 

(yt?  /     ,     /*      /  /•      ,    ,      /  •     /-?   /  ri       j-  '/   /  /      •     s       /  / 

{£>o#n?nan<z,    to  ve  o^e^uenf  to  Sit4   (l/4.€tei4  &4    L/aptaill.         tJZ/jtst  /se  (4  to  ov4eitle    ana 

/?%F //  /  sf?  /  /^7T-     i-         /       s-       ^^-  ////  / 

<^/OM6ut  4«c/t    (y  iaei4  ana   ^2s(iecfcon4  fiem  fame  to  tt?ne,  <%4  /te  4/saet  tecetve  fiotn  me, 

ot   J/te  fufate   ^VC^'idCUt    of   tAe   HtuitCtl   ^tittC^  of  ^tUCViCU,  ol  f/e    Ueneta/ oi  otAei 

C^7         •    -       s          s-          •     /3^"        /    •        ^/     €©7  ///    ffifi     •/   s     / 

(Oommiddton    to   continue   in    ^/foice  aultny   t/ie    t_stca4ttte  of  (fie    <LSt.€4(acnt  of 

.,   /  c/;,  ,      /     ,/ 

'tea    r^/  /au'4  /6i    Me 


By  Command  of  tlie  President  of  the  \  /          /  /ZT  /  ./    tf)/ 

United  States  of  America,  f          <%#&  W     putu,  tn  Me    Meat  o 


Oitl 


J^icKetiny,  <9even  $oetn<Aet/  ane/  Mtnety-five.   ana/  '  tn  J/e  Svt 

</  / 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  97 

General  Wayne  had  been  employed  in  endeavoring  to  make  peace,  and 
in  preparing  for  war  and  now  found  the  season  too  far  advanced  to  pene 
trate  into  the  heart  of  the  Indian  country.  He  therefore  collected  his 
army  and  established  a  camp  at  Fort  Greenville  (the  site  of  the  present 
village  of  Greenville  in  Ohio)  and  fortified  it.  Having  made  this  encamp 
ment  and  wintered  in  it,  early  in  the  next  spring  of  1794,  he  inarched  to 
the  ground  where  Gen.  St.  Clair  had  been  defeated,  November  4,  1791, 
where  he  erected  a  fortification,  and  called  it  Fort  Recovery. 

We  copy  a  few  of  the  letters  from  brother  officers  found  among  my 
father's  package  of  correspondence. 

Lieut.  Turner  to  Capt.  Van  Rcnsselaer. 
Dear  Van,  .  Greenville,  Feb.  7,  1794. 

I  will  thank  you  in  case  you  have  not  sold  my  Horse,  not  to  do  it,  as  it 
is  probable  we  may  make  an  expedition  shortly,  when  he  will  be  of  service 
to  me.  If  you  can  swap  him  and  obtain  a  better,  by  giving  Ten  or  12 
Dollars  to  Boot  I  should  like  it.  By  selling  him  for  his  worth  and  pur 
chasing  one  about  45  or  50  Dollars  that  is  equal  to  that  anit.,  I  would 
not  object,  at  any  rate  bring  him  or  another  when  you  are  Ordered  on. 
If  when  you  move  this  Way,  you  can  without  discommoding  yourself 
bring  me  either  Butter,  Sugar,  Whiskey  or  any  other  articles  you  may 
suppose  would  be  acceptable,  at  a  reasonable  rale,  which  I  understand  can 
be  procured  among  you  at  said  rate,  your  humble  Servt.  will  remember 
you  and  pay  the  Interest  with  thanks.  Nothing  New. 

Yours,  EDWD  D.  TURNER. 

Have  your  Troop  in  good  order  or  I  shall  give  you  larry  ! 

To  Capt.  S.  Van  Hensselaer,  Kentucky.  N'  L  VISSCIIER- 

Capt.  Turner  to  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Van  :  Fort  Washington,  March  30,  1794. 

I  must  trouble  you  to  send  my  Horse  by  the  Bearer,  should  Billie  not 
have  left  before  this  reaches  you  and  you  can  persuade  him  to  take  him 
under  his  charge,  I  should  prefer  it,  as  the  man  who  hands  you  this  will 
have  the  charge  of  2  or  3  others  and  consequently  cannot  take  that  care 
of  him  I  could  wish.  I  have  nothing  Material  to  inform  you  of  except 
an  express  we  are  told  is  on  the  way  from  the  War  Office.  We  are  fre 
quently  threatened  with  a  forward  move  and  as  frequently  disappointed 
"  to  do  or  not  to  do  "  seems  to  be  the  question,  and  1  am  affraid  the  old 
Gentleman  is  himself  at  a  loss  to  determine.  Present  appearances  I  fear 
bode  no  good  to  the  Army,  what  the  final  Issue  of  the  long  deliberations 
of  Congress  will  amount  to  is  only  conjecture,  the  knowing  ones  say,  the 
Army  will  be  called  back  to  the  River,  so  or  not  so,  is  indifferent  to  me. 
I  suppose  the  12  Dollars  was  a  sufficient  Sum  to  carry  my  horse  thro' 
the  Winter.  Your  Friend  and  Servant, 

Capt.  S.  Van  Rensselaer,  Kentucky.  EDWARD  D.  TURNER. 

"  The  climate  of  Kentucky  was  healthy  arid  delightful,  the  extremes  of 
heat  and  cold  were  not  experienced.  The  winter,  which  begins  about 
Christmas,  is  never  longer  than  three  months,  and  is  so*  mild  that  cattle 
can  subsist  without  fodder.  The  plains  are  covered  with  grass  and  afford 
good  pasturage." 

13 


98  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

General  Washington  "was  beset  on  all  sides  and  the  opposition  to  the 
present  constitution  laid  hold  of  everything  within  their  reach  to  render 
the  president  unpopular.  They  pretended  to  fear  so  large  a  standing 
army  of  five  thousand  four  hundred  men  !  The  efforts  of  Citizen  Genet 
and  other  considerations  operated  on  the  mind  of  Gen.  Washington  to 
make  this  a  very  trying  period  to  him.  "  The  difficulties  of  transporta 
tion  in  these  gloomy  times  are  almost  inconceivable.  The  roads  were 
wretched,  with  many  swamps  ;  the  pack-horses  sank  to  their  knees,  and 
wagon-wheels  to  their  hub  in  mud." 

Keceived  at  Belepherontia,  April  20th,  1794,  of  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer 
six  pounds,  twelve  Shillings  &  nine  pence  in  full  for  keeping  one  black 

horse  4  weeks  @  6  s £1.4.0 

To  keeping  1  horse  15  weeks, , .....' 4.10.0 

To  23  bus.  Oats, 0.18.9 

£6.12.9 

N.  SHAW,  Asst :  Quarter  Master. 

Fort  Washington,  May  3rd,  1794. 

Received  about  the  6th  April,  of  a  Mr.  Sanders  a  Sorrelhorse  belonging 
to  the  Sorrel  Troop  commanded  by  Captain  Van  Rensselaer,  Totally  unfit 
for  any  kind  of  service  and  which  was  sold  at  vendue  on  the  26th  April. 

JNO.  BELLI  D.  Q.  M.  G. 

Green  Ville,  July  17,  1794.  Received  of  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer,  five 
Dragoon  Horses,  unfit  for  Service,  also  one  Pack  Horse. 

JOHN  POSEY,  Cornet  &  Qr.  Mr.  T.  Light  Dragoon. 

Received  Greenville,  July  25th,  1794,  of  Capt.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer 
fifteen  pounds,  four  Shillings  and  two  pence,  in  full  to  this  date,  being  a 
balance  due  on  His  Mess  account  with  Cornet  Torry  and  Cornet  Posey, 
also  three  Dollars  in  full  for  an  order  drawn  in  favor  of  Will.  Gorman,  a 
Private  in  Captain  W.  A.  Lee's  Troop.  JAS.  MAGCONNEL. 

Received  at  Greenville,  July  25,  1794,  of  Capt.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer 
payment  in  full  of  his  account  of  Sundries,  £22.5.8.  0.  ORMSBY. 

Green  Ville,  25  July,  1794.  Received  from  Captain  Van  Rensselaer 
of  the  4th  Sub  Legion,  Three  privates  Shirts,  two  pairs  of  Linen  Over- 
halls,  Three  pairs  of  Boots. 

JONATHAN  TAYLOR,  Lieut.  Pay  &  Qr.  Mr.  of  4th  Sub  Legion. 

Received  of  Captain  S.  Van  Rensselaer  two  Dragoon  horses  on  August 
4?  1794.  R.  BENHAM,  Capt.  Troop,  L.D. 

Lieut.  Nanning  I.  Visscher  to  Capt.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Van  Munickhousrn:  Cincinnati,  6th  April,  1794. 

Your  Letter  of  the  2d  Inst.  was  handed  to  me  yesterday,  by  a  Dragoon. 
I  am  surprised  that  my  Letter  of  the  20th  Ult.  (sent  by  Cap.  Earnest) 
had  not  reached  you  at  that  time,  in  which  I  requested  you  to  send  my 
Horse  to  this  place.  I  do  not  mean  that  you  shou'd  send  him  in  the  Let 
ter,  I  only  wish'd  you  to  forward  him  to  this  place  by  the  first  opportunity. 
I  think  a  Band-box  wou'd  be  a  convenient  piece  of  Furniture  to  put  him 
in.  You  doubtless  must  have  rec'd  mine  by  Cap.  Ernest  before  this, 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  99 

since  which,  I  have  written  you  by  a  Soldier  who  was  directed  to  bring 
a  few  of  the  Paymaster's  horses  to  this  place,  viz  Turners,  Lee's  and  my 
own.  I  expect  to  see  him  momently.  I  have  nothing  very  new  for  you, 
save  that  we  have  taken  quarters  at  Munson's  Tavern,  where  we  live  in 
Clover,  and  even  this,  I  expect  is  not  better  living  than  your  Horses  have, 
but  we  poor  Infantry  boys  are  glad  to  take  up  with  this,  and  think  we 
are  up  till  amost  any  capers.  We  shall  leave  this  for  Head  Quarters  in 
about  six  days  ;  on,  or  before  which  time,  I  order  that  you  will  now  repair 
to  this  place  with  your  Troop  of  Snorters,  for  the  express  purpose  of  escort 
ing  me  to  that  place.  I  close  with  this  my  order  to  you,  and  request  that 
you'll  write  me  on  the  rec't.  Dear  Munic,  Yrs.  etc.,  10-  T  TT 

Cap.  Van  Rcnsselaer,  Bellipherontia,  Kentucky. 

While  the  troop  was  quartered  at  this  place  for  purpose  of  organization 
and  drilling,  the  officer-like  deportment  of  Capt.  Van  llensselaer  gained 
the  favorable  notice  of  his  superiors  and  paved  his  way  to*promotion. 

Though  extremely  rigid  as  a  disciplinarian  he  was  ever  attentive  to  the 
wants  of  his  soldiers  and  an  unbending  supporter  of  their  rights.  Thus 
he  gained  their  respect,  confidence  and  good  will,  but  it  led  him  some 
times  to  unpleasant  dilemmas  with  others.  Upon  one  occasion  he  stopped 
two  of  his  troop  who  had  been  ordered  off  by  an  officer,  contrary  to  instruc 
tions  from  head  quarters,  upon  express  duty.  A  threat  of  arrest  was 
thrown  out  for  the  act,  but  he  laughed  at  it  and  defied.  It  was  not  carried 
into  execution,  nor  was  any  attempt  afterwards  made  to  force  either  his 
men  or  his  horses  upon  this  injurious  service  ;  consequently  he  was  ena 
bled  to  keep  them  in  admirable  condition  for  any  sudden  emergency. 
There  were  four  troops  of  dragoons  attached  to  the  army,  the  sorrels,  the 
greys,  the  chestnuts,  and  the  bays,  and  because  this  kind  of  force  had 
never  been  used  against  the  Indians,  it  was  hoped  that  they  would  prove 
very  efficient  in  the  contemplated  action  which  occurred  on  August  20, 
1794.  To  this  end,  care  was  taken  to  exercise  them  upon  every  description 
of  service,  whether  cleared  or  wooded,  broken  or  smooth,  and  they  were 
taught  never  to  consider  any  'obstacle  impassible  without  a  fair  trial. 
The  youthful  officer  was  very  energetic  in  the  instruction  of  his  men,  and 
encouraged  them  in  all  things  appertaining  to  their  vocation. 

An  anecdote  was  frequently  related,  to  elucidate  the  proficiency  of 
Capt.  Van  Rensselaer's  sorrel  troop  in  this  particular,  with  great  gusto 
by  Gen.  Wilkinson  in  more  recent  times.  Once  when  the  troop  was 
parading  near  his  quarters  on  the  Wabash  river,  General  Wilkinson, 
wishing  to  test  the  metal  of  his  youthful  officer,  waited  till  they  were 
facing  a  stone  wall  which  surrounded  his  fine  garden,  and  then  gave  the 
order  "  charge"  !  Supposing,  of  course,  that  they  necessarily  would  stop  at 
the  high  inclosure  }  but  far  from  it.  Capt.  Solomon  clapped  the  spurs  to  his 
finely  strung  horse  that  stood  with  his  neck  proudly  arched,  his  immense 
nostril  dilated,  his  teeth  impatiently  champed  the  heavy  cavalry  bit  and 
with  a  flying  leap,  the  result  of  a  muscular  energy  that  would  unseat  a 
careless  rider,  handsomely  cleared  the  stone  wall  followed  by  all  of  his  cav 
alry  }  some  had  struck  it  down  but  all  scampered  over  the  fine  vegetables 
demolishing  every  thing  in  their  progress.  Having  prompted  this  ruinous 
result  to  the  fruits  of  a  summer's  industry  and  care,  by  his  own  mandate, 
the  general  stifled  his  feelings,  bore  the  utter  destruction  of  his  garden 
with  great  equanimity,  and  with  the  gravity  of  a  stoic  broiight  the  mischief- 
makers  back  to  their  original  stand.  Though  as  an  offset  for  the  spoiling 


100  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

of  his  cherished  garden,  after  a  few  more  manoeuvres,  when  they  were 
facing  the  river,  again  came  the  order,  "  charge"  I  At  the  word  of  com 
mand,  under  full  speed  in  a  sweeping  gallop,  the  dauntless  captain  with 
his  well  disciplined  troop  dashed  down  the  steep  bank  into  the  river  and 
plunged  headlong  in  the  deep  water  before  they  could  be  countermanded. 
Unmoved  by  danger  the  nerve  and  bearing  of  the  leader  inspired  courage. 
If  the  chagrin  of  the  general  had  been  great  before,  it  all  evaporated  now 
in  apprehension  for  the  safety  of  the  obedient,  reckless  troop.  He  watched 
their  motions  in  silent  agony.  One  of  them,  a  cornet,  he  saw  separated 
from  his  own  steed,  in  imminent  danger  of  being  killed  by  the  struggles  of 
other  ones,  but  grappled  in  time  and  taken  in  tow  by  the  vigilant  captain, 
whose  cheering  voice  was  heard  now  and  then  above  the  uproar,  all  the 
gallant  fellows  ascended  the  opposite  bank  in  triumph,  then  General 
Wilkinson  felt  as  if  released  from  the  burden  of  Atlas.  He  expressed 
himself  quite  satisfied  with  the  result,  and  never  afterwards  thought  it 
expedient  to  try  any  more  experiments  with  that  troop,  and  from  that  time 
they  were  his  particular  favorites. 

General  Wayne  was  not  idle,  but  urged  forward  all  his  measures  vigor 
ously,  prudently,  and  in  the  end  effectually.  The  reiterated  attempts 
'which  had  been  made  to  effect  a  pacification  with  the  Indians,  had  issued 
only  in  new  and  outrageous  proofs  of  persevering  hostility  on  the  part  of 
the  tribes,  with  whom  we  were  at  war.  The  only  basis  they  would  allow 
to  the  proposed  armistice,  was,  that  the  United  States  should  withdraw 
their  troops  from  the  western  side  of  the  Ohio  river.  Nothing  could  be 
more  explicit,  than  this  ultimatum  of  the  Indians.  Their  sine  qua  non, 
was  the  Ohio  for  the  boundary.  To  this  proposition,  the  commissioners 
would  never  assent,  and  they  accordingly  wrote  to  the  chiefs  and  warriors 
of  the  council,  at  the  rapids  of  the  Miami,  on  the  13th  day  of  August, 
1793,  that,  "the  negotiation  was  at  an  end."  The  council  fire  was  then 
put  out. 

General  Wayne  was  compelled  to  wait  until  late  in  the  summer  of 
1794  before  he  felt  strong  enough  to  move  forward.  Meantime  the 
Indians  appeared  in  force.  On  the  30th  of  June,  about  a  thousand  of 
them,  accompanied  by  a  number  of  British  soldiers  and  French  Canadian 
volunteers,  made  their  appearance  before  Fort  Recovery(so  called  in  com 
memoration  of  the  fact  that  they  had  recovered  the  territory  lost  by 
St  Clair,  as  well  as  all  but  one  of  the  cannon  which  he  was  compelled  to 
leave  behind),  and  during  the  day  assailed  the  garrison  several  times. 
During  these  assaults  the  Americans  lost  fifty-seven  men  in  killed, 
wounded  and  missing  and  two  hundred  and  twenty-one  horses.  The  In 
dians  lost  more  than  in  their  battle  with  St  Clair.  Less  than  a  month 
after  this  engagement,  Wayne  moved  forward  with  his  whole  force 
toward  the  Maumee.  Admonished  by  the  fate  of  St  Clair,  he  marched 
cautiously  and  slowly,  so  slowly  and  stealthily  that  the  Indians  called  him 
the  Blacksnake.  Little  Turtle  was  again  upon  the  alert,  with  two  thou 
sand  warriors  of  his  own,  and  neighboring  tribes  within  call.  The 
vigilant  Wayne  well  knew  this.  He  had  faithful  and  competent  scouts 
and  guides,  and  by  unfrequented  ways  and  with  perplexing  feints,  he 
moved  steadily  onward,  leaving  strength  and  security  in  his  rear.  At 
Fort  Recovery  a  company  of  artillery  and  also  of  riflemen  were  left  there 
as  a  garrison  under  the  command  of  Lieut  N.  I.  Visscher.  On  the  8th 
of  August  Gen.  Wayne  with  his  army  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Auglaize, 
a  tributary  of  the  Maumee,  forty-five  miles  or  more  below  Fort  Wayne. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  101 

Here,  in  the  forks  of  these  rivers,  he  erected  a  strong  military  work, 
FORT  DEFIANCE  it  was  called. 

Lieut.  N.  I.  Visscher  to  Capt.  Van  Renssdacr. 
Dear  Van,  Fort  Recovery  August  1  1794. 

This  letter  you'll  receive  by  a  Militia  man  who  is  on  his  way  to  Head 
quarters  (with  dispatches)  where  he'll  arrive  this  evening;  should  there 
be  any  letters  for  me  from  home,  I  wish  you  to  forward  them  by  the  first 
opportunity,  and  to  inform  me  whether  you  have  yet  had  an  opportunity 
of  slashing  with  temporary  advantages  ;  if  not,  I  hope  you  soon  may,  and 
that  you  may  even  be  honorably  killed  ! !  To  hear  of  your  death  wou'd 
beagood  story  for  me  to  carry  home,  and  wou'd  so  well  please  all  your  friends  ! 
Remember  me  for  the  last  time  to  Tilton,  Turner,  Andrews,  and  a  few 
other  young  fellows  should  they  be  living  when  you  receive  this,  that 
however  is  very  improbable.  Excuse  this  scrawl  the  bearer  awaits. 

Yours  N.  1.  VissciiEii. 

Capt.  Sol.  Van  Reusselaer,  Head  Quarters. 

General  Wayne  fully  informed  himself  of  the  strength  of  the  enemy  who 
wanted  war,  not  peace,  and  having  been  joined  by  Major  General  Scott, 
on  July  27th,  with  eleven  hundred  well  mounted  men,  whom  he  had  with 
him  from  Kentucky,  he  left  Fort  Defiance,  on  the  15th  day  of  August, 
and  at  once  marched  down  the  Mauruee,  his  right  being  covered  by  the 
river.  On  the  19th  he  was  at  the  head  of  the  rapids  erecting  some  tem 
porary  works  to  protect  his  baggage,  and  to  reconnoitre  the  enemy  among 
whom  were  many  New  York  Indians.  He  found  the  Indians  advan 
tageously  posted  in  front  of  the  British  fort  on  the  Maumee,  at  the  foot  of 
the  rapids,  to  whom  he  again,  at  this  time,  showed  great  forbearance,  and 
sent  offers  of  peace. 

Little  Turtle  counseled  for  peace,  but  his  sagacious  advice  was  rejected 
by  his  party  and  the  vigilant  Wayne  soon  perceived  a  conflict  was  una 
voidable.  The  new  works  constructed  at  the  head  of  the  rapids  was 
called  Fort  Deposit,  and  here  on  the  19th,  Wayne  called  a  council  of  war, 
and  adopted  a  plan  of  march  and  of  battle  submitted  by  his  young  aid-de 
camp,  Lieutenant  William  H.  Harrison.  The  army  being  now  considered 
in  good  fighting  condition,  General  Wayne  issued  orders  for  inarching 
against  the  enemy,  who  by  this  time  had  collected  in  large  force  near 
the  Miami  river  on  one  of  those  great  windfall*  so  common  to  the  north 
ern  wilds  of  Ohio.  On  the  20th  of  August,  1794,  at  eight  o'clock  in  the 
morning,  the  army  advanced  in  columns  ;  the  legion  along  the  bank  of 
the  Maumee.  The  infantry  under  Major  Price  advanced  under  quick 
time  directly  in  front  of  the  windfall,  thus  marching  forward  five  miles, 
they  were  met  by  a  most  deadly  fire  from  the  concealed  foe,  who  were 
soon  driven  from  their  lurking  places  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet  to  the 
open  woods.  Here  they  were  attacked  on  each  flank  by  the  dragoons, 
who  had  been  divided  in  two  separate  detachments.  The  enemy  could 
not  have  been  better  protected,  than  they  were,  from  such  a  mounted 
force  as  Wayne's.  This  prostrated  forest  extended  five  miles  west  of  the 
river,  and  behind  the  fallen  trees  the  Indians  lay  in  three  lines;  the 
large  number  of  broken  branches  caused  by  a  tornado  rendered  the  ope 
rations  of  the  cavalry  very  difficult.  The  astonishment  of  the  misguided 
Indians  at  the  execution  done  by  the  Long-knives  as  they  styled  the  dra 
goons,  is  scarcely  conceivable.  Although  they  fought  like  desperadoes 


"i02  .LEGACY  '  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

they  were  obliged  to  yield  to  the  superior  prowess  of  the  novel  force  which 
pressed  the  enemy  so  closely  as  not  to  give  him  time  to  reload  his  guns. 
The  strong  adversary  was  broken,  routed  and  slain,  or  driven  two  miles, 
in  one  hour,  through  this  windfall  and  thicket,  until  they  were  within 
pistol  shot  of  the  British  garrison.  Their  killed  and  wounded  and  that 
of  their  painted  Canadian  allies  in  this  last  great  battle  in  the  north 
against  the  United  States  was  immense ;  but  our  loss  was  almost  equally 
great,  particularly  in  officers.  Of  the  four  dragoon  captains,  only  one 
left  the  field  unhurt.  This  campaign  tranquilized  the  whole  Indian  fron 
tier  from  Florida  to  the  northern  lakes.  The  Indians  were  just  on  the 
point  of  making  one  general  war,  when  this  timely,  great  and  decisive 
victory  saved  the  United  States  from  it,  as  all  the  natives  who  lived  any 
where  near  our  frontier  lines,  between  us  and  Canada  and  between  us  and 
Spain  were  pledged  to  unite  in  concerted  action  against  our  nation. 

It  was  in  this  notable  battle  at  the  foot  of  the  rapids  of  the  Miami  or 
Maumee  on  August  20,  1794,  as  a  boy  of  twenty  summers  that  Captain 
Van  Reusselaer  particularly  signalized  himself  at  the  head  of  his  cavalry, 
in  one  of  the  most  brilliant  and  effective  charges  ever  made  against  the 
savages  of  that  region.  While  in  the  midst  of  hard  fighting,  he  saw  by 
the  maneuvering  that  the  enemy  was  trying  to  turn  our  left  flank,  the 
order  was  given  to  "  charge,"  and  in  that  terrible  battle,  while  in  the  act 
of  cutting  down  an  Indian  who  was  aiming  at  the  troop  from  behind  a 
tree,  he  was  shot  through  the  lungs,  being  struck  in  the  center  of  the 
breast-bone  by  a  rifle  bullet  which  passed  out  transversely  near  the  right 
shoulder.  But  with  the  blood  rushing  from  his  breast,  mouth  and  nose, 
maugre  the  dangerous  wound,  refused  to  be  dismounted  from  his  charger, 
but  maintained  his  seat  in  his  saddle  until  the  enemy  were  effectually 
routed,  when,  and  not  till  then,  would  he  consent  to  be  lifted  off.  G-eneral 
Wilkinson  found  "  the  youthful  soldier,"  after  the  action,  sitting  against 
a  tree,  "  smiling  with  complacency  while  the  blood  was  oozing  from  his 
lungs."  The  wound  was  at  first  considered  by  the  surgeons  to  be  mortal, 
but  youthful  vigor  and  a  fine  constitution  enabled  him  to  resist  the  effects 
of  the  wound  and  recover  his  health.  An  order  for  the  battle,  stained 
with  the  blood  of  the  gallant  soldier,  was  found  in  his  breast  coat-pocket 
and  is  still  preserved  as  a  precious  relic.  Captain  Robert  Ms.  Campbell 
of  the  cavalry,  in  that  action  was  wounded  in  the  same  manner,  in  the 
first  charge.  He  bequeathed  his  sword  to  my  father  and  it  is  among  his 
effects  in  the  old  domicile. 

An  Extract  from  the  will  of  Capt.  Robert  Ms.  Campbell. 

"  Green  Ville,  July  25th,  1794. 

*  *  *  «  My  Silver  Hilted  Sword  I  give  to  my  beloved  friend  Capt. 
Soln.  Van  Rensselaer  in  confidence  that  he  will  never  disgrace  it,  this 
Sword  and  Belt  is  at  Mr.  Hunts/' 

At  the  close  of  the  action,  two  litters  were  brought  out  for  the  convey 
ance  of  the  two  similarly  wounded  captains  back  to  Fort  Deposit,  into 
one  of  which  Capt.  Campbell  was  placed  ;  but  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer  re 
fused  to  be  laid  on  a  litter  to  go  from  a  victorious  battlefield.  Geul. 
Wayne  said,  "  You  young  dog  !  how  then  are  you  going  ?  "  "I  am  an 
officer  of  the  cavalry,  and  shall  i^o  on  horseback,"  was  the  reply.  "  You 
will  drop  by  the  way."  "  If  I  do,  just  cover  me  up  and  let  me  lie  there," 
was  the  unflinching  response  of  the  brave  soldier.  At  his  solicitation,  he 
was  mounted  on  his  own  charger,  and  one  of  his  dragoons  on  either  side 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  103 

supported  the  suffering  officer  on  the  horse.  As  the  army  moved  those 
five  or  six  miles  at  a  slow  pace,  the  gentle  action  on  his  system,  while 
going  up  and  down  hill  was  very  beneficial,  and  the  blood  or  pus  was  by 
the  motion  thrown  up.  Thus  that  decided  refusal  to  dismount  saved  his 
life,  as  the  blood  was  prevented  from  congealing.  The  best  surgeons  in 
the  army  attended  him  ;  we  have  their  certificates  regarding  his  dangerous 
wound,  and  it  was  a  matter  of  surprise  to  them  that  he  ever  recovered. 
Neither  of  these  gentlemen  believed,  on  the  day  of  the  battle,  that  he 
could  survive,  still  each  exerted  himself  to  afford  what  relief  might  be 
given  to  the  youthful  captain  ;  and  each  said,  after  his  recovery,  that  not 
one  of  a  thousand  lived  after  such  wounds.  They  attributed  it  entirely 
to  his  upright  position,  which  facilitated  the  escape  of  the  putrefying 
blood,  and  the  action  imparted  by  the  motion  of  the  horse  which  kept  his 
wound  in  a  cleanly  state.  General  Wayne  directed  his  aid,  the  noble 
Harrison,  my  father's  early  friend,  to  have  him  carried  to  the  command 
er's  own  tent,  where  the  poor  invalid  was  nursed  as  a  son  by  the  kind 
general  and  his  friends.  Although  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer  was  actually 
sensible  of  the  effects  of  this  severe  wound  to  his  last  day,  yet,  he  was 
enabled  within  a  few  months  to  proceed  homeward,  and  at  the  expiration 
of  two  years  to  report  himself  again  fit  for  duty.  Poor  Captain  Campbell 
had  not  sufficient  strength  to  rally,  the  blood  clogged  on  his  breast  and 
he  "  passed  away,"  on  the  route,  from  suffocation.  Some  years  after, 
when  Dr.  John  F.  Carmichael,  surgeon  of  U.  S.  troops,  was  on  a  visit  at 
our  house,  my  father  had  ordered  a  new  pair  of  boots  which  were  brought 
home;  trying  them  on,  and  finding  them  too  tiglit,  he  damned  the  boots. 
My  mother  reproved  him  for  so  doing,  when  Dr.  Carmichael,  who  was  in 
an  adjoining  room  called  out;  "  Oh  !  my  dear  madam,  do  not  censure 
your  husband  for  using  that  word,  it  once  saved  his  life."  He  then  re 
lated,  that  when  he  in  company  with  the  other  surgeons,  Dr.  Scott  and 
Dr.  Heyward,  came  to  Captain  Van  Rensselaer,  after  the  terrific  battle 
of  August  20th,  they  all  thought  him  dead.  He  had,  however,  fainted 
from  loss  of  blood ;  the  handling  of  him,  roused  him  to  consciousness. 
Just  then  one  of  them  remarked,  "  this  poor  fellow  is  too  far  gone,  no 
use  attending  to  him,"  and  were  passing  on  to  the  other  sufferers,  when 
a  "  damn  you  dress  me,"  startled  them,  and  they  quickly  decided,  that 
such  a  plucky  one  who  had  so  much  energy,  should  be  cared  for  and 
have  a  chance  of  life.  Little  Turtle,  the  distinguished  Miami  chief, 
who  led  the  Indian  forces,  a  few  years  subsequent  to  those  stirring  scenes, 
told  the  late  Barent  Sanders  of  Albany,  then  a  merchant  at  Detroit,  when 
conversing  of  that  battle  and  Captain  Van  Reusselaer,  "  The  little  fellow 
had  given  him  so  much  trouble,  that  he  ordered  a  dozen  of  his  braves  to 
watch  for  him  and  shoot  him  down  ;  but  he  was  too  active  for  them,  they 
could  not  harm  him  till  just  at  the  close  of  the  action."  General  Wilkin 
son  in  his  Memoirs  says  :  "This  high  minded  citizen,  soldier  and  'honora 
ble  man,  made  his  noviciate  in  arms  under  my  orders,  as  a  cornet  of 
dragoons,  and  at  the  tender  age  was  distinguished  for  his  coolness  and 
intrepidity  in  action.  His  father  had  served  as  a  lieutenant  colonel  in 
the  revolutionary  war,  and  fought  and  bled  for  his  country  in  the  affair 
near  Fort  Ann,  against  the  9th  British  regiment  of  infantry  in  1777;  he 
had  transfused  his  spirit  and  patriotism  into  his  son,  who  in  my  presence, 
during  the  campaign  of  1794,  fought  with  sany  froid,  and  bled  with 
complacency.  Rising  by  regular  promotion  to  a  troop,  he  was  particu 
larly  noticed  by  General  Washington,  and  raised  to  the  command  of  a 


104  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

squadron.  The  friendships  of  those  days  were  pure  and  distinterested  ; 
and  no  small  portion  of  the  true  and  ancient  friendships  was  ever  pre 
served  not  only  by  the  old  settlers  but  their  posterity." 

Capt.  Van  Benssdaer  to  Lieut.  Visscher. 

My  dear  Van  Mumckhou.sen.  Fort  DePosit>  AuS'  22'  1W- 

Your  letter  of  the  1st  Inst.,  was  handed  me  by  a  Militia  man;  there 
were  no  letters  with  the  dispatches  for  Headquarters  for  you  or  me  from 
our  friends  at  Albany.  I  have  been  at  a  place  where  I  might  have 
slashed  with  temporary  advantages,  had  not  a  Rifle  Ball  from  an  Indian 
of  the  "  Charley's  "  slashed  through  my  lungs  on  the  20th  Inst.  The 
wound  is  considered  very  dangerous  by  the  ISurgeous,  but  has  not  taken 
away  appetite  or  Spirits,  nor  shall  it  till  the  last  moment.  If  you  write 
home  don't  make  my  friends  at  all  uneasy  by  letting  them  know  that  I 
am  in  danger  until  there  is  a  certainty  of  its  proving  my  dissolution ;  and 
even  then  I  do  hope  they  will  not  repine  at  my  lot,  as  I  will  die  in  the 
arms  of  victory  and  in  a  glorious  cause.  The  gallant  Campbell  is  no 
more;  perhaps  I  shall  soon  lay  with  him  in  the  grave. 

My  aged  Parents  will  grieve.  Adieu,  Adieu  my  dear  Visscher,  may 
you  be  well  and  happy  is  the  wish  (and  perhaps  the  last  one)  of  your 

sincere  friend  Tr       -r, 

SOLOMON  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

For  Lieut.  Nanning  I.  Visscher,  at  Fort  Recovery. 

The  germ  of  discipline  unfolded,  and  the  laboring  mind  is  shown  in 
the  delicate  manner  in  which  the  suffering  soldier  speaks  of  his  services, 
and  most  zealous  in  doing  justice  to  the  merits  of  others.  General  Wayne 
who  was  well  inured  to  hardships  was  so  ill,  two  days  before  the  engage 
ment,  that  it  took  four  men  to  mount  and  dismount  him,  yet  the  brave 
old  warrior  fought  that  wonderful  battle  with  all  his  usual  energetic 
boldness,  but  received  no  thanks. 

Having  thoroughly  accomplished  his  work,  General  Wayne  returned 
with  his  army  to  Fort  Defiance,  while  the  Indians,  utterly  defeated  and 
disheartened,  retired  to  the  borders  of  Maumee  bay,  in  the  vicinity  of 
Toledo,  to  brood  over  their  misfortunes  and  ponder  upon  the  future. 
On  the  opening  of  the  next  session  of  congress,  General  Washington  in 
his  speech,  before  congress,  mentioned  Wayne's  operations  with  well 
merited  applause,  but  congress  in  their  reply,  refused  even  to  allude  to 
them  and  no  mention  was  made  of  Wayne,  nor  of  his  meritorious  services 
by  that  body.  Next  summer  Wayne  held  a  council  with  all  the  Indians 
living  in  this  territory,  and  on  the  third  day  of  August  1795,  at  Green 
ville,  he  purchased  all  the  territory,  not  before  ceded,  within  certain  limits, 
comprehending  in  all,  about  four  fifths  of  the  present  state  of  Ohio.  The 
line  is  called  to  this  day,  the  Greenville  line. 

After  all  these  great,  splendid  and  meritorious  services  of  General 
Wayne,  congress  took  no  notice  of  him.  On  his  way  home,  in  Pennsyl 
vania,  he  was  seized  with  the  gout,  and  died  at  a  wretched  hovel  of  an 
inn,  in  the  then  paltry  village  of  Presque  Isle,  in  December,  1796,  aged 
fifty-one  years.  He  was  buried,  at  his  own  request,  under  the  flag-staff 
of  the  fort,  on  the  shore  of  Lake  Erie,  without  a  stone  to  mark  the  spot. 
Years  afterwards,  in  1809,  his  son  Colonel  Isaac  Wayne  accompanied  by 
a  few  of  his  old  friends  and  neighbors  conveyed  his  bones  to  the  place  of 
his  nativity;  in  the  Radnor  church-yard  in  Delaware  county.  The  Penu- 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  105 

sylvania  State  Society  of  the  Cincinnati  erected  over  his  remains  a  hand 
some  monument  of  white  marble  on  July  4th,  1809. 

Capt.  Van  Rensselaer  to  General  Wayne. 
My  Dear  Gen1  :  Fort  Defiance,  August  27th,  1794. 

From  the  information  of  my  Physician,  and  from  uiy  own  feelings,  I 
find  my  wound  of  such  a  nature  as  will  debar  me  for  some  time  of  being 
any  benefit  to  the  Service  of  my  Country. 

Therefore  as  there  is  an  opportunity  of  an  Escort,  I  beg  leave  to  request 
your  Excellency's  permission  for  leave  of  absence  till  the  return  of  my 
health,  at  which  time  I  shall  be  extremely  happy  to  execute  any  Com 
mands  your  Excellency  pleases  to  give. 

I  am  with  the  highest  Respect  and  Esteem 

Your  Excellency's  Most  Obt.  &  Hum1  St. 

vrr  SOLOMON  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Gen1  Anthony  Wayne. 

When  the  news  of  that  bloody  victory,  at  the  celebrated  battle  of 
August  20,  1794,  reached  London,  it  brought  to  immediate  conclusion 
the  long  protracted  negotiations  between  the  British  minister  Lord  Grren- 
ville  and  our  representative  John  Jay,  whose  mission  there  was  to  obtain 
the  evacuation  of  the  forts,  which  England  still  held  on  the  frontier  of 
the  United  States,  contrary  to  the  treaty  of  168o.  Mr.  Jay  having 
brought  these  affairs  to  a  successful  termination,  returned  to  New  York 
in  May,  1795,  and  found  two  days  previous  to  landing,  he  had  been 
elected  governor  of  the  state  of  New  York.  This  decisive  victory  which 
had  been  productive  of  so  much  good  was  the  closing  work  of  the  revolu 
tion. 

Capt.  Webb  to  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Rensselaer  :  Camp  Fort  Defiance,  Septemr  3d,  1794. 

We  are  in  the  same  Camp  that  we  occupied  when  you  left  us  but  not 
half  so  well  oft'.  The  poor  pittance  of  Provision  Drawn  at  present  would 
not  keep  body  &  soul  together,  was  it  not  for  the  Vegitables,  that  we  ob 
tain  when  Foraging  and  even  these,  we  have  to  bring  from  the  Deserted 
Towns  twelve  miles  above  our  Encampment,  up  the  River  Miami.  It 
will  be  serious  &  alarming  times,  with  us  shou'd  Gen.  Todd's  Escort  fail, 
&  the  prevailing  opinion  is  that  He  will  surely  be  attacked.  If  He  fails, 
the  consequence  is  obvious.  The  Whole  must  move,  but  God  Known 
where,  I  should  suppose  for  Green  Ville.  The  Autumnal  Equinox  is  nigh 
at  hand,  &  we  may  expect  a  long  continuance  of  bad  Weather.  I  heartily 
congratulate  you  on  your  escape  from  this  inclement,  inhospitable  Country, 
but  do  most  sincerely  condole  with  you  on  the  cause. 

Our  friend  Lieut  Smith  mends  very  fast  &  is  now  in  Camp.  We  have 
heard  nothing  of  the  Savages  since  you  left  us,  which  leads  me  to  suppose, 
that  they  are  either  collecting  their  force,  to  give  us  battle  once  again,  or 
that  they  have  Drawn  off,  determined  to  force  us  from  their  Country  by 
cutting  up  our  Escorts  with  Provisions.  This  last  is  certainly  their 
most  effectual  mode  of  Warfare,  for  fight  us  when  &  where  they  will,  we 
shall  always  beat  them.  I  yesterday  took  out  the  Squadron,  &  ventured 
15  miles  up  the  Miami.  1  found  much  Larger  &  Higher  Cultivated 
fields  of  Corn,  Potatoes,  beans,  peas,  &  Pom  pious,  than  those  Destroyed  on 
the  0  Glaize.  I  believe  it  is  now  Determined  that  our  Itout  will  be  up 

14 


106  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

this  River  to  the  Maumi  Village,  where  we  are  to  fortify  &  Winter,  Ex 
cept  the  Dragoons,  who  will  I  believe  return  to  Kentucky,  &  when  there 
I  suppose,  we  wont  cut  some  foolish  Capers,  no  not  at  all!  !  If  we  reach 
Kentucky  once  more,  you  shall  hear  of  some  rare  Doings,  Courting, 
Gallanting,  Balls  &  Assemblies.  You  will  wish  to  be  with  us.  I  have 
but  little  Expectations  of  a  furlough  &  shall  therefore  not  apply.  Our 
Wounded  are  fast  recovering  &  will  all  do  well,  Except  poor  Jones, 
L.L.D  whose  wounded  mind,  or  entrails  Laudanum  alone  can  heal.  He 
has  been  several  times  Distracted,  See  the  Effect  of  Hard  Drink  !  It 
cannot  be  long,  if  the  Savages  mean  to  fight  us  again,  before  you  will  hear 
of  a  hard  fought  field,  for  if  they  try  once  more  it  will  be  with  all  their 
allied  Strength.  Prepare  then  to  hear  of  noble  Deeds.  If  I  out  live  that 
Day,  I  think  I  may  without  fear  of  a  Denial  ask  for  a  greater  Commission 
than  I  now  bear.  Two  Epaulets  at  least,  and  then  Girls  have  at  you  all! 
But  as  it  is  we  must  wait  the  call  of  imperious  Commanders  &  when  we 
Do  our  Duty  well,  if  they  but  smile,  we  must  think  ourselves  overpaid 
altho :  they  found  their  fame  upon  our  Merits.  There  still  exists  in  the 
Legion  the  same  Seism,  only  a  little  more  extended.  Out  of  14  swords 
of  the  Kill'd  &  wounded  only  one  can  be  found  &  a  quantity  of  other 
Equipments  gone,  no  one  knows  how.  I  wish  to,  I  cou'd  be  call'd  to  the 
Command  of  the  Troop  that  now  must  shortly  fall  to  my  Lott.  Our 
Horses  are  going  fast,  I  think  your  Troop  at  present  much  the  best,  hav 
ing  but  oae  Horse  unfit  for  Duty,  whilst  the  Troop  that  is  to  fall  to  me 
is  twice  as  strong  &  Musters  two  Horses  Less.  The  Commander-in-Chief 
this  day  inform'd  me  that  it  wou'd  be  sometime  before  we  shou'd  make 
out  forage  returns  &  that  we  shou'd  pass  through  innumerable  Prairies  as 
we  progress'd  up  the  River  Miami  of  the  Lakes.  I  wish  He  may  not 
have  been  wofully  Deceiv'd  in  his  information  for  if  we  are  to  pass  through 
a  Country  bare  of  Grass  all  will  soon  be  over  with  our  Horses.  I  am 
writing  without  a  Conveyance  &  am  only  preparing  for  the  first  oppor 
tunity  as  we  generally  have  but  short  notice,  shall  therefore  fold  but  not 
seal  this  as  many  things  may  turn  up  between  this  &  the  next  Express. 
Adieu  my  Dear  fellow,  may  you  be  well  &  happy  is  the  wish  of  your 

Captain  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Green  Ville.         J>  WEBB>  Junr' 

Lieut.  Wm.  K.  Blue  to  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer. 
My  Dear  Capt:  Camp  near  Fort  Defiance  Sept.  6,  1794. 

I  take  the  liberty  of  enclosing  to  you  a  letter  to  my  father  who  I  hope 
you  &  Capt.  Slough  will  call  and  see  as  you  pass  through  Virginia.  I 
would  have  wrote  more  but  have  not  time  as  we  to  day  was  reviewed  & 
had  then  to  go  off  at  least  five  Miles  for  plunder,  it  was  nearly  run  down 
when  we  returned,  I  was  then  told  that  an  Express  was  going  to  night. 
I  beg  you  will  be  particular  in  delivering  the  letter  I  committed  to  your 
Charge  in  a  private  manner,  observing  at  the  same  time  that  you  could 
contrive  to  send  me  a  letter  privately,  and  safely  at  least  not  letting  it  be 
known  who  it  was  from. 

Silver  lace  for  a  Coat  would  be  a  good  thing  to  wear  in  Lexington 
amongst  the  Ladys.  I  am  Dr  Sir  your  friend  &  most  Obt:  Svt. 

Capt.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Green  Ville. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  107 

Capt.  Turner  to  Lieut.  Visscher. 
Dear  Visscher,  Grand  Glaize,  Sept.  10th,  1794. 

From  the  Accounts  we  have  received  respecting  Van  I  certainly  had  a 
right  to  expect  a  line  from  you  giving  the  particulars  of  his  situation. 
His  friends  are  very  much  alarmed,  you  will  confer  a  particular  obligation 
to  let  us  know  every  circumstance  concerning  him.  Give  my  friendship 
&c  to  him,  and  if  he  is  well  enough,  tell  him  I  should  be  happy  to  hear 
from  him.  We  have  nothing  new,  we  expect  to  move  towards  the  Miami 
Villages  in  three  days,  where  Genl.  Barber  is  to  meet  us.  The  General 
is  sanguine  that  he  will  finish  his  business  of  the  Campaign  in  a  month 
from  this,  at  the  expiration  of  which  he  returns.  *  *  *  Miami  Villages 
Sept.  20,  1794,  I  am  happy  to  find  by  your  Letter  that  Van  has  so  far 
recovered  as  to  proceed  to  a  place  where  he  can  be  well  furnished  with 
necessaries  for  his  situation.  You  should  write  him  and  endeavour  to  im 
press  him  with  a  sense  of  prudence,  otherwise  he  will  be  too  apt  to  put 
himself  forward  to  exertions  that  his  situation  will  not  admit  of.  Campbell 
Smith  is  with  us  in  fine  spirits  and  nearly  well.  We  have  nothing  new  ex 
cept  day  before  yesterday  4  British  Deserters  came  in  who  say,  the  Indians 
are  still  in  force  below  the  British  Garrison  amounting  to  about  1600 
that  they  seem  disposed  for  peace.  But  it  is  conjectured  that  before  they 
determine  that,  they  will  wait  the  Issue  of  some  negotiations  McGee  is 
making  in  Canada.  I  am  in  hopes  to  see  you  in  six  weeeks  from  this. 
We  commence  upon  the  Garrison  tomorrow,  it  must  take  nearly  a  month 
to  make  it  tenable.  God  bless  you.  Compts.  to  Drake.  Write  me  by 
every  opportunity  and  believe  me  to  be  with  sincerity,  Yours. 

Lieut.  N.  I.  Visscher.  EDWD  D'  TuaNER' 

What  few  mails  reached  the  territory  were  carried  on  horseback,  and  they 
were  so  carried  until  after  the  late  war  in  1812;  in  1815  carriages  began 
to  be  used  in  conveying  the  mails  and  passengers.  There  being  no  bridges 
across  the  water  courses,  the  mails  were  not  only  often  thoroughly  wetted, 
but  the  horses  that  carried  them  were  drowned,  with  those  who  rode  them. 
Only  a  few  years  have  passed  away  since  such  accidents  in  Ohio  were 
common.  "  Subsequent  to  Wayne's  victory,  during  the  whole  Indian  war, 
the  settlers  in  the  infant  colony,  kept  constantly  on  the  alert,  from  four 
to  six  rangers,  who  were  called  spies,  whose  duty  it  was,  to  scour  the 
woods  and  if  any  Indians  were  discovered  to  give  the  alarm,  a  gun  was 
then  fired  at  the  fort,  and  every  person  hastened  into  the  garrison." 

The  following  letter  was  received  at  Philadelphia  on  November  8th. 

Killian  K.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Albany,  Oct.  20th,  1794. 

Your  favor  dated  at  Fort  Kccovery  the  10  July  and  the  other  dated 
Aug.  25,  are  both  before  me.  As  your  recent  wound  is  a  circumstance  I 
feel  myself  so  much  interested  in  I  will  refer  only  to  the  last  letter.  I 
know  you  was  aware  of  the  danger  a  military  life  would  subject  you  to, 
but  confident  that  unless  you  accepted  your  commission  happiness  could 
not  be  yours,  thus  circumstanced  you  made  your  election.  I  must  confess 
it  was  what  I  highly  approved  of,  and  I  sincerely  hope  it  is  what  you  may 
have  no  reason  to  regret,  even  under  your  present  dangerous  wound;  for 
should  your  dissolution  be  the  result  of  it,  you  certainly  have  acquired 
more  glory  at  your  time  of  life  than  numbers  of  Generals  have  found  in 


108  LEGACY  OP  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

half  a  Century,  added  to  the  service  you  have  rendered  your  Country. 
This,  Sir.  will  preserve  your  reputation  and  you  will  live  beyond  the  grave, 
therefore  exert  your  usual  fortitude,  and  show  human  wisdom  in  not  re 
pining  at  what  you  cannot  help.  In  this  Country  as  in  all  other  civilized 
Governments,  the  Military  profession  is  the  true  way  to  reputation  which 
is  generally  accompanied  by  Wealth;  that  you  may  enjoy  both,  to  the 
bounds  of  your  wishes,  no  person  is  more  anxious  about  than  your  uncle. 
Should  you  survive  your  wound,  and  not  disabled,  I  think  a  Majority  will 
follow,  and  after  that  all  is  paved  &c.  v  Your  friends  are  all  very  solicitous 
about  hearing  from  you,  and  you  will  do  well  to  drop  a  line  often.  Even 
Judge  Yates  appeared  as  desirous  to  hear  of  your  fate  as  well  as  all  those 
who  knew  you,  equal  with  your  friends.  And  I  pray  you  may  reap  laurels 
in  the  field  in  abundance  without  loss  of  any  more  blood. 

I  believe  this  Campaign  will  settle  all,  either  John  Jay  will  settle  by 
negotiation,  or  formal  War  will  be  proclaimed,  and  the  fountain  head 
Lower  Canada  will  be  formidably  attacked,  and  the  nature  of  your  service 
will  be  altered.  We  find  the  French  still  continue  drubbing  the  Allies 
or  combined  powers,  and  this  will  do  every  purpose  for  us.  Mr.  Henry 
Cuyler  I  mentioned  in  my  last,  supposed  dead,  is  now  actually  a  prisoner 
in  France,  and  was  one  out  of  two  saved  in  a  large  Garrison  ;  his  parents 
and  family  were  all  in  monrning  and  weeds.  Mr.  John  Visscher  [father 
of  Lieut.  N.  I.  Visscher],  is  still  alive,  and  we  all  pray  that  the  news  of 
your  death,  which  we  have  heard,  will  be  a  foreboding  that  you  are  now 
alive,  and  recovering  very  fast.  I  assure  you  our  Paps-knee  and  Green 
Bush  lads  cut  no  small  figure  in  the  conflicting  scenes  in  Europe  and 
America.  Friends  are  all  well.  Your  brother  Killian  [Lieut,  in  the  Navy] 
has  sailed  for  Holland.  My  eldest  son  John  S.  is  a  counterpart  to  you, 
and  I  hope  to  see  him  under  your  Command  and  direction  in  the  Army 
as  I  used  to  have  you  in  my  office.  Joseph  Yates  has  declined  serving  in 
the  Army,  and  chooses  to  fight  by  proxy  as  Militia  men  often  do.  Greet 
Visscher  and  tell  him  I  have  not  with-held  my  interest  to  either  of  your 
promotions,  and  that  I  will  continue  to  do  all  I  can.  Tell  him  I  was  glad 
to  hear  he  was  out  the  fighting  department,  least  he  might  have  been 
complimented  with  a  ball,  and  been  made  to  salute  the  ground  with  an 
ill  grace.  Our  city  is  altered  very  much,  and  I  assure  you  very  elegant 
houses  have  arose  out  of  the  late  flames.  I  hope  you  will  not  be  too  ven 
turesome  and  mis-give  too  much  either  in  exercise,  duty  or  anything  else 
before  your  health  is  restored.  N.B.  Old  black  Cretia  dropped  a  tear 
for  you.  Pray  what  occasions  all  the  Duels  in  your  army  ?  *  *  * 

Your  Aunt  joins  with  me  in  wishing  you  a  speedy  recovery. 

Yours  &c  K   K   y       RENSSELAER 

Captain  Solomon  Van  Ptensselaer, 
Light  Dragoons,  Fort  Recovery,  Ohio. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  109 


CHAPTER  V. 

EUROPEAN  TRIP  IN  1795. 

Lieut.  Visscher  to  Capt.  Van  Mensselaer. 
My  dear  Van,  Fort  Recovery  the  18th  of  Nov.,  1794. 

Since  your  departure  from  this  I  have  only  been  favored  with  one 
Letter  from  you  dated  Lexington  one  dav  previous  to  your  leaving  that. 
After  your  departure  from  this,  and  after  deeply  ruminating  on  the 
different  situations  in  which  we  are  placed  for  the  ensuing  winter, 
it  recalls  to  my  memory  with  the  most  poignant  regret  how  happy  you 
must  inevitably  pass  the  time,  whilst  I  am  doomed  to  contemplate 
amongst  the  sylvan  shades.  I  do  not  regret  the  happiness  you  will 
experience,  but  that  I  am  not  permitted  to  participate  with  you.  But 
alas !  it  appears  that  I  must  content  myself  with  the  little  limits  of  a 
Garrison,  secluded  from  the  society  I  will  ever  hold  dear.  How  oft,  in 
the  dear  and  heartfelt  enjoyments  of  my  Melancholy  walks,  have  yon 
Romantic  groves  witnessed  my  narrative  of  love  ;  and  when  the  drear 
night  appears,  I  retire  to  my  Room,  where  in  a  state  of  chaos,  the 
thoughts  of  home,  and  a  thousand  other  things  rush  on  my  mind  like  a 
torrent.  I  generally  take  up  Thompson's  description  of  a  Winter  Season 
or  some  other  book,  on  which  I  muse  till  sleep  overcomes  me.  Then  I 
am  apt  to  cry  with  Sancho  "  A  blessing  on  his  heart  who  first  invented 
sleep/'  On  looking  back,  I  find  that  I  have  been  going  on  like  a  person 
in  love,  do  excuse  me,  however  improper  it  may  be  for  the  pen  of  a  Sol 
dier,  it  flows  unstudied  from  the  effusions  of  a  heart  too  susceptible  of 
such  foibles.  Let  me  then  rouse  from  this  indignation,  and  proceed  to 
the  affairs  of  the  Army,  on  which  I  shall  expatiate  but  very  superficially, 
not  that  in  my  opinion  such  information  would  not  be  interesting  to  you, 
but  nothing  material  has  happened  since  your  departure.  Save  the  death 
of  our  worthy  Contractor  Mr.  Robery  Elliott,  and  Lieut.  Isaac  Pleasant 
Young-husband;  the  former  was  killed  near  Fort  Hamilton,  by  the 
Indians  ;  and  the  latter  (as  you  may  have  long  since  predicted)  died  at 
Fort  Jefferson.  Those  Gent11  1  dare  say  will  be  much  regretted  by  you, 
the  one  for  his  benevolence  and  amiable  disposition  ;  and  the  other,  for 
his  peculiar  abilities  which  would  have  recommended  him  in  any  part  of 
the  world.  I  however  trust  that  the  gentle  breezes  of  the  Western  Ter 
ritory  have  been  strong  enough  to  waft  their  souls  to  Heaven,  enough  of 
this  subject.  The  Army  arrived  at  Greeneville  about  the  3rd  lust,  after 
erecting  (exclusively  of  the  Garrisons  in  which  you  have  been  a  sharer) 
a  large  and  strong  one  at  the  Conjunction  of  St.  Joseph's  and  Miame 
Rivers.  To  the  Command  of  this  Garrison  was  left  Colonel  Hamtramck 
with  six  Companies,  vizt  Captains  Porter,  Kingsbury,  Sparks,  Preston, 
Greaton  and  Reeds.  The  Garrison  is  named  in  honor  of  his  Excellency 
"  Fort  Wayne." 

I  have  just  heard  of  the  resignations  of  Major  Hews,  Ensigns  Dainger- 
field  and  Thomas  Lewis;  several  others  are  talked  of  but  with  what  cer 
tainty  I  cannot  tell.  There  are  now  between  rue  and  a  Captaincy  only 


110  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

four  Officers,  after  they  are  out  of  the  way  I  shall  enjoy  a  tranquil  mind. 
Before  this  I  expect  you  have  reached  Albany,  and,  by  this  time  you  must 
have  dispatched  a  Letter  to  me,  giving  me  the  particulars  of  your  arrival 
at  that  place,  what  reception  you  met  with  by  our  Dutch  country  men, 
not  a  very  hospitable  one,  I  dare  say,  for  the  Character  given  them  by 
Historians  does  not  give  them  a  vast  deal  of  eulogy.  Nov.  26th.  After 
a  considerable  lapse  of  time,  I  again  resume  my  pen.  The  prospects  of 
my  visiting  the  place  of  my  nativity,  are  not  so  gloomy  at  present  as  I 
have  stated  them  in  the  former  part  of  this  Letter,  we  have  received  in 
telligence  from  Greeneville  that  we  are  to  be  relieved  shortly.  Then  I 
think  it  probable  that  I  shall  be  sent  to  Philadelphia  to  settle  my  accounts. 
It  strikes  me  most  seriously  that  I  shall  return  home  without  ever  having 
heard  the  noise  of  guns :  this  however  cannot  throw  an  odium  on  me. 
Yet  I  doubt  not,  but  I  would  stand  higher  in  the  opinion  of  the  Million 
for  having  barely  heard  the  noise  of  guns  in  an  Action.  Tho'  this  senti 
ment  is  no  more  than  the  dust  in  the  balance  with  men  of  real  judgment 
who  form  a  true  estimate  of  the  meritorious.  I  again  resume  my  sad 
narrative.  Pray  how  did  you  find  my  poor  Father  ?  I  hope  his  imbecility 
of  body,  and  the  troubles  of  his  mind  are  somewhat  alleviated,  alas  !  what 
a  gloomy  visitor  is  subject  to  my  memory,  how  oft  in.  some  of  my 
melancholy  moments,  do  the  thoughts  of  him  steal  from  me  unobserved 
a  pathetic  tear,  and  when  I  draw  a  similitude  between  his  present  and 
his  former  situation,  I  am  like  Niobe  all  tears.  I  find  I  am  yet  in  a 
melancholy  strain.  I  must  omit  concluding  this  till  some  convivial  moment 
seizes  me.  Adieu  for  the  present.  But  again  my  dear  Van,  before  I  close, 
let  me  remind  you  of  a  circumstance  which  you  are  not  a  stranger  to,  I 
mean,  the  important  article  of  knowledge,  if  I  may  so  call  it.  Your  rank 
in  the  Army  and  your  prospects  of  preferment  are  great ;  it  therefore 
becomes  you  to  devote  many  of  your  leisure  moments  to  the  attainment 
of  useful  knowledge. 

This  Letter  I  have  penned  at  different  times  merely  as  the  ideas  revolved 
in  my  mind,  any  inaccuracies  I  may  have  fallen  into,  you  will  I  hope 
pardon. 

Mention  me  friendly  to  your  Father,  and  so  on,  Ad  infinitum  to  the 
whole  family,  and  to  all  your  relatives  that  inquire  after  me.  Write  me 
frequently,  the  postage  of  Letters  you  know  is  no  consideration  to  me. 
God  bless  you  in  all  your  worthy  pursuits.  N  T  v 

Capt.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer. 

Green  Bush,  near  Albany,  State  of  New  York. 

Fort  Wayne  was  completed  on  October  22d,  and  was  immediately  garri 
soned  with  infantry  and  artillery,under  Colonel  John  F.  Hamtrauick,  a 
most  faithful  and  useful  officer.  Col.  Hamtramck  was  one  of  the  honored 
few,  named  by  General  Wayne,  in  his  dispatch  to  the  secretary  of  war, 
whose  services  demanded  special  mention,  viz  :"  Wilkinson  and  Hamtranick  j 
his,aids-de-camp,  DeButt,  Lewis,  and  Harrison  ;  Mills,  Covington ;  of  the 
cavalry,  Webb,  Slough,  Prior,  Smith,  Van  Kensselaer,  Kawlins,  McKen- 
ney,  Brook,  and  Duncan.  After  Fort  Wayne  was  completed,  the  remain 
der  of  the  troops  left,  some  for  Fort  Washington,  to  be  discharged  from 
the  service,  and  the  others  for  Fort  Greenville,  where  Wayne  made  his 
head  quarters  for  the  winter. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  Ill 

Lieut.  John  Poscy  to  Capt.  Van  Remsclacr. 

My  Dear  Captain,  Gree«  Ville'  NOT'  27'  1T94' 

I  have  now  set  down  again  with  a  view  of  giving  you  the  news  of  our 
Little  Army.  I  make  no  doubt  but  before  you  left  the  Country  you  heard 
of  our  safe  arrival  at  the  Miami  Villages  after  a  march  of  3  Days  &  with 
out  so  much  as  hearing  or  seeing  of  the  Enemy.  Indeed  the  only  diffi 
culty  that  we  labored  under  during  our  progress  was  the  extreme  inability 
and  defficiency  of  Pack-Horses  to  Transport  our  Baggage  and  I  believe 
the  loss  of  those  kind  of  animals  was  considerable  and  a  means  of  retarding 
our  March  in  a  great  degree,  and  with  pain  do  I  add  that  several  of  our 
Dragoon  Horses  were  obliged  to  be  left  on  the  R,oad.  On  the  18th  Genl. 
Barbey  arrived  with  a  large  Supply  of  Provisions  which  enabled  the  Poor 
Hungary  Soldier  once  more  to  Draw  his  whole  Ration.  On  the  21st  the 
foundation  of  a  Large  fortification  was  laid  (August  21)  &  Nature  never 
formed  a  more  Beautiful  Spot  for  the  purpose,  a  high  &  commanding  sit 
uation  on  the  south  side  of  the  Miami  and  immediately  at  the  Confluence 
of  the  Rivers  St.  Marie  &  St.  Joseph  which  form  the  Miami.  This  River 
affords  an  abundance  of  Fish  and  wild  Fowl.  This  was  formerly  the 
Grand  Emporium  of  the  Western  Savages  but  were  obliged  to  withdraw 
in  consequence  of  the  approach  of  old  Genl.  Harmar  who  destroyed  their 
Towns  some  years  ago  in  the  execution  of  which  several  Brave  Heroes 
fell.  Here  we  remained  for  the  space  of  one  Month,  in  which  a  large  & 
strong  fortification  was  erected,  called  after  Our  Old  Chief,  FORT  WAYNE, 
Garrisoned  by  old  Col.  Hamtramak  and  four  Companies,  two  of  which  are 
Rifle,  one  Artillery  &  the  other  light  infantry.  There  was  a  small  Fleet 
fitted  out  a  fiew  Days  before  we  left  it  consisting  of  one  large  Kentucky 
Boat,  one  Skiff  and  one  Canoe,  for  the  Means  of  transporting  Provisions 
from  thence  to  Fort  Defiance.  A  fiew  Days  also  before  we  marched  the 
French  Prisoner,  Lassell,  that  we  took  in  the  Action  was  Ransomed  by 
His  Brother,  who  brought  in  three  Prisoners  in  exchange  for  Him,  two 
of  whom  were  men  who  had  been  taken  in  poor  Lowry's  Defeat.  [Lieut 
Lowry  and  fourteen  men  were  killed  by  Little  Turtle  near  Fort  St.  Clair 
on  October  23d.]  The  third  was  a  small  girl  that  had  been  taken  from 
the  frontiers  of  Kentucky.  Some  time  subsequent  to  this  the  Volunteers 
were  discharged,  poor  fellows  !  I  believe  they  were  Heartily  tired  of  the 
Campaigning  ;  a  number  of  them  died  at  Green  Ville  Prior  to  their  being 
discharged  who  had  (from,  I  believe  a  Cowardly  disposition)  been  left  at 
that  Place,  and  not  accustomed  to  the  many  Hardships  &  fatigues  of  a 
Soldier's  life  took  sick  and  died  for  Spite.  Well,  on  the  17th  of  October 
a  Signal  from  the  Park  accompanied  by  the  Beat  of  the  Genl.,  bid  us  Strike 
our  Tents  and  prepare  for  a  Move  we  knew  not  whither.  *  *  *  Here 
we  learnt  that  the  Old  Cock  had  the  Old  Picque  Towns  in  view  as  he  had 
some  reasons  to  expect  a  Bickering  at  this  point.  *  However 

after  a  disagreeable  March  of  4  days  we  arrived  late  in  the  evening.  *  *  * 
After  halting  a  day  we  renewed  our  March  and  after  a  most  tedius  &  ex- 
tremly  disagreeable  journey  through  the  D  —  dist  Swamps  in  the  world 
we  arrived  safe  and  sound  at  Greenville,  where  we  expect  to  remain  all 
winter.  There  is  no  end  to  the  Toils,  privations  and  dangers  that  we  have 
to  encounter  in  these  Western  Wilds.  Since  the  Death  of  our 

dear  friend  Campbell  we  are  like  a  flock  of  lost  sheep.  Capts.  Taylor,  Webb, 
and  Jones  arc  at  Fort  Hamilton  shouldering  their  Firelocks.  Webb  dont 


112  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

sware  at  all  I  suppose,  O  no !  not  at  all.  Major  Winston  is  at  Lexington 
on  his  Death  Bed.  *  *  *  Adieu  my  dear  Captain  &  may  Heaven  be 
Propitious  to  you  is  the  Prayer  of  your  sincere  &  affectionate  friend 

JOHN  POSEY  Cornet. 
Capt.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 

Robert  S.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Col.  Philip  Van  Rensselaer. 

Dear  Papa,  New  York  Dec  2,  1794. 

I  arrived  here  safe  from  Philadelphia  on  Saturday,  having  remained 
there  two  days  longer  than  I  intended,  dancing  attendance  on  Mr.  Aaron 
Burr  and  Madison.  I  breakfasted  with  Mr.  Burr  on  Thursday  previous 
to  my  leaving  Philadelphia,  he  gave  me  two  letters  to  N.  York  for  Mr. 
David  Gelston  and  Col.  William  S.  Smith,  who  both  very  politely  invited 
me  to  come  and  see  them,  and  they  would  give  me  letters  to  their  friends 
in  Amsterdam. 

Mr  Smith  I  am  to  spend  this  evening  with,  and  to  wait  on  Mr  Gelston 
for  his  letters,  having  informed  them  I  intended  to  sail  from  Philadelphia, 
and  to  leave  this  to-morrow.  This,  however,  will  not  take  place  ;  the 
Captain  of  the  Ship  I  intended  to  have  sailed  in,  has  had  the  candor  to 
inform  me  (although  possitive  orders  from  the  Owners  to  the  contrary) 
that,  although  she  clears  out  for  Hamburg,  should  there  be  but  few  Crui 
sers  in  the  Channel,  she  will  go  to  France.  This  no  doubt  to  you  as  well 
as  myself  is  pleasing  intelligence.  I  will  write  to  Mr.  Burr,  to  direct  his 
letters  to  me  at  New  York,  and  also  to  Madison,  requesting  him  to  forward 
his  immediately  for  this  place.  Doctor  John  H.  Livingston  will  be  of 
great  service  to  me,  more  then  I  had  reason  to  expect ;  he  gives  me  letters 
to  Several  of  his  most  intimate  acquaintances  while  he  resided  in  Holland 
and  correspondents  in  that  place.  I  was  obliged  to  inform  him  I  intended 
to  take  the  tour  through  Europe  before  I  returned,  as  he  was  very  inquisi 
tive  to  know  my  particular  business  in  Amsterdam. 

He  gives  me  a  letter  to  Anthony  Van  Rensselaer  and  also  Jan  Jacob 
Van  Reusselaer  both  he  corresponds  with.  Mr  Ray  I  dined  with  on 
Sunday  and  he  also  is  to  furnish  me  with  a  letter  or  two.  Mr.  Varick 
wrote  by  the  First  Stage  on  his  receiving  your  letter,  to  what  accident  it 
is  owing  we  did  not  receive  it  I  cannot  tell.  The  post-masters  on  the 
road,  were  very  careless  indeed  on  opening  the  Mail,  throwing  the  letters 
on  the  floor  in  the  same  room  we  were  in.  I  have  Visited  Capt.  Anthony 
Rutgers,  gave  the  letter  I  had  for  him  and  at  the  same  time  told  him  who 
I  was.  He  very  cordially  took  me  by  the  hand  and  told  me  any  thing  in 
his  power,  he  could  do  for  me  he  would,  being  very  well  acquainted  with 
you.  He  says  he  will  not  only  give  me  letters  himself,  but  see  and  get 
several  from  the  House  of  Jacob  Leroy  &  Co.  and  other  friends.  He  has 
advised  me  to  Sail  for  London  (it  being  only  90  miles  from  Amsterdam 
and  Packets  sail  from  there  almost  every  day)  on  board  the  Ship  Sampson, 
Capt :  John  Smith,  who  is  an  American,  and  the  Ship  an  American  bot 
tom  and  a  constant  trader,  and  whom  he  can  particularly  recommend  to 
me  as  a  good  Ship  and  a  very  agreeable  Captain.  On  board  this  Ship, 
Greenleave  is  to  sail  for  London  on  his  way  to  Amsterdam,  having  given 
up  the  Idea  of  sailing  in  the  Ship  he  has  chartered  at  Philadelphia  :  and 
also  two  or  three  more -passengers  together  with  myself.  The  Governor 
[George  Clinton]  promises  me  letters  and  gives  me  a  Certificate  certifying 
my  Citizenship  and  a  particular  recommendation  besides.  This  Ship  will  not 
Sail  in  less  than  a  month  from  this,  but  then  certainly,  the  Captain  says  per- 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  113 

+ 

haps  a  few  days  Sooner,  shall  write  you  particularly  in  the  course  of  this  week, 
when  will  certainly  Sail.  I  have  inquired  at  every  place  for  Hides,  but  those 
who  have  advertised  them  for  sale,  have  Sold  all  they  have  immediately  on 
landing  •  they  all  expect  a  large  quantity  in  with  the  first  Vessels  and 
then  I  may  have  the  refusal  of  any  quantity  I  like.  Those  that  have  had, 
sold  at  lOcZ.  pr  H.  I  have  inclosed  a  number  of  papers  and  Accounts 
which  I  wish  you  to  save  for  me.  There  being  no  more  accounts  Papa 
will  want  to  Settle  with  the  Heirs  of  A.  Fennel.  Your  Account  is  among 
the  number  drawn  from  the  books  before  I  left  Cherry  Hill.  With  respect 
to  Fennel's  affairs,  I  shall  write  at  another  time,  as  also  a  Power  of  Attor 
ney  and  other  little  trifles.  My  best  love  and  compliments,  to.all  friends  — 
brothers  and  sisters,  but  particularly  Mama,  am  extremely  obliged  to  her 
for  her  letter.  I  received  yours  on  my  return  and  which  through  the 
Grace  of  Divine  Providence  I  moan  strictly  to  abide  by.  Confident  that 
under  his  protection  any  misfortunes  I  am  liable  to,  and  which  may  hap 
pen,  will  come  easy  and  lightly  if  not  forsaken  by  him  and  for  whose  pro 
tection  I  most  fervently  pray.  I  remain  dear  Papa  your  dutiful  Son  and 
Sincere  friend.  HOBT.  S.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Philip  Van  Rensselaer,  Esqr.,  Cherry  Hill,  Albany. 

At  this  time  the  commerce  of  the  United  States  had  suffered  much  by 
the  constant  depredations  of  French  cruisers  and  the  mercantile  classes 
were  greatly  exasperated,  as  at  one  time  no  less  than  sixty  privateers  were 
a  prey  on  American  traffic. 

Robert  S.  Van  Rensselaer  to  his  Sister. 

Dear  Arriett :  London,  February  25,  1795. 

The  singular  pleasure  I  have  in  advising  you  and  my  friends  of  my 
safe  arrival,  and  the  dangerous  storms  we  have  experienced  in  our  voyage, 
an  account  of  which  I  shall  give  as  nearly  as  I  can  recollect,  the  passage 
being  too  rough  to  keep  a  daily  account  of  events  during  our  crossing  the 
Atlantic.  We  left  New  York  with  a  fine,  fair  wind,  and  by  evening  lost 
sight  of  the  land,  the  next  day  we  had  a  fine  pleasant  breeze  and  a  Clear 
Sky  and  I  began  to  be  a  little  sea-sick.  Nothing  material  happened,  a 
glorious  prospect  before  us,  all  water  and  every  moment  sailing  further 
from  land.  On  the  fourth  day  my  Sickness  had  arrived  at  its  greatest 
hight,  and  although  it  was  fine,  pleasant  weather  and  fair  Wind,  I  wished 
myself  on  land  having  scarcely  eaten  a  mouthful  for  the  first  four  days. 
Capt.  Smith  was  exceedingly  attentive  and  obliging  to  me  and  endeavored 
to  console  and  make  me  cheerful,  which  was  not  in  the  power  of  man,  for 
I  was  very  sick  indeed  ;  on  the  fifth  I  began  to  grow  cheerful  and  re 
cruited  fast  owing  to  the  great  attention  I  experienced  from  the  Capt. 
The  1st  of  January  the  Mate  descryed  a  Vessel  in  chase  of  us  which 
alarmed  us  a  little  and  more  particularly  some  of  the  passengers  who  were 
Englishmen  and  dreaded  the  Idea  of  a  French  Privateer.  In  the  after 
noon  our  fears  were  dispelled  for  about  three  o'clock,  she  came  up  with 
us,  it  proved  a  Hudson  Brig  out  fifty  days  and  had  been  a  fortnight  on 
Short  allowance  of  provisions.  The  Capt.  supplied  them  amply  and  at 
night  we  lost  sight  of  them,  they  were  bound  for  New  York,  our  Captain 
wrote  by  her,  but  I  was  then  yet  not  a  sufficient  sailor  or  quite  well 
enough  to  write.  On  the  Seventh  day  out,  we  struck  soundings  on  the 
Banks  of  New  Foundland  in  forty  fathoms  water  ;  this  was  highly  flatter- 

15 


114  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

log  as  we  were  then  better  than  one-third  of  our  passage,  all  in  high 
spirits  and  in  great  hopes  of  making  land  in  18  days.  The  winds  still 
favorable  and  plenty,  so  as  to  admit  our  carrying  all  the  Sails  she  had. 
On  the  ninth  day  about  twelve  at  night,  all  our  fine  hopes  and  prospects 
vanished }  the  wind  began  to  blow  from  another  quarter  directly  ahead 
and  increased  very  fast.  In  the  morning  when  we  arose,  there  was  quite 
a  gale  and  we  were  obliged  to  sail  before  it,  although  contrary  to  our 
course,  only  with  one  sail  set.  On  the  January  14th,  the  Capt.  gave 
orders  for  them  to  come  to,  and  tried  to  weather  the  Storm  which  still 
increased.  (They  have  a  peculiar  method  of  doing  this,  the  Vessel  lay 
ing  broadside* to  the  wind  and  not  going  above  two  miles  an  hour,  in  the 
hardest  gale  it  will  admit  of  their  doing  this.)  It  was  attended  with  quite 
serious  consequences  ;  we  had  not  been  in  this  Situation  tossing  mount 
ains  high,  above  three  hours  before  our  Camboose,  kettles,  frying-pans  and 
chief  of  our  cooking  utensils  ;  our  pigs  ;  a  sheep;  and  the  Quarter-railing 
were  swept  overboard  into  the  sea.  Fortunately  at  this  time  our  Seamen 
were  in  the  Steerage  and  the  helm  lashed,  which  preserved  their  lives, 
for  had  they  been  on  deck  they  must  have  been  washed  overboard.  This 
was  not  a  very  pleasing  prospect,  the  Steerage  was  half  filled  with  water, 
and  the  men  in  it  thinking  the  ship  foundering.  We  in  the  Cabin  were 
not  much  better  off",  for  the  Sea  broke  in  the  Sky  light,  and  for  a  minute 
rushed  like  a  torrent  down  into  the  cabin..  This  startled  even  the  Captain, 
who  declared  in  crossing  the  Atlantic  for  fifty  times,  he  had  never  expe 
rienced  such  severe  weather.  The  men  were  obliged  to  be  lashed  to  the 
pump,  and  pump  regularly  every  hour,  dreadful  times  !  and  no  great 
prospect  of  better,  for  on  the  25th,  we  fell  in  with  a  Ship  newly  wrecked. 
The  Capt.  supposed  she  had  been  lost  in  the  present  storm  as  all  her 
masts  were  cut  away  and  not  a  soul  on  board.  The  wind  had  somewhat 
abated  and  we  could  remain  on  deck  to  behold  this  dreadful  sight,  for  it 
was  the  most  trying  one,  I  ever  experienced.  In  the  Situation  we  were 
in  ourselves  fortunately  it  was  not  our  lot,  but  a  number  of  Vessels  were 
lost  in  this  gale  which  continued  for  a  number  of  days.  On  the  26th  we 
had  once  more  flattering  and  pleasing  prospects  ;  our  danger  forgotten, 
having  a  fine,  brisk  wind  in  our  favor,  and  praising  our  good  fortune  in 
the  escape  of  the  last  tremendous  Storm.  The  29th  the  wind  changed 
Suddenly  and  blew  very  hard  though  not  directly  averse  ;  the  sky  seemed 
lowering,  and  we  were  visited  with  plenty  of  falling  water  while  at  the 
same  time  wind  increasing  and  every  sailor  employed  taking  in  sail  ;  a 
heavy  sea  and  high  winds  with  rain  continued  with  nothing  remarkable 
until  the  1st  February  when  to  our  great  joy,  surprise  and  pleasure,  the 
Mate  discovered  the  Scilly  Light  House.,  at  eleven  o'clock  at  night, 
which  is  about  three  hundred  miles  from  the  Downs.  We  all  went  upon 
deck  and  with  eager  eyes  gazed  on  the  glorious  light  which  appeared  be 
fore  us  and  for  once  the  gods  favored  us,  having  now  a  fine  clear  moon 
shining  night,  with  gentle  winds  to  glide  us  slowly  to  our  long  wished  for 
port,  and  on  the  2nd,  we  discovered  land  which  exhilarated  us  still  more. 
The  day  was  very  fine  and  in  view  upward  of  three  thousand  Sail  of 
different  Vessels  large  and  small  being  now  in  the  British  Channel. 

On  the  fourth  of  February  we  hove  to,  after  a  passage  of  41  days,  op 
posite  a  small  villainous  sea-port  town  named  Deal,  where  to  our  great 
joy  we  landed  and  took  different  routs  for  this  City.  The  first  night  I 
put  up  at  a  place  called  Sittingbourn,  a  pleasant  country  village  and  an 
excellent  Inn  where  we  put  up  at;  fortunately  for  us  we  arrived  before 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  115 

dark,  for  a  gentleman  who  left  Deal  before  us,  but  dined  on  the  road,  was 
robbed  of  his  money  and  watch  before  he  could  get  to  us  at  Sittingburn, 
it  being  about  8  o'clock  when  he  arrived.  On  the  5th  I  arrived  here 
after  being  once  upset  and  thrown  out  of  the  post  chaise,  without  any 
accident  or  hurting  myself  in  the  fall,  although  one  Gentleman  who  hap 
pened  to  sit  on  the  side  the  carriage  fell,  was  a  little  bruised.  We  put 
up  at  the  Eagle  in  the  Strand,  it  being  about  seven  o'clock  when  we  ar 
rived  owing  to  the  roads  being  very  bad,  and  in  the  City  so  heaped  up 
with  mud  and  snow  as  to  render  them  almost  impassable.  A  description 
of  the  Country  and  some  part  of  this  place  I  shall  give  you,  at  another 
time.  Mr  Smith  when  he  sails,  is  the  gentleman  who  takes  this,  goes  to 
Gravesend  this  afternoon  to  embark  for  that  delightful  Country  where 
peace,  liberty  and  plenty  resides  without  the  grievance  of  taxing  windows, 
powdeced  heads  &c.  My  best  Love  to  all  friends  who  enquire  after  rne. 
I  conclude  dear  Sister,  your  affectionate  brother  till  death. 

ROBERT  S.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 
Miss  Arriett  Van  Rensselaer,  Cherry  Hill,  Albany  N.  Y. 

Robert  8.  Vcui  Rensselaer  to  Ms  Sister. 

Dear  Arriett,  London  26th  Feby,  1795. 

In  coming  to  this  City  we  passed  a  number  of  Country  Seats  and 
Villages,  none  of  more  note  or  Elegance  than  the  Greenwich  Hospital, 
which  is  situated  on  a  beautiful  eminence  surrounded  with  a  fine  brick 
wall  and  a  number  of  Trees  ;  from  this  Hospital  to  the  City  are  a  number 
of  Villages,  the  houses  are  so  closely  connected  that  a  stranger  would 
suppose  himself  in  the  City  which  is  at  least  six  miles  distant.  The 
buildings  in  general  are  very  ancient,  mostly  three  stories,  some  four  and 
five  ;  all  have  a  heavy  smoky  appearance,  they  look  quite  black  and  very 
much  in  want  of  paint.  The  City  streets  are  all  well  paved,  but  narrow, 
dirty,  almost,  at  times,  impassable.  Mrs.  John  C.  Church  [a  daughter 
of  Gen.  Schuyler]  is  uncommonly  polite  and  attentive  to  me,  has  given 
me  an  offer  which  I  sometimes  embrace  of,  going  to  the  Drury-lane 
Theatre  whenever  I  feel  disposed,  they  have  a  private  Box.  This  evening 
I  am  going  with  her  ladyship  and  Miss  Church,  who  is  a  fine  handsome 
girl,  but  not  till  the  play  is  half  over,  it  being  unfashionable  going  before. 
Drury-lane  is  one  of  the  finest  buildings  of  the  kind  I  ever  beheld.  Time 
will  not  at  present  admit  my  giving  you  a  full  description  of  it,  but  I 
shall  shortly,  it  contains  the  small  number  of  five  thousand  people  and  I 
have  seen  it  several  times  so  filled  that  they  sent  several  persons  into  the 
Pit,  so  as  to  make  room  for  others.  Next  week  I  embark  for  Holland, 
there  is  now  a  truce  in  this  City  who  come  to  demand  their  Vessels,  and 
if  it  is  possible  to  get  under  their  care,  I  shall  do  it,  they  being  the  only 
people  I  can  get  to  Holland  with  in  a  decent  way.  Direct  letters  for  me 
to  the  Care  of  Messrs  Phyn  Ellere  &  Englis,  Merchants,  Mark  lane, 
London.  Hon.  Mr.  Church  wished  me  to  change  my  quarters  to  his  end 
of  the  town,  I  being  distant  from  him  about  three  miles,  which  is  the 
Court  end,  and  there  reside  all  men  of  quality  or  Lords,  as  you  please, 
with  whom  as  a  consequence  I  should  have  been  introduced  and  visited. 
But  this,  I  think,  I  most  judiciously  thanked  him  for,  informing  him, 
my  business  called  me  near  the  Exchange,  where  all  men  of  business  meet 
at  one  o'clock  till  four.  I  also  consulted  my  purse  in  this  determination, 
for  had  I  gone,  I  might  in  a  few  days  have  sung  to  a  tune  I  should  have 


116  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

been  obliged  to  set  myself,  Ob  !  my  Guineas;  my  Guineas  &c.,  tbe  family 
are  all  in  good  health  and  desired  to  be  remembered  to  a^  at  Cherry  Hill. 

I  am  heartily  Sick  of  this  noisy,  unhealthy,  bustling  City,  not  a  fair 
day  have  I  seen  since  my  arrival,  all  is  darkness  by  four  in  the  afternoon. 

Things  are  remarkably  high,  only  think,  Potatoes  selling  at  five  shillings 
a  hundred,  and  fowls  at  four  and  five  and  still  on  the  rise.  Any  way  I 
shall  leave  this  on  Thursday  next,  either  with  the  Commissioners,  if  I  can 
obtain  leave  to  go  with  them,  or  embark  in  an  American  Ship  for  France, 
as  there  is  one  going  to  Sail  in  about  that  time.  The  next  you  will  hear 
from  me  either  at  Amsterdam  or  Paris.  Do  not  forget  to  write  me,  direct 
them  as  I  have  written  you,  for  England,  as  not  one  letter  you  may  write 
me  immediately  for  Amsterdam  would  arrive.  Seal  your  letters  well,  as 
they  are  badly  treated  on  board  the  Ships  in  rough  weather,  being  all  de 
posited  in  one  large  bag.  God  bless  you,  Adieu.  My  best  love  to  Mama 
and  all  the  family,  to  Sister  Betsey  and  Pete  Elmendorf,  Esqr.,  par 
ticularly  in  the  interim,  I  remain  your  affectionate  brother, 


Miss  Arriet  Van  Renssela*er, 

Cherry  Hill,  Albany,  State  of  New  York,  America. 

John  C.  Church  came  to  this  country  from  England  under  the  name 
of  Carter  and  married  Angelica,  the  eldest  daughter  of  General  Schuyler, 
in  1777,  against  the  wishes  of  her  father.  He  appears  to  have  been  a 
man  of  large  wealth  and  good  social  standing  in  England.  He  was  a 
member  of  parliament  and  was  intimate  with  the  prince  of  Wales  and 
his  party  friends.  Mrs.  Church  in  describing  a  ball  given  at  her  house 
in  London,  mentions  the  prince  regent  and  all  notabilities  were  present. 
After  some  years  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Church  returned  to  New  York,  where  they 
lived  in  grand  style  for  those  days.  There  Mrs.  Church  died,  and  her 
husband  returned  to  England. 

Gen.  Schuyler  in  a  letter  to  William  Duer  says  :  "  Carter  and  my 
eldest  daughter  ran  off  and  married  on  the  23d  inst.  (July).  Unacquainted 
with  his  family,  his  connections  and  situation  in  life,  the  match  was  ex 
ceedingly  disagreeable  to  me,  and  I  had  signified  it  to  him."  But  he 
forgave,  and  called  them  home." 

James  Cuylcr  to  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer. 

Dear  Sir :  New  York  9  March  1795. 

Your  kind  favor  of  27  Ult  I  received  wherein  you  make  enquiries  of 
your  Brother  Killian,  he  arrived  here  about  a  fortnight  since  in  the  ship 
Minerva,  Capt.  Annoni.  He  has  now  purchased  part  of  the  Brig  Peggy 
and  has  sailed  this  morning,  as  Master  and  part  owner  of  the  Brig  and 
Cargo  to  France,  the  port  he  has  gone  to  is  Havre  de  Grace,  barring 
accidents  and  I  think  he  will  make  a  very  Great  Voyage,  he  was  very  happy 
to  see  me,  asked  a  great  many  questions  respecting  you  and  the  Family, 
he  regretted  Very  much  he  had  it  not  in  his  power  to  spare  time  to  go 
up  to  see  you  all  and  now  is  again  gone  ploughing  the  main.  I  have  made 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  117 

many  enquiries  respecting  your  trunk  from  Fort  Recovery  and  can  hear 
nothing    of  it.     remember  me  to  your   family  and  I    remain  Your  old 

Capt.  Solomon  V.  Rensselaer,  Green  Bush.  JAMES  CUTLER. 

Our  vessels  were  often  menaced  and  frequently  captured.  As  early  as 
1776,  congress  had  fitted  out  vessels,  whose  avowed  object  was  to  intercept 
British  transports  having  supplies  for  the  royal  army  in  America.  In 
this  service  they  were  very  efficient,  and  a  larger  portion  of  ammunition, 
good  arms,  and  military  stores  were  thus  obtained  by  the  patriots  during 
the  first  three  years  of  the  war.  They  expected  to  be  remunerated  tenfold 
for  all  the  spoliations  inflicted  on  their  commerce,  and  thus  compel  the 
British  government  to  act  justly  and  respectfully. 

Secretary  of  War  te  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Sir,  War  Office,  April  17,  1795. 

I  received  your  letter  of  the  2d  inst.  The  effect  of  your  wounds,  as 
represented  by  you,  entitles  you  to  the  indulgence  you  request,  of  remain 
ing  longer  on  furlough.  It  is  true  that  the  military  establishment  is  con 
tinued  :  but  the  President,  on  his  discretion,  was  to  raise,  or  forbear  to 
raise  any  part  of  it.  The  pacific  overtures  of  the  Western  Indians  and 
the  adjustment  of  our  differences  with  Great  Britain  seem  to  render  it 
unnecessary  to  complete  the  Cavalry  of  the  Legion.  The  Infantry,  it 
will  be  very  desirable  to  increase,  at  least  to  recruit,  to  supply  the  places 
of  the  men  whose  times  of  service  are  daily  expiring.  The  numerous 
garrisons  we  must  maintain  will  require  a  considerable  force.  If  indeed 
you  could  enlist  a  company  in  the  expectation  that  they  most  probably 
will  be  called  to  serve  as  dismounted  dragoons,  according  to  the  provision 
of  the  law,  I  should  be  extremely  glad.  Of  this  you  can  judge,  from 
your  knowledge  of  the  country  where  you  would  attempt  to  recruit.  On 
this  head  you  will  be  pleased  to  give  me  information.  Should  the  pros 
pect  be  good,  instructions  &  money  shall  be  furnished. 

I  am,  respectfully,  Sir,  Your  obt.  Servt. 

n    *  •    o  i          IT-      D  A  iu  TIMOTHY  PICKERING. 

Captain  feolomon  Van  Kensselaer,  Albany. 

While  Captain  Van  Rensselaer  was  at  Albany  recruiting  from  the 
effects  of  his  severe  wound  his  mother,  the  wife  of  General  Henry  K. 
Van  Rensselaer  was  taken  sick  and  died.  "  The  sharp  points  of  our  grief 
when  the  mission  of  our  loved  ones  to  the  world  is  finished,  are  that  after 
a  time  we  should  cease  to  weep,  and  then  only  think  of  them  at  intervals, 
and  finally  be  apparently  as  much  interested  in  the  world  and  as  cheerful 
as  ever."  "  It  is  also  pleasant  from  our  outlooks  to  glance  back  upon 
these  early  times  with  the  discriminations  of  distance,  for  we  can  better 
understand  the  full  advantage  which  accrued  to  American  society  after 
the  one  all-absorbing  struggle  for  liberty  had  been  victorious.  For  many 
years  our  ancestors  had  been  going  to  school  to  great  human  rights;  and 
now,  with  the  march  of  improvement,  we  all  are,  or  should  be,  attending 
school  to  great  human  duties  and  striving  to  improve  our  social  organiza 
tions  by  proper  mental  ballast  proving  that  God's  love  is  the  magnet." 

Robert  8.  Van  Rensselaer  to  his  Sister. 
Dear  Arriett,  Amsterdam,  April  25,  1795. 

When  I  last  wrote  you  I  was  amidst  the  noise  and  bustle  of  English 
crowds,  where  the  roaring  of  the  Carriages  and  the  London  cries  blended 


118  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

prevented  one  from  sleeping  till  accustomed  to  the  noise.  I  left  London 
and  Mrs.  Church's  family  and  friends  in  good  health  on  March  1st  for 
Harwich,  and  went  on  board  an  English  packet  for  Yarmouth,  where  I 
arrived  on  the  ninth.  I  took  passage  on  board  the  Dolphin  packet  bound 
for  Cookshaven,  a  harbor  on  the  river  Elbe,  with  an  assortment  of  jovial 
companions,  Christians,  Jews,  French,  English  and  Dutch,  having  fine 
favourable  winds.  A  French  frigate  coming  in  sight,  made  the  Captain 
crowd  all  the  sails  he  had  to  outsail  her,  this  liked  to  have  done  us  all 
over,  for  the  wind  increasing  we  carried  so  much  sail  that  the  water  came 
into  the  .Cabin,  however,  we  arrived  the  12th  Inst.  without  any  material 
accident.  The  weather  being  very  stormy  prevented  our  landing  till  the 
14th  when  to  our  unspeakable  felicity  we  once  more  had  terra  firma  under 
our  feet.  Cookshaven  is  a  miserable  dirty  village,  the  inhabitants  all 
Germans ;  their  houses  one  story  with  sharp  peaked  roofs,  and  the  floors 
large  flat  stones.  The  Women  dress  very  singularly,  they  have  Caps  with 
large  wings  on  each  side  as  if  they  were  preparing  for  a  flying  jaunt,  they 
wore  about  Six  petticoats  (if  one  may  judge  by  their  appearance)  reaching 
within  a  foot  of  their  ancles,  and  wore  wooden  shoes. 

A  Gentleman,  who  came  passenger  with  us  and  who  had  been  in  Ger 
many  before,  took  the  precaution  of  bringing  his  Carriage  with  him,  and 
as  he  was  going  to  Hamburg  he  politely  offered  me  a  seat  in  his  carriage, 
which  I  accepted  with  pleasure,  otherwise  I  should  have  been  obliged  to 
have  gone  in  an  open  Wagon  and  travel  all  night  for  better  then  one 
hundred  and  twenty  miles.  Although  the  dwellings  are  indifferent,  the 
land  is  finely  cultivated  and  that  by  the  women,  as  the  present  War  has 
thinned  out  their  men  for  them,  there  being  very  few  but  old  men  and 
children.  We  left  this  place  and  arrived  at  Otterindorf  where  my  Com 
panion  being  an  Englishman,  requested  he  might  pass  for  my  servant,  if 
the  French  were  there ;  fortunately  for  him  they  were  not.  This  is  an 
old  fashioned  town  much  like  our  old  houses  in  Albany ;  the  people  with 
the  Cookshaven  dress  are  ignorant,  impolite  and  very  inquisitive.  On 
our  arrival,  scarcely  ever  having  seen  a  handsome  English  carriage  before 
this,  they  flocked  round  us  that  it  was  with  some  difficulty  we  got  out 
into  the  house  where  our  servant  had  informed  them  we  were  English 
officers,  which  made  them  very  polite,  for  they  left  our  room  which 
they  had  filled  with  smoke  issuing  in  clouds  from  their  large  horn  pipes. 
There  is  no  Character  like  a  Military  one,  to  travel  in  Germany,  it  makes 
them  at  once  obedient  and  submissive.  After  dinner  we  left  and  rode  all 
night,  passing  through  a  number  of  fine  Country  villages  and  arrived  at 
Stad,  a  fortified  Town.  It  being  about  four  in  the  morning  we  were 
closely  questioned  by  the  guard,  we  passed  for  officers  going  to  the  Army, 
they  politely  escorted  us  to  the  first  Hotel.  Soon  after  I  retired,  after 
having  five  feather  beds  taken  from  off  the  one  I  was  to  sleep  on,  and 
still  I  had  three  under  and  one  above  me  ;  they  use  no  blankets,  they  have 
also  (a  fortunate  thing)  a  Cord  made  fast  to  the  floor  above,  in  order  to 
draw  yourself  up  by  in  the  morning  when  you  rise.  We  at  last  arrived 
at  Harburg  where  we  remained  two  days,  the  ice  in  the  Elbe  not  per 
mitting  us  to  cross,  on  the  third  day  we  crossed  and  arrived  safely  at 
Hamburg.  This  is  an  old  fashioned  place,  very  commodious  for  Com 
merce  having  Canals  running  through  the  City  in  every  direction  ;  it  has 
a  few  good  houses  in  it,  and  I  believe  very  few  good  people,  chiefly  Jews. 
I  received  a  great  deal  of  Civility  from  some  of  the  Gentlemen  to  whom  I 
had  letters.  It  is  not  a  very  large  place,  though  when  I  was  there  it  con- 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  119 

tained  twenty  thousand  Strangers,  French  Emigrants,  etc.  I  left  Ham 
burgh  on  the  26th  for  an  Island  in  the  North  Sea,  called  Schermercoe  in 
a  fishing  boat  as  all  communication  with  Holland  was  prohibited;  and 
after  five  days  with  very  unpleasant  and  narrow  escapes  from  English 
privateers,  I  am,  thank  the  Supreme  of  the  Universe  safely  arrived  in 
Amsterdam.  This  is  a  fine,  clean,  pleasing  City;  having  Canals  in  every 
direction  and  fine  large  trees  to  walk  under  along  side  of  the  canals.  Our 
friends  here  are  all  well  and  request  to  be  particularly  remembered  to  all 
friends;  their  names  you  will  find  in  Papa's  letter.  They  were  very 
happy  at  my  arrival  and  happy  to  learn  their  friends  across  the  Atlantic 
were  well.  They  are  now  coming  for  my  letters.  My  best  love  to  our 
amiable  Mother;  Betsy  and  Peter  Elmendorf  with  little  Sally;  and  all 
our  family  small  and  large,  and  all  friends  who  enquire  after  me.  My 
respects  to  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Kane,  Mrs.  Fonda  alias  Miss  Beekman ;  and  rest 
assured  1  remain  with  every  Sentiment  of  respect  your  affectionate  Brother 
and  Sincere  friend  K.  S.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Miss  Arriet  Van  Rensselaer,  Cherry  Hill,  Albany,  N.  Y. 

Lieut.  Visscher  to  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Van  :  Greenville  May  16,  1795. 

I  wrote  you  a  few  days  ago  by  Capt.  Turner  at  which  time  I  gave  you 
the  news  that  was  then  in  circulation,  since  which  I  have  been  favoured 
with  your  letter  of  the '10th  of  March.  I  mentioned  that  a  number  of 
Officers  have  gone  on  Furlough,  among  whom  are  Majors  Haskill,  Buell, 
Capts.  Tillton,  Andrews,  Covington,  Price,  Lieuts.  Posey,  Taylor,  Trigg 
&c.  &c.  Since  my  last  to  you  nothing  of  consequence  has  transpired 
save  the  discharge  of  Capt.  Sullivan  by  the  sentence  of  a  Court  martial. 
He  was  tryed  for  being  intoxicated  on  a  General  Court  Martial.  This  day 
Lieut.  Hastings  Marks  has  been  arrested  by  the  officer  of  the  day  (Major 
Winston)  for  being  intoxicated  on  Guard;  his  fate  you  may  conjecture. 
Major  Winston  is  severe,  exact  and  uniform  in  his  duty,  and  shines  among 
our  first  Majors,  why  do  you  not  write  to  him  ?  I  am  sorry  to  find  by  your 
letter  that  you  have  got  overwhelmed  in  love,  and  sincerely  sorry  to  hear 
you  hint  of  matrimony,  if  you  are  serious  in  this  I  shall  make  no  other 
remark  than  this  "  look  well  before  you  leap."  It  strikes  me  that  you 
might  marry  to  better  advantage  a  few  years  hence,  I  mean  after  travel 
ing  the  world  a  little  more  and  gaining  a  little  more  experience  ;  however 
we  are  not  all  actuated  by  similar  principles.  I  hope  you  have  not  in 
formed  any  of  the  females  in  your  country  that  I  am  styled  the  handsome 
officer,  if  you  have  there  must  be  a  few  hearts  palpitating  for  me.  Pray 
tell  them,  I  cannot  accommodate  all  of  them,  and  if  I  do  not  get  a  fur 
lough  this  fall  they  must  drop  a  tear  and  bid  adieu.  Give  my  respects  to 
two  or  three  ladies,  and  to  no  other  persons  whatever  ;  let  me  hear  from 
you  twice  a  month.  Your  ever  Sincere 

Capt.  Sol.  Van  Reusselaer,  Albany,  N.  Y.  N.  I.  VISSCHER. 

The  translation  of  a  letter  written  in  the  Dutch  language  73  years 
since  to  my  mother's  mother  from  Holland. 

Mrs.  Jan  Jacob  Van  JKensselaer  to  Mrs.  Philip  Van  Hensselacr. 
Dear  Aunt  :  Amsterdam,  4th  July,  1795. 

Though  unacquainted  with  you  I  will  not  let  pass  the  opportunity,  as 
your  Son  Robert  is  going  to  America  to  send  a  letter.  I  can  assure  you, 


120  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

that,  his  unexpected  visit  has  given  us  a  great  deal  of  pleasure,  and  we 
have  been  with  our  hearts  much  attached  to  him.  We  felt  sorry  that  his 
Stay  here  was  so  limited,  and  that  I  could  not  pay  more  attention  to  him, 
considering  the  condition  wherein  I  found  myself  then. 

Doubtless  you  have  been  aware  how  sad  a  trial  I  have  had,  by  the 
Sudden  death  of  my  dear  Husband,  Jan  Jacob  van  Rensselaer ;  after 
suffering  during  eight  days  with  Typhoid  fever,  and  I  then  being  enceinte. 
In  the  midst  of  all  this,  I  have  kept  up,  and  hope  to  become  in  a  short 
time  "  Mother ; "  and  when  I  remember  how  well  your  Son  has  been 
educated,  then  I  know  his  mother  must  be  very  tender  hearted,  and  I 
do  not  doubt  she  will  Sympathize  in  my  Sorrow  as  I  was  very  happy  in 
my  marriage.  May  the  Lord  keep  you  and  Spare  you  and  your  dear  ones 
for  you  do  experience  how  happy  they  are  where  love  dwells. 

It  will  not  be  neceesary  to  enter  into  particulars  about  the  family,  while 
the  bearer  of  this  letter  can  do  this  better  than  I  could  do  it  in  writing. 
I  wish  you  would  be  so  good  to  communicate  to  your  Brother-in-law 
Kilian  K.  van  Rensselaer,  the  death  of  my  beloved  husband,  and  that  I 
have  received  his  letter,  and  that  7  hope,  that  the  death  of  my  beloved 
Rensselaer  may  not  be  the  cause  that  I  should  hear  no  more  from  his 
family. 

If  the  life  of  my  child  should  be  preserved,  may  then  the  same  friend 
ship  continue,  which  our  friends  in  North  America  have  manifested  to 
ward  my  husband.  Our  Cousin  Kilian  H.  van  Rensselaer  has  given  you 
doubtless  information  about  the  useful  life  of  my  dear  deceased.  May 
the  Lord  grant  that  my  child  may  follow  his  footsteps.  Believe  me  that 
I  recommend  myself  to  your  affections,  and  that  I  will  always  feel  very 
happy  to  hear  much  good  of  you  all,  and  from  my  Cousin  Robert  to  whom 
we  have  fully  given  our  affections.  God  grant  to  you,  as  a  Mother  of 
such  a  large  family,  to  be  a  Support  to  them  many  years  yet.  Be  so  kind 
to  assure  all  our  North  American  friends  of  my  affections  and  friendship, 
and  that  I  remain  Your  Niece. 

S.  C.  BEELDSNYDER  Widow  of  Jan  Jacob  van  Rensselaer. 

Mrs.  Philip  Van  Rensselaer, 

Cherry  Hill  near  Albany,  New  York. 

How  comforting,  how  soothing  the  reflection  that  Christians,  when  they 
die,  become  angels,  and  that  angels  take  an  active  interest  in  the  affairs 
of  this  world.  Though  unseen,  unheard,  unfelt,  they  move  around,  they 
hover  over  the  loved  home  circle.  By  God's  appointment,  no  doubt  they 
are  the  guardian  angels  to  watch  over  the  bereaved  ones  they  loved  while 
on  earth,  and  to  protect  them  till  again  united  in  the  skies.  God  tenderly 
allows  no  angel  revelations,  yet  we  know  our  "  loved  ones"  are  "  minister 
ing  spirits"  to  us. 

Col.  Pickering,  Sec.  of  War,  to  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Sir,  War  Office,  Sept.  12,  1795. 

I  received  your  letter  of  the  4th  desiring  to  retain  the  public  horse  in 
your  hands  until  the  Spring,  at  your  own  expense ;  or  to  pay  for  him  at 
his  value.  I  thiuk  the  latter  most  eligible.  The  price  may  be  settled 
with  Mr.  Houdin,  and  adjusted  by  means  of  your  pay. 

I  am  Sir,  your  Obt.  Servt. 
Capt.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer.  TIMOTHY  PICKERING. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  121 

lie  was  a  large,  elegant,  high-spirited  parade  war  horse  of  a  very  glossy 
sorrel  color,  that  kept  step  and  pranced  gayly  with  the  martial  music.  It 
caused  keen  regret  and  seemed  almost  sacrilegious,  to  the  brave  soldier, 
to  part  with  his  splendid  charger  that  had  borne  the  dauntless  rider 
through  so  many  terrific  scenes.  The  purchase  was  made ;  and  I  well  re 
member,  when  Poppet  was  fully  caparisoned,  what  a  noble  appearance 
he  made,  for  he  was  remarkable  both  for  elegance  of  form  and  gallant 
carriage.  At  the  whistle  of  his  master,  the  intelligent  animal  would  come 
prancing  from  one  end  of  the  pasture,  with  neck  so  proudly  arched,  and 
whinnying  with  delight  as  he  bounded  with  springy  step  to  meet  him 
at  the  bars.  He  would  then  eat  apples  out  of  little  hands,  for  we  children 
made  a  great  ado  with,  and  dearly  loved  the  petted  horse.  In  old  age 
this  favorite  charger,  exempt  from  all  duty,  was  boarded  out  in  the 
country  and  had  the  best  of  care  till  he  died.  In  one  of  the  battles, 
General  Wayne  rode  his  gallant  roan,  and  in  charging  the  enemy,  his 
horse  received  a  wound  in  his  head,  and  fell  and  was  supposed  dead.  Two 
days  after  the  roan  returned  to  the  American  camp,  not  materially  injured, 
and  was  again  fit  for  service. 

Capt.  Webb  to  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer. 

Dear  Rensselaer*  Greenville,  October  8,  1795. 

I  am  still  here,  with  little  Expectation  of  leaving  this  for  the  Winter. 
There  is  but  little  Harmony  in  our  Corps.  Taylor  grumbles  as  well  as 
myself,  to  see  Officers  not  half  our  time  in  service  daily  obtaining  fur 
loughs,  whilst  our  applications  are  thrown  neglected  by.  Blue  has  once 
forced  me  to  arrest  him,  having  kept  the  Officers  of  the  Corps  in  one  con 
tinual  Ferment.  Indeed  we  are  out  at  the  Elbows  on  all  sides.  The 
Commander-in-Chief,  Gen.  Wayne,  this  day  leaves  us  with  Eight  Com 
panies,  His  Destination  unknown,  but  thought,  that  he  intends  to  build  a 
small  Garrison  at  Lareimies  Store  or  at  Girty's  Town,  Destroy  Fort  Adams, 
&  remove  the  Troops  at  that  place  to  this  new  built  Fort.  He  will  then 
it  is  thought  visit  Forts  Wayne  and  Defiance.  Green  Ville  is  very  sickly, 
we  have  600  men  now  in  Hospital  (and  since  this  Detachment  was  or 
dered)  but  three  Captains  for  Duty  including  myself.  Thus  you  find 
that  whilst  you,  Covington  and  Posey  are  cutting  Capers,  I  am  wheeling, 
marching  and  mounting  Guards,  to  the  tune  at  present  of  two  nights  only 
in  bed.  What  Dashes  you  must  have  made  in  and  about  Albany.  I  wish 
from  my  soul  I  could  spend  Ten  or  fifteen  days  with  you,  that  I  might 
shew  you  a  few  Virginia  Capers  with  a  Tip  or  two  of  Eli.  Your  wound 
is  I  hope  no  more  troublesome,  at  least  I  conclude  so  from  hearing  that 
you  were,  not  Long  since  in  Philadelphia  and  from  whence  I  have  in  vain 
flattered  myself  that  I  should  hear  from  you.  This  is  my  Sixteenth  letter 
to  you  since  you  left  me,  and  in  the  Course  of  thirteen  months  I  have  re 
ceived  two  from  you.  What  in  the  name  of  the  three  Furies,  Tissiphone, 
Alecto,  and  Megara  can  you  be  at  ?  An  Elegant  City  close  to  your  Door,  sur 
rounded  by  every  Pastoral  amusement,  an  easy  Fortune  at  Command  and  still 
you  can  not  even  take  up  your  pen  to  tell  your  old  Brother  Officer  that  you 
are  happy.  Had  it  been  my  Lot  to  have  left  you  here,  I  should  rather 
have  pestered  you  with  Letters  than  have  remained  Idle,  and  when  I  had 
enjoyed  a  Pleasure  or  a  Gratification,  I  should  again  enjoy  it  as  I  gave 
you  the  Relation.  But  my  Dear  Fellow,  what  think  you  my  being  politely 
married  ?  It  is  even  so.  Do  for  Heavens  sake,  write  and  tell  me  what  we 

16 


122  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

may  expect  to  be  the  fate  of  our  Little  Legion.  It  is  a  prevailing  opinion 
here,  that  the  third  and  fourth  Sub  Legions  together  with  the  Cavalry 
will  be  Disbanded.  If  so  I  will  bid  Adieu  to  all  Service  that  may  again 
be  destined  for  this  D — d  Country,  which  is  not  really  worth  the  blood 
lost  by  us  on  the  20th  August  — 94.  The  Indians  I  do  not  believe  will 
be  long  at  peace.  They  have  buried  only  the  old  Tomahawk  but  I  think 
they  will  find  a  new  one.  How  prettily  you  and  Covington  have  slipped 
your  neck  out  of  the  Noose.  I  am  the  only  Captain  of  the  Squadron 
called  to  Infantry  duty  and  must  patiently  bear  the  burthen,  for  Taylor 
more  fortunate  than  myself  was  placed  at  Cincinnati  on  the  Recruiting 
service,  and  now  Commands  25  Dragoons  Mounted. 

I  very  frequently  think  of  that  sweet  Cousin  of  yours,  and  am  become 
extremely  anxious  to  see  her.  If  I  dared  I  would  say  something  pretty 
of  Her.  Present  Her  I  beg  of  you  with  the  Inclosed  verses,  and  tell  Her, 
that  Though  a  Stranger  to  Her  in  person,  I  have  been  making  particular 
enquiries,  and  that  she  must  not  be  angry  or  think  me  forward  when  I 
declare  that  from  Character  only  I  am  in  Love  with  Her.  That  all  my 
fear  is  I  may  not  be  as  agreeable  in  her  Eyes,  as  her  fancied  Image  is  to  me. 

Adieu  my  Dear  Rensselaer,  Visscher  can  give  you  all  the  little  anecdotes 
of  the  Cantonment.  ,  May  you  be  ever  happy  is  the  wish  of  your  friend. 

Fearing  to  offend  I  would  not  enclose  the  verses,  say  not  a  word. 

JOHN  WEBB,  Junr.,  Capt.  of  L.  Dragoons. 

Captain  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer. 

Light  Dragoons,  Near  Albany,  New  York. 

The  great  Mohawk  chief,  Thayendanegea  or  Joseph  Brandt,  was  directly, 
or  indirectly  engaged  in  the  wars  between  the  United  States  and  Indians 
from  1789  to  1795,  during  which  the  bloody  campaigns  of  Harmar,  St. 
Clair,  and  Wayne  took  place,  he  also  acted  an  important  part  in  the  affair 
of  the  north  western  posts,  so  long  retained  by  Great  Britain  after  the 
treaty  of  peace.  "  He  was  himself  the  principal  war-chief  of  the  Six 
Nations,  and  his  name  would  chill  the  young  blood  by  its  very  sound,  and 
cause  the  lisping  child,  even  within  our  day,  to  cling  closer  to  the  knee 
of  its  mother.  As  the  master  spirit  of  the  Indians  engaged  in  the  British 
service  during  the  war  of  the  revolution,  all  the  border  massacres  were 
charged  upon  him,  but  great  injustice  was  done  him  in  many  instances." 

K.  K.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer. 

Dear  Sir,  Albany  Nov  29,  1795. 

*  *  *  I  received  letters  from  our  friends  in  Amsterdam  on  July  20th, 
and  am  sorry  to  inform  you  that  Jan  Jacob  V.  Rensselaer  the  great  friend 
and  patron  of  your  brother  Killian  H.  died  the  5th  of  february  last,  after 
a  sickness  of  Eight  days  aged  48y  &  5days  this  was  the  flower  of  the 
family  the  others  J.  C  &  A.  V.  Rensselaer  have  written  a  friendly  letter, 
and  the  wife  of  Jan  Jacob  also,  they  have  anxiously  waited  for  Killian 
and  as  Robert  writes  his  father  it  appears  Killian  must  have  been  a  favo 
rite.  I  received  a  letter  from  your  cousin  Robert  S.  Van  Rensselaer 
dated  Halifax  October  30th  by  the  Boston  post,  in  which  he  mentioned 
that  he  was  taken  in  the  ship  Olive  Branch,  Captain  Provost,  by  the 
Argonaut  Man  of  War.  I  am  fearful  Robert  may  suffer  loss,  and  I  am 
certain  our  Dutch  friends  will,  who  had  property  on  board  consigned  to 
Mr.  Thomas  Storm,  Merchant  of  New  York.  You  may  do  well  to  inquire 
from  Mr.  Storm  what  property  it  is.  I  have  written  him,  on  this  inform- 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  123 

ation  from 'Robert's  account.  Study  economy  and  partake  not  of  all  the 
frivolous  amusements  of  the  City.  Read  and  learn  so  that  you  may 
improve  for  a  busy  scene.  Write  me  where  Killian  sails  to,  so  that  I  may 
get  him  to  purchase  what  I  may  want,  provided  he  does  not  come  up. 
Accept  your  Aunts  and  the  children's  compts.  y  & 

Capt.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  K.  K.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

of  Light  Dragoons  now  at  New  York. 

This  capturing  vessels  and  respecting  no  flag  was  the  occasion  of  much 
trouble,  the  officers  were  treated  as  prisoners  of  war,  but  the  crew  were 
compelled  to  labor  as  slaves,  taken  without  leave  from  American  ships 
and  impressed  into  the  British  naval  service.  This  had  long  been  a  topic 
of  complaint  and  negotiation. 

Lieut.  Slue  to  Capt  Van  Rensselaer. 
My  Dear  Van,  New  York  May  21st  1796. 

I  am  now  on  my  way  to  West  Point  to  act  as  Judge  Advocate  at  a 
Court  of  inquiry  to  be  held  on  Lt.  Col.  Rochfon tain  upon  Certain  Charges 
exhibited  against  him  by  all  his  officers  at  West  Point,  if  he  is  supposed 
guilty  of  the  Charges  I' shall  be  obliged  to  remain  for  the  Court  Martial, 
at  all  events  I  shall  be  there  from  15  to  20  Days  and  if  Circumstances  will 
permit,  I  hope  that  you  will  surely  pay  me  an  old  intimate  friend  a  Visit 
as  it  is  out  of  my  power  to  come  to  Albany.  The  lower  House  passed  a 
bill  for  the  Reduction  of  the  Army  but  the  Senate  I  believe  have  Rejected 
it,  our  Major  has  proved  himself  to  be  just  what  you  never  hesitated  to  say 
amongst  yonr  friends  you  thought  him.  Lieut.  Webb  has  turn'd  out 
differently,  you  thought  him  an  ^Honest  Hearted  man,  but  his  Heart  is 
by  far  blacker  than  the  bearskin  on  your  Cap.  Taylor  is  in  Philadelphia 
and  desires  to  be  affectionately  remembered  to  you.  To  my  sorrow  Posey 
our  good  and  confidential  friend  you  know  has  resigned.  Slough,  Sedan 
and  Price  have  lately  resigned  also.  The  Major  and  his  friendship  may 
both  go  to  hell.  I  have  a  better,  a  more  powerfull  and  more  confidential 
friend  in  my  General,  and  while  I  can  maintain  his  good  will,  I  feel  easy 
(acting  with  propriety)  I  commanded  his  escort  through  the  Wilderness 
who  bore  my  expences  home.  Come  to  West  Point  if  you  can  &  believe 
me  to  be  what  you  on^e  did.  ,.  . 

Capt.  Sol.  Van  Bensselaor. 

Lieut.  Visscher  to  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer. 

My  dear  Sir,  West  Point  June  17th  1796. 

This  being  a  rainy  day  and  every  thing  around  appearing  gloomy  & 
dull,  I  have  no  friend  to  whom  I  can  communicate  my  feelings  but  you,  I 
must  therefore  to  calm  the  force  of  woe  again  trouble  you  with  some  ob 
servations  on  myself.  I  think  I  may  now  style  myself  a  just  resemblance 
of  the  weeping  willow,  and  in  the  words  of  a  poet  you  may 

Mark  the  Solemn  notes  while  pleading 
Speak  the  tumults  of  my  mind, 
Hear  them  softly  interceding 
Softly  telling  She's  unkind  ! 

I  need  not  tell  you,  for  you  well  know  that  I  allude  to  Miss  Patty  (Maria) 
Gansevoort.  The  dread  of  being  treated  with  disdain  and  to  avoid  the 
mortification  of  a  personal  denial  are  the  sole  reasons  why  I  have  never 


124  LEGACY  OP  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

acquainted  her  with  the  confusion  of  my  mind.  Now,  alas  !  T  am  informed 
she  is  actually  engaged  to  Mr.  Hun  ! !  Heavens  and  earth  !  how  un 
equally  paired  !  Why  does  she  not  prefer  me  ?  but  Love  is  guided  surely 
by  fate,  What  makes  me  love  may  make  her  hate,  I  have  too  good  an 
opinion  of  her  understanding  to  suppose  that  she  would  prefer  him  for 
his  better  circumstances.  Let  me  know  whether  this  match  is  really  to 
take  place.  Write  me  by  the  post  at  once  and  direct  your  Letter  to  be 
left  at  the  post  office  at  Peeksville.  The  last  part  of  your  letter,  my  dear 
Van,  has  given  me  much  uneasiness,  I  mean  with  respect  to  Miss  P.  Gr. 
You  say  you  have  enclosed  me  a  piece  of  Gold  leaf  on  which  are  engraved 
Twelve  dozen  Sweet  Kisses  as  a  memento  of  the  friendship  embosumed 
for  me  by  the  charming  Miss  Patty.  I  fear  I  have  not  been  so  fortunate, 
and  that  you  have  only  acted  thus  to  raise  my  expectations,  explain  this 
to  me  seriously,  in  the  meantime  I  must  request  you  to  mention  me  as  a 
person  who  entertains  the  highest  opinion  of  her  accomplishments.  Dear 
Van,  ever  yours 
Capt.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer  Green  Bush. 

Lieut.  VisscJier  to  Capt  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Van,  West  Point  June  20,  1796. 

I  cannot  keep  from  you  the  adventure  of  this  day ;  three  Officers  and 
myself  went  down  the  River  a  small  distance  in  a  pleasure  Boat;  seeing 
an  Albany  Sloop  we  boarded  her,  where  to  my  surprise  I  saw  Miss  Corne 
lia  Schuyler,  Miss  Westerlo  and  some  others,  but  not  having  the  pleasure 
of  being  acquainted  with  either  of  them  I  could  not  with  propriety  make 
my  bow  and  introduce  my  friends,  we  remained  on  board  the  Sloop  [I  mean 
on  deck]  till  we  got  opposite  to  West  Pc^int  where  we  left  them,  and  you 
may  judge  how  mortified  I  felt,  and  still  do  at  this  moment.  Yesterday 
Mr.  Lovell  and  myself  crossed  the  river  and  took  Tea  with  the  two  Miss 
Dennings,  they  are  from  N.  York  and  will  spend  the  Summer  at  their 
farm  about  two  miles  from  this,  they  are  beautiful  and  amiable.  Miss 
Cooper  was  with  us  a  few  days  ago,  I  escorted  her  from  the  Vessel  and 
was  quite  the  Gallant;  if  you  see  her  tell  her  I  am  quite  clever  and  a 
great  deal  wrought  by  her  appearance.  The  enclosed  I  wrote  a  few  days 
ago,  I  wish  you  could  have  an  opportunity  of  reading  it  to  the  Lady,  not 
telling  her  from  whom  it  is  till  you  come  to  the  name ;  she  will  in  that 
case  have  no  objections  to  hear  it.  It  is  remarkable  that  I  have  not  yet 
had  a  Letter  from  you,  I  hope  you  have  not  yet,  at  this  early  period  for 
got  me.  There  has  lately  been  a  Duel  fought  at  Head  Quarters  between 
Lt.  Elliott  of  the  Artillery  aud  Ensign  Scott,  the  former  is  dangerously 
wounded  Capt.  Reed  and  Ens.  Breeck  are  both  dead.  Ingersoll  arrived 
a  few  days  ago.  Col.  Rochfontaine  has  been  restored  to  his  command. 
Remember  me  to  all.  Yours  N  T  v 

/•«       i.     o    i     TT"        T>  i  JJN .  J_.    V  IboOrlJcjix. 

Capt.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 

Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  to  the  Secretary  of  War. 
Sir,  Albany  June  20th  1796. 

I  have  the  Honor  to  acknowledge  the  Receipt  of  your  letter  of  the 
14th  Inst.  together  with  a  Copy  of  the  Act  relative  to  the  Military  esta 
blishment  of  the  United  States.  I  should  wish  to  be  considered  as  one 
of  that  establishment,  altho'  my  health  is  much  impaired  occasioned  by 
the  wound  I  received  on  20th  of  August  1794,  yet  I  have  a  hopeful 
prospect  that  in  a  few  months  I  will  be  rendered  capable  of  discharging 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  125 

that  duty  which  I  have  heen  intrusted  with,  and  which  was  my  greatest 
pleasure.  Having  abandoned  at  an  early  part  of  my  life  every  prospect 
held  out  by  my  friends  here,  I  entered  the  Army  very  young,  with  an 
unalterable  determination  to  follow  the  profession  of  arms,  and  should  it 
now  be  my  lot  to  be  obliged  to  retire  in  consequence  of  my  wound,  it 
would  be  a  circumstance  I  should  unwillingly  subscribe  to  as  there  is  no 
active  service,  I  should  hope  for  a  farther  indulgence,  but  whether  I  am 
in  titled  to  any  or  not,  and  for  how  long  a  time,  I  submit  to  you  Sir,  with 
diffidence.  I  have  the  honor  &c.  gOLOMON  yAN  KENSSELAER. 

To  The  Hon.  T.  Pickering.  Secretary  of  War. 

The  Secretary  of  War  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Sir,  War  Office  July  2,  1796. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  20  instant.  I  am  exceedingly  happy 
to  learn  that  your  wound  will  not  prevent  you  from  continuing  iu  the 
military  service  of  your  Country.  As  your  presence  with  the  Army  will 
not  be  indispensably  necessary  till  near  the  time  of  the  new  arrangement 
taking  place,  you  will  be  pleased  to  consider  yourself  as  on  furlough  until 

the  first  day  of  October  next.          T         o-     tr          t.    T     L  a 

J  I  am  Sir,  Your  obedient  Servant 

Capt.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer.  JAMES  M.  HENRY,  Sec.  of  War. 

Capt.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Jiis  Cousin. 
My  dear  Harriot,  Albany,  July  13,  1796. 

I  should  have  written  to  my  loved  one  before  this,  had  I  not  been 
obliged  to  go  to  Lansingburgh  on  business  for  my  unfortunate  Father. 
He  suffers  terribly  from  his  wound,  and  his  troubles  are  great  beyond 
conception  •  and  not  a  small  share  of  them  are  thrown  on  the  shoulders 
of  one  who  has  it  not  in  his  power  to  extricate  him  any  further  than  the 
troublesome  part  of  it.  I  shall  not  enter  on  a  detail  of  my  business  there 
but  when  we  meet  I  shall  tell  you  all,,  I  have  gained  your  affections  and 
your  tender  bosom  shall  not  experience  any  unnecessary  pain  caused  by 
the  one  who  is  so  interested  in  you.  I  found  on  my  return,  here,  a  letter 
from  the  God  of  War,  James  Me  Henry  of  Maryland,  as  I  think  it  my 
duty  to  give  my  Harriot  every  pleasure  in  my  power  to  offer,  and  shall 
through  life,  I  will  insert  in  this  a  copy  of  the  letter,  knowing  if  it  does 
not  please,  it  cannot  displease  her.  I  have  not  shown  it  to  any  but  my 
own  family.  Judge  for  yourself,  the  following  is  a  copy :  "  I  have  re 
ceived  your  letter  of  the  20th  Inst.  I  am  exceedingly  happy  to  learn  that 
your  wound  will  not  prevent  you  from  continuing  in  the  military  service 
of  your  Country.  As  your  presence  with  the  Army  will  not  be  indispen 
sably  necessary  till  near  the  time  of  the  new  arrangement  taking  place, 
you  will  be  pleased  to  consider  yourself  as  on  furlough  until  the  first  day 
of  October  next." 

Whilst  other  officers  of  our  Corps  are  ordered  on,  I  am  suffered  to  re 
main  with  my  friends  and  will  have  had  a  furlough  for  two  years,  when 
it  is  expired.  This  indulgence  is  certainly  very  great,  more  considerate 
and  kind  than  I  could  have  had  any  idea  of.  I  had  quite  a  decent  wash 
ing  by  the  time  I  reached  Albany,  for  it  was  raining  very  fast.  I  thought 
of  the  imprudence  in  my  case  of  being  wet,  and  could  not  appty  to  myself 
the  preaching  I  cannot  prevent  my  saying  to  you  "  to  take  care  of  your 
self."  In  this  instance  business  and  my  word  of  honor  called  me  here  to 
day  at  3  o'clock,  so  I  had  to  face  the  storm,  but  have  found  no  inconvenience 
from  so  doing. 


126'  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Mrs.  Kane  has  returned;  when  I  called  there  Mr.  Kane  was  good 
enough  to  take  me  up  stairs  to  show  me  their  fineries  :  a  beautiful  paper 
for  the  room  &c.,  a  Carpet  that  cost  £65,  a  pair  of  Looking-glasses  for  the 
like  sum,  and  a  great  many  other  curious  and  fine  articles,  I  had  the  honor 
of  inspecting.  Mrs.  Ludlow  told  Mrs.  Kane  that  if  you  would  not  write 
to  her  daughter,  she  thought  you  might  do  so  to  her.  Tomorrow  I  shall 
visit  Cherry  Hill  when  I  hope  to  find  them  as  well  as  they  have  been  this 
day.  I  suppose  you  must  have  heard  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Douw  Fonda 
passed  through  Schenectady  on  Sunday,  it  was  in  consequence  of  a  letter 
that  his  presence  was  necessary  the  following  day  at  Caughnawaga,  they 
do  not  return  until  the  last  of  next  week.  You  know  last  year  Mr.  Fonda 
together  with  Henry  Fonda  commenced  to  build  a  number  of  houses  on 
the  Caughuawaga  flats  and  the  Coffin  is  now  quite  a  little  hamlet.  Your 
Sister  intended  to  have  accompanied  them,  but  at  that  time  was  at  Cherry 
Hill ;  she  says  when  yon  have  made  your  visit  and  return  home,  she  will 
go  up  with  your  Father  and  Mother.  Adieu  my  Lovely  Harriot  would 
to  Heavens  I  could  see  you  now  and  repeat  the  garden  scene,  how  happy 
would  be  your  unfeigned  &  unalterable 
Miss  Harriot  Van  Rensselaer,  Scotia.  SoL'  VAN  R^SSELAER. 

A  large  black  stone,  resembling  ^coffin,  in  the  Mohawk  river,  originated 
the  name. 

The  translation  of  a  letter  written  in  the  Dutch  language. 

J.  G.   Van  Staphorst  to  Robert  8.  van  Rensselaer. 

New  York  den  2  Sept:  1796. 

Mynheer !  The  inclosed,  I  have  received  from  Madame  van  Rensselaer 
from  Amsterdam,  requesting  to  hand  it  to  you,  being  informed  that  you 
reside  for  the  present  at  Albany,  I  take  the  liberty  to  forward  it  to  you. 
If  my  affairs  and  health  did  permit  me,  I  would  have  given  it  to  you  per 
sonally,  in  order  to  have  had  the  pleasure  to  become  personally  acquainted 
with  you. 

You  will  permit  me  Sir,  to  explain  to  you,  the  cause,  why  this  letter, 
which  had  been  intrusted  to  me,  is  received  by  you  in  Such  a  Condition. 

On  the  3d  day  of  April  I  Sailed  from  the  port  of  Texel,  in  the  American 
Ship  Minerva,  Captain  Clarkson,  and  was  taken  the  10th  day  of  May  by 
the  English  in  Halifax,  and  pronounced  a  prisoner,  and  robbed  of  all  my 
papers  and  letters.  The  4th  day  of  July  being  discharged  on  parole,  I 
requested  for  my  papers,  and  received  them  in  a  miserable  condition,  and 
all  opened.  After  receiving  them,  I  have  all  sealed  them,  and  this  accounts 
for  the  bad  condition  in  which  you  have  received  this  letter.  I  am  Sorry 
indeed  that  I  could  not  perform  my  commission  better. 

Be  so  kind  when  you  meet  Madame  van  Rensselaer  to  assure  her  of 
my  esteem.  Remaining  Sir  !  Your  obedient  Servt. 

J.  Gr.  VAN  STAPHORST. 

Den  Heer  R.  S.  Van  Rensselaer,  fti  Albany,  New  York. 

Rdbertfi.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Jiis  Sister. 
Dear  Arriett,  London,  September  10,  1796. 

I  hope  ere  this  you  have  received  some  intelligence  from  me  of  my  safe 
Arrival  in  this  City  after  a  very  moderate  and  pleasant  passage  of  about 
thirty  days  until  we  arrived  at  Graves-End  where  we  left  the  Ship  and 
came  up  by  land  through  a  delightful  and  cultivated  Country  to  London. 
We  had  two  Lady  passengers,  one  of  whom,  a  Miss  Nugent,  came  out  to 


LEGACY  OP  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  127 

be  married  to  an  American  Gentleman,  Mr.  Broom  from  New  York,  she 
being  a  wcllbred  woman,  added  not  a  little  to  our  pleasure.  Mr.  Church 
resides  now  about  Eight  miles  from  the  City,  in  a  very  neat  Country 
house,  to  which  place  I  frequently  resort  to  retire  from  the  noise  and 
bustle  of  a  City  life,  which  becomes  almost  insupportable.  Walking  being 
very  fashionable,  and  it  suiting  an  American  purse,  I  generally  trudge  it 
on  foot,  anticipating  the  pleasures  I  shall  enjoy  when  I  arrive  ;  they  being 
happy  in  seeing  me,  and  treat  me  with  every  politeness  imaginable.  The 
difference  between  Mrs.  Church  and  the  other  members  of  Gen.  Schuy- 
ler's  family,  near  us  in  Albany,  is  inconceivable.  She  all  affectionate  and 
polite,  endeavoring  to  please  those  around  her,  while  the  others,  first  kin 
to  the  fallen  Angel,  are  swelling  with  pride  arid  pomposity.  At  times  I 
scarcely  know  what  line  of  distinction  to  draw  between  the  family  j  certain 
I  am  there  can  be  no  comparison  of  the  worth  and  amiable  disposition  of 
this  One  and  the  avaricious  minds  of  those  in  America,  though  I  hope  as 
our  Climate  changes,  it  may  effect  their  minds  and  mould  them  at  least 
to  Civility  and  render  them  more  acceptable  generally  to  Society. 

Time  hanging  heavy  and  not  much  to  attend  to,  I  took  a  ride  to  Oxford 
about  Eighty  miles  from  this,  visited  the  different  Colleges,  twenty-one 
in  number,  and  then  went  to  view  Blenheim  House,  the  Seat  of  the  Duke 
of  Malborough.  This  is  without  Exception  one  of  the  most  pleasant 
situations  I  ever  beheld,  it  is  a  paradise ;  in  imagination  you  would  think 
yourself  in  a  land  of  faries  to  behold  the  inside.  I  shall  endeavour  to 
give  you  a  slight  description,  being  confident  I  am  not  able  to  recollect 
every  Scene  I  beheld  there.  In  this  Country,  all  the  famous  Seats  go  by  the 
appellation  of  Castles  j  this  one  is  situated  about  seven  miles  from  Oxford. 
You  enter  the  Park  through  a  spacious  portal  of  the  Corinthian  order  of 
architecture,  from  whence  a  fine  view  opens  of  the  noble  Castle,  bridge, 
lake  and  many  other  beautiful  Scenes  of  the  Park,  which  is  stocked  with 
Deer,  Sheep,  and  Birds  of  various  kinds.  The  Front  of  the  House  from 
wing  to  wing  is  three  hundred  and  forty-eight  feet,  and  on  the  South  front 
on  the  pediment  towards  the  garden,  is  a  bust  larger  than  life  of  Louis 
the  Fourteenth  taken  in  battle  from  Tournay  in  France.  On  the  Top  of 
the  house  is  a  large  Reservoir  which  supplies  the  Castle  with  water  from 
an  artificial  made  river.  I  entered  the  Hall,  which  is  really  magnificent, 
being  the  height  of  the  house  and  of  proportionable  breadth,  supported 
by  Corinthian  Pillars.  Over  the  door  is  the  Bust  of  the  first  proprietor 
John,  Duke  of  Malboro',  and  a  number  of  other  beautiful  busts.  On  the 
right  and  left  are  several  marble  termini,  with  two  excellent  Statues  of  a 
Nymph  and  a  Bacchanal.  The  painted  Ceiling  allegorically  representing 
Victory  crowning  John  of  Malborough,  and  pointing  to  a  plan  of  the 
Battle  of  Blenheim.  I  then  entered  the  Bow-window  Room  and  being 
an  American,  consequently  very  inquisitive,  I  inquired  the  use  &c.  of  the 
room,  which  the  old  servant  very  innocently  replied,  was  intended  to  look 
at.  It's  window  commanding  a  number  of  pleasant  prospects,  and  de 
corated  with  Elegant  Pictures,  such  as  the  Virgin  and  Child,  St.  John. 
Nicholas  and  other  Saints ;  over  the  doors  were  .fine  heads  made  of  Marble 
elegantly  executed.  The  Duke's  Dressing  room  contained  a  number  of 
excellent  Paintings  by  the  first  Artists  such  as  Palma,  Titian,  Weeni  and 
a  Score  of  others.  There  were  in  this  room  some  paintings  particularly 
fine  ;  an  Inside  view  of  a  Church  ;  the  Destruction  of  Pharaoh  and  his 
Host  in  the  Red  Sea;  a  Spanish  Sea-port  &c.  The  rest  of  the  unneces 
sary  appendages  were  contained  in  his  dressing-room,  which  was  small 


128  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

but  very  neat  indeed.  The  Drawing-Room  has  also  a  number  of  fine 
Paintings:  the  Holy  Family;  the  Marchioness  de-  Harvre ;  Mary  de 
Medices  by  the  famous  painter  Van  Dyke  ;  the  portrait  of  William  the 
Third;  an  Annunciation  ;  Lady  Chesterfield  ;  Philip  of  Spain  ;  Andromeda 
chained  to  a  rock ;  a  French  Camp ;  the  Spencer  family  &c.  This  Drawing- 
room  is  furnished  with  crimson  damask.  The  Grand  Cabinet  contains 
more  pictures,  and  is  also  furnished  with  crimson  damask.  The  Paintings 
were  particularly  Striking  and  I  took  out  my  pencil  to  minute  them : 
first,  a  Holy  Family  by  Rubens ;  a  Madona  standing  on  a  Globe,  surrounded 
by  Angels ;  the  offering  of  the  Magi  by  Rubens  ;  our  Saviour  blessing  the 
Children  ;  Filial  affection  exemplified  in  the  Roman  daughter;  Return  of 
our  Saviour  from  Egypt;  Lot's  departure  from  Sodom  ;  a  Yifgin,  her  head 
encircled  with  Stars,  supposed  the  Miraculous  Conception ;  a  female 
Penitent  &c.,  with  a  column  of  others.  The  Blue  Drawing-room  is  only 
distinguished  by  its  blue  colour  damask,  with  Elegant  Paintings,  Statuary 
&c.  The  Winter-room  has  a  representation  of  the  Cardinal  Virtues  &c. 
The  other  rooms  which  are  numerous,  are  distinguished  as  abounding 
with  very  Elegant  Tapestry  and  Paintings  representing  the  Battles  of  the 
Duke  of  Malbro',  who  to  be  sure  was  very  famed  in  History,  for  his 
Courage  and  many  glorious  Contests  he  had  with  the  Enemy.  The 
Rooms  shewn  to  us  were,  the  Dining-room  ;  the  Saloon  ;  Green  Drawing- 
room  ;  State-room  ;  State  Bed-Chamber  and  the  Library.  The  last  is  an 
Elegant  room  of  about  two  hundred  feet  in  length ;  the  Window  frames 
and  surrounding  basement  of  blush  marble ;  and  the  Ceiling  stuccoed  in 
a  most  Elegant  manner.  It  contains  about  twenty-four  thousand  Volumes, 
besides  several  thousands  of  Manuscripts.  At  one  end  of  the  room  stands 
a  highly  finished  Statue  of  Queen  Ann,  who  presented  John,  Duke  of 
Malbro'  with  this  Seat,  for  the  many  glorious  Deeds  he  had  done  in  the 
French  Wars.  The  Chapel  is  in  one  of  the  Wings,  and  a  very  fine  one 
it  is,  having  a  beautiful  Monument  to  the  first  Duke  and  Duchess.  The 
Altar-piece  was  our  Saviour  taken  down  from  the  Cross.  The  Park  is 
Eleven  miles  in  circumference  and  contains  many  delightful  Scenes ;  the 
love  of  rural  variety  may  be  entertained  here  with  every  circumstance  of 
beauty  which  can  be  Expected  from  diversified  nature  in  hills,  valleys, 
water,  woods  &c.  There  are  not  less  than  five  or  six  Ships  arrived  here 
since  my  arrival,  and  to  my  very  great  disappointment  have  not  received 
a  single  line  from  any  of  the  family.  This  I  cannot  Account  for,  how 
ever  hope  you  will  shortly  make  up  for  it  and  I  shall  have  the  pleasure 
of  hearing  from  you  all  that  you  Enjoy  the  same  good  health  I  do  at 
present.  My  best  Respects  to  Mama,  Papa  and  all  the  dear  family  large 
and  small,  with  Sentiments  of  true  Esteem,  I  remain  your  very  affectionate 
brother.  R.  S.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Miss  Arrietta  Van  Rensselaer,  Cherry  Hill. 

"  The  Duke  of  Marlborough's  magnificent  residence  is  one  hour's  dis 
tance  by  carriage  from  the  town  of  ancient  Woodstock.  This  earthly 
paradise  was  erected  during  the  reign  of  Queen  Anne,  and  presented  by 
the  British  nation  to  the  great  Duke  of  Marlborough  after  his  glorious 
victory,  parliament  voting  $2,500,000  for  that  purpose.  The  park,  con 
sisting  of  2, 700  acres,  is  filled  with  flocks  of  sheep  and  herds  of  deer,  and 
is  considered  the  most  glorious  domain  the  sun  ever  shone  upon.  The 
immediate  grounds  surrounding  the  palace,  which  is  situated  near  the 
borders  of  a  lovely  lake,  are  filled  with  trees,  plants,  and  flowers  from 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  129 

every  quarter  of  the  globe,  the  whole  embellished  with  lovely  walks, 
fountains,  and  water  falls.  In  the  centre  of  the  lawn  stands  a  Corinthian 
pillar  130  feet  high,  surmounted  by  a  statue  of  the  duke.  On  the  pede 
stal  are  inscribed  his  public  services,  written  by  Lord  Bolingbroke.  The 
principal  front  of  the  building  is  350  feet  long.  The  interior  is  magnifi 
cently  finished,  and  contains  a  fine  collection  of  sculptures  and  paintings  ; 
among  the  latter  are  some  of  Titian's  and  Rubens's  masterpieces.  The 
library  is  200  feet  long,  and  contains  nearly  18,000  volumes.  Woodstock 
was  the  birth  place  of  the  illustrious  Black  Prince.  How  different  too 
now  is  London  the  metropolis  of  the  United  Kingdom  of  Great  Britian, 
and  the  most  wealthy  city  in  the  world  with  its  population  of  3,000,000 
to  the  aspect  it  presented  in  those  early  times.  Before  the  conflagration  in 
1666,  London  was  totally  inelegant,  inconvenient,  and  unhealthy,  of  which 
latter  misfortune  many  melancholy  proofs  are  authenticated  in  history,  and 
which  no  doubt  proceeded  from  the  narrowness  of  the  streets,  and  the 
unaccountable  projections  of  the  buildings,  that  confined  the  putrid  air, 
and  joined  with  other  circumstances,  such  as  the  want  of  water,  rendered 
the  city  seldom  free  from  pestilential  devastation.  The  fire  which  con 
sumed  the  greatest  part  of  the  city,  dreadful  as  it  seemed,  was  productive 
of  permanent  benefit/' 

A  Wedding  Imitation  for  1776. 

Maria  Gansevoort's  Compliments  to  Miss  Van  Rensselaer  and  requests 
the  honor  of  her  Company  to  morrow  evening  at  Six  O'Clock. 
To  Miss  Van  Rensselaer,  Cherry  Hill.  Wednesday  Morning. 

My  mother  (then  Miss  V.  R  )  has  written  on  the  invitation  the  follow 
ing  :  "  This  was  an  invitation  to  a  wedding  September  22nd,  1776. 
Thursday  evening  Maria  Gansevoort  was  married  to  Abraham  Hun,  just 
7  o'clock.  N.B.  the  gentleman  stood  on  the  left !  There  was  a  violent 
gust  of  wind  with  thunder,  lightning  and  rain/'  These  were  the  parents 
of  our  respected  kinsman,  Thomas  Hun,  M.D. 

"The  first  tea  party  in  Schoharie  county  was  given  by  one  of  the  Vroo- 
man  family.  When  the  enlivener  was  announced  as  ready,  the  party 
gathered  about  the  round  table  upon  which  stood  not  a  morsel  of  any 
thing  to  eat  except  a  liberal  lump  of  maple  sugar,  placed  beside  each 
cup.  The  true  ancient  Dutch  custom  always  placed  a  lump  of  sugar  be 
side  each  cup.  In  doing  the  honors  of  a  tea  table,  the  question  will  you 
bite  or  stir  ?  was  always  propounded.  The  tea  was  served  out  of  a 
majestic  delft  tea-pot,  ornamented  with  paintings  of  fat  little  Dutch 
shepherds  and  shepherdesses  tending  pigs,  with  boats  sailing  in  the  air, 
and  houses  built  in  the  clouds.  The  olikoekjes,  small  round  cakes  with 
raisins  in  the  centre  and  fried  in  lard,  were  not  forgotten  ;  nor  the  koek- 
jes,  small  sweet  cakes.  Sometimes  the  company  of  eight  or  ten  persons 
would  be  seated  around  the  old  fashioned  genial  board,  each  with  a  spoon 
eating  from  a  single  dish  of  supaan  enriched  by  fresh  sweet  rnilk.  At 
these  primitive  banquetings  the  utmost  propriety  and  dignity  of  deport 
ment  prevailed.  No  flirting  nor  coquettting.  The  young  ladies  seated 
themselves  demurely  in  their  rush  bottomed  chairs,  and  knit  their  own 
woolen  stockings,  nor  ever  opened  their  lips  except  to  answer  any  ques 
tion  that  was  asked  them.  As  to  the  gentlemen,  eacli  of  them  tranquilly 
smoked  his  pipe  and  studied  the  blue  and  white  tiles  around  the  fire-place." 

17 


130  LEGACY  or  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Capt.  Wm.  Mackea  to  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Alexandria,  12th  January  1797. 

It  is  now  eight  days  since  I  arrived  at  this  place,  which  time  I  have 
employed  much  to  my  satisfaction,  and  was  surprised  at  not  finding  a  few 
lines  from  you  as  I  had  wrote  you  from  New  York.  The  evening  before 
I  left  Philadelphia  we  heard  of  Genl.  Wayne's  death,  [In  December  1796,] 
this  will  certainly  make  an  alteration  in  Affairs?.  You  are  in  Mourning  I 
suppose  agreeable  to  the  Genl.  Orders.  Let  me  know  if  you  have  heard 
from  Visscher  and  when  and  how  he  is.  I  would  say  more  but  it  is  near 
post  time  of  departure.  j  am  ^  y our  yery  Qbedt  g?rvant> 

Capt.  Sol.  Van  Kensselaer.  WM.  MACKEA. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

CUMBERLAND  LLNE. 

Ariantie  or  Harriet,  my  mother,  was  the  fifth  child  of  Col.  Philip  Van 
Rensselaer  and  Maria  Sanders,  born  at  Cherry  Hill  September  3d,  1775. 
She  was  lovely  in  disposition,  and  retained  a  freshness  and  youthfulness 
of  heart  even  in  old  age.  In  her  elevated  social  position  she  had  every 
wordly  advantage  obtainable  in  those  ''  soul  stirring  times,"  was  accus 
tomed  to  the  luxuries  of  wealth  and  fully  appreciated  the  amenities  of  her 
childhood's  home.  While  she  did  not  by  any  means  ignore  the  gayety 
and  pleasures  of  life,  she  served  God  with  a  pure  and  unselfish  heart,  and 
always  seemed  "  to  walk  worthy  of  the  vocation  "  to  which  she  was  called. 
Gifted  with  a  lively  temperament,  ever  joyous  and  happy,  with  pleasing 
manners,  and  a  general  favorite  with  old  as  well  as  young  persons,  it  was 
not  surprising  she  had  many  suitors.  One  wealthy  burgher  seemed  the 
chosen  son-in-law  selected  by  my  august  grandmother.  The  good  lady 
was  well  aware  of  her  daughter's  preference  for  her  cousin  Solomon,  and 
that  his  love  was  incalculably  more  precious,  than  the  worthy  burgher's 
glittering  gold  and  guilders;  but  that  could  not  be  countenanced.  Her 
gentle  and  delicate  daughter  marry  a  poor  soldier  cousin  !  no  indeed. 
She  well  knew  that  cousin  was  a  noble  minded  gentleman,  but  it  mattered 
not;  and  with  a  twinkling  expression  of  triumph  and  satisfaction  in  my 
grandmother's  eye  which  even  her  spectacles  could  not  conceal,  and  an 
ominous  shake  of  her  head,  would  say,  "  I  will  prevent  such  an  unwise 
step."  Grandpapa  De  Heer  Philip  however  fully  appreciated  the  soldier's 
worth  ;  he  was  proud  of  his  nephew  ;  and  all  his  sympathies  were  freely 
enlisted  on  his  much  loved  daughter's  side,  and  occasionally  a  merry 
twinkle  was  perceptible  in  his  benignant  eye  as  he  quietly  took  a  survey 
of  the  tender  surveillance  of  his  stately  dame.  Even  in  olden  times  the 
phlegmatic  Dutchmen  some  times  indulged  in  a  little  romance ;  nor  was 
it  surprising  that  De  Heer  Philip  decided  that  for  once  the  "  course  of 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  131 

true  love  should  run  smoothly."  So  one  cold  frosty  afternoon  January 
17,  1797,  the  good  vrouw  was 'enjoying  her  siesta  and  dozing  on  the 
sofa  by  a  nice  warm  fire,  while  magnificent  black  Pompey,  with  his  crisped 
woolly  head  and  shining  negro  face,  his  large  mouth  grinning  from  ear 
to  ear  displaying  a  set  of  beautiful  white  teeth ;  with  a  proud  and  con 
tented  mien  had  mounted  guard  at  the  door  of  a  certain  room.  Then 
Captain  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  was,  with  the  full  consent  and  approba 
tion  of  De  Heer  Philip,  united  in  the  bonds  of  matrimony  to  his  loved 
Harriet  by  the  venerable  Domine  Van  Vrank'en  of  Fishkill,  in  the  pres 
ence  of  her  father  and  two  of  her  brothers.  After  the  happy  ceremony, 
the  domine  and  the  trumphant  bridegroom  climbed  out  the  back  window, 
and  the  good  old  dame  was  none  the  wiser.  She  did  not  know  the  gallant 
and  handsome  Solomon  was  her  son,  till  so  informed  a  fortnight  after  by 
her  good  spouse.  Then  like  a  sensible  woman  as  she  was,  with  perhaps  a 
shade  of  disappointment  crossing  her  bright  and  good  humored  face  that 
her  cherished  plans  were  thus  unwittingly  thwarted,  made  the  best  of 
what  was  inevitable  and  was  fully  reconciled  to  the  event.  She  was  one 
who  in  disappointments,  or  indeed  "  in  every  emergency  turned  to  God 
as  her  helper  and  could  say  :  "  Blessed  is  he  who,  when  the  waves  of 
sorrow  or  temptation  are  sweeping  over  him,  is  able  to  find  the  hand  of 
Grod,  and  calmly  to  rest  in  his  infinite  strength."  In  after  years  when 
her  own  excellent  husband  was  numbered  with  the  dead,  she  made  her 
home  with  this  same  daughter,  receiving  every  care  and  warmest  love 
from  both  of  her  dear  children.  It  certainly  was  rather  mysterious,  and 
did  seem  like  a  preconcerted  scheme,  how  the  good  domine  happened  to 
be  on  hand  that  special  afternoon ;  but  he  frequently  was  a  welcome  guest 
at  the  hospitable  mansion,  and  most  domines  then  as  now,  were  never 
averse  to  a  substantial  meal.  That  day  the  clever,  quizzical  Cornale  sur 
passed  herself  in  her  particular  forte,  exquisite  cookery,  and  the  grand  en 
tertainment  gave  great  satisfaction  to  the  unsuspecting  amiable  vrouw.  The 
joyful  news,  however,  found  its  way  to  the  kitchen,  causing  aflutter  of  ex 
citement.  The  grinning  sable  dignitaries  (with  all  of  whom,  the  Hester  faint, 
Miss  Harriet,  was  a  great  favorite),  loving  a  frolic,  were  entirely  unanimous 
in  the  opinion  that  dust  had  been  thrown  in  grandma's  eyes.  They  rejoiced 
that  their  lynx-eyed  old  missus  had  for  once  been  outwitted,  while  they 
affirmed  the  face  of  the  bonnie  bride  now  wore  a  bright  and  cheery  look. 
The  humorous  jokes  of  the  loquacious  darkies  who  were  all  "  woolly-headed, 
and  as  black  as  the  ace  of  spades  "  was  the  broadest  farce  of  that  eventful 
day.  After  judicious  consultation  between  the  mynheer  and  his  amiable 
vrouw.  a  marriage  portion  was  given  to  their  beloved  daughter,  of  a  fine 
tract  of  land  which  they  called  Mount  Hope.  This  beautiful  site,  then 
in  the  country,  in  Bethlehem  two  miles  from  the  town,  was  a  thick  forest; 
many  of  the  majestic  trees  were  felled,  the  ground  cleared  and  a  spacious 
garden  laid  out  with  very  wide  walks ;  the  culture  of  this  farm  was  an 
occupation  of  great  delight  to  my  father  who  had  an  enthusiastic  love  for 
agricultural  pursuits,  and  to  this  Mount  Hope  he  was  brought  prostrate 
and  suffering  from  the  battle  ground  of  1812. 

Cherry  Hill,  the  ancient  homestead,  was  left  by  my  grandparents 
to  their  son  Philip  P.,  who  was  a  most  estimable  and  upright  man,  but 
unfortunately  became  involved,  and  after  the  death  of  that  gentleman  in 
1827,  the  place  was  to  be  sold  at  public  auction.  A  friend  of  the  family, 
Peter  Boyd,  Esq.,  wrote  to  my  father,  who  was  greatly  surprised  to  know 
the  fact,  and  at  the  solicitation  of  my  mother,  who  could  not  endure  the 


132  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

thought  of  its  going  out  of  the  family,  he  purchased  the  old  mansion 
with  its  grounds.  Subsequently  he  sold  Mount  Hope  to  Ezra  Prentice, 
Esq.,  its  present  occupant  and  proprietor,  who  revels  in  its  luxuriance  of 
beauty.  After  only  a  brief  honey-moon,  the  groom,  Captain  Van  Rensse- 
laer,  in  March,  1797,  went  to  Philadelphia  with  the  intention  of  resigning 
his  commission,  as  he  very  naturally  desired  to  retire  to  private  life  and 
enjoy  the  happiness  of  his  own  cherished  home.  The  beauty  of  such  a 
placid  life  did  not  however  seem  at  that  time  to  be  in  store  for  him.  At 
the  war  office  he  met  General  Wilkinson,  and  when,  with  the  high  prin 
ciple  of  honor  which  he  possessed,  he  informed  his  ci-devant  commander 
that  he  was  there  with  a  view  to  resign,  General  Wilkinson  and  Secretary 
McHenry  laid  an  embargo  on  that  proceeding.  They  interposed  a  stren 
uous  opposition  on  the  ground  that  his  valued  services  were  required  for 
a  delicate,  perhaps  dangerous  duty  which  they  were  aware  he  would 
faithfully  perform ;  to  aid  and  protect  the  commissioners  running  the 
Cumberland  line.  A  blank  furlough  was  given  him,  with  the  power  to 
fill  it  at  his  own  discretion.  Though  far  from  well,  he  would  not  refuse ; 
such  a  mark  of  confidence  induced  him  to  consent,  and  the  heroic,  self- 
denying  soldier  returned  to  bid  his  bride  farewell  for  a  season,  and  re 
linquished  all  the  true  endearments  of  home,  while  he  promptly  responded 
to  his  country's  call  for  further  arduous  duties  in  her  service.  The 
noble-minded  wife,  forgetting  self,  bade  him  "  God  speed ;"  his  arrange 
ments  were  soon  made  and  he  en  route  to  the  army. 

Secretary  of  War  to  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer. 

Sir,  War  Office,  March  2d,  1797. 

The  necessitv  of  the  service  requiring  your  immediate  presence,  with 
your  company,  you  will  be  pleased,  without  delay,  to  repair  hither,  where 
you  will  receive  further  orders. 

I  am,  Sir,  with  esteem,  Your  obed1  Serv1 

JAMES  McIlENRY. 

I  have  before  me  a  large  bundle  of  valuable  letters  from  which  I  make 
a  few  extracts.  After  a  sad  parting  from  his  loved  bride,  he  went  with 
his  body  servant  to  New  York  on  board  of  one  of  the  North  river  sloops  ; 
it  was  in  those  days  a  voyage  of  a  week  from  Albany,  then  by  stages  to 
Philadelphia.  He  says  :  "The  roads  are  exceedingly  bad;  myself,  Jake 
and  the  horses  are  nearly  worn  out." 

The  following  is  part  of  a  letter  penned  seventy-eight  years  ago. 

Capt.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Ids  Wife. 

My  Dear  Harriet,  Philadelphia,  April  17,  1797. 

On  Friday  last  I  reached  this  place  in  tolerable  health,  but  great  de 
pression  of  spirits.  I  have  been  advised  by  disinterested  persons  not  to 
go  on,  they  fear  my  delicate  constitution  cannot  endure  the  hardships. 
I  leave  tomorrow  and  expect  to  arrive  at  Pittsburgh  in  about  nine  days, 
if  the  riding  is  not  too  much.  The  Secretary  of  War  has  advised  me  to 
take  my  own  time,  and  not  to  travel  in  wet  weather  ;  this  however  I  shall 
not  much  attend  to ;  the  quicker  I  go  on,  the  sooner  I  shall  return  to  my 
lovely  wife.  I  shall  be  obliged  to  stay  at  Fort  Washington  longer  than 
I  expected  to  wait  for  necessary  articles  to  equip  my  Troop.  I  have  been 
pleasingly  confined  since  I  came  here,  in  sitting  twice  a  day  to  have  my 
Miniature  taken  by  Stuart,  a  masterly  artist ;  it  was  finished  this  evening 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  133 

and  will  follow  this  letter  on  Thursday,  with  a  request  that  it  may  he  for 
warded  to  you,  by  a  careful  Albany  skipper.  The  price  for  painting  was 
fifty  Dollars,  although  it  is  extravagant,  yet  with  much  satisfaction  did  I 
pay  for  it,  as  it  was  intended  to  give  you  pleasure.  The  likeness  is  not 
as  striking  a  one,  as  he  took  for  President  Washington  and  Gen.  Wilkin 
son,  in  my  eyes.  Farewell  my  love  ;  this  time  tomorrow  I  will  be  a  much 
greater  distance  from  you  and  that  must  be  so  for  some  time  to  come. 
Farewell,  a  sad  word,  but  it  must  be  so.  God  preserve  you,  and  may 
every  happiness  attend  you.  Farewell  my  dear,  lovely  wife  look  forward 
with  patience  to  our  happy  meeting  in  October  or  Sooner,  once  more  with 
you,  never,  never  will  I  leave  you  more  again,  adieu,  good  night  my 
dearest  Harriet. 


Mrs.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer. 


"  The  first  portrait  of  Washington  by  Stuart  created  a  great  sensation 
on  its  appearance  in  Philadelphia." 

Capt.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Ms  Wife. 

My  Dearest  Wife,  Philadelphia  April  19,  1797. 

The  weather  is  fair.  I  send  you  my  Traveling-Case,  which 
I  find,  I  cannot  take  with  me,  the  inclosed  key  will  open  both  locks,  it 
requires  however  some  exertion  to  open  them  •  it  cost  me  six  and  a  half 
dollars.  The  case  would  have  been  of  use  to  me  if  I  could  have  taken  it 
on  with  convenience,  but  I  shall  not  incommode  myself  with  it  when  1 
have  one  to  send  it  to,  whom  I  prefer  should  have  it  before  myself  j  it  is 
yours  and  my  very  soul  accompanies  it  which  you  have  long  possessed 
as  you  well*  know  *  *  *  *  The  Limner  tells  me,  if  you  keep  the 
Miniature  in  your  hands  until  the  Ivory  gets  warm  it  will  warp,  it  is  in 
the  case.  My  horses  are  ready  and  I  must  leave  this  in  a  few  moments 
after  delivering  the  Case.  God  preserve  you  to  repay  with  happiness 
for  the  days  of  misery  I  endure  in  my  absence  from  my  loved  Harriot. 

Your  affectionate  Husband 
Mrs.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  Cherry  Hill.  SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

In  its  red  morocco-case  lined  with  white  satin  was  placed  this  exquisitely 
painted  miniature  j  it  is  on  ivory,  (executed  by  the  eminent  portrait  painter 
Gilbert  Stuart,)  and  is  set  in  gold,  with  my  father's  and  mother's  hair  in 
the  center  of  the  back.  The  initials  "  S  &  II. V.R."  are  interwoven  in 
gold  letters  on  the  glass  over  the  hair.  His  noble,  handsome  features 
are  perfect ;  those  dark  brown,  flashing,  speaking  eyes  could  not  be  sur 
passed  j  the  black  hair  is  well  powdered  and  braided  behind  in  the  fashion 
able  cue.  His  full  wide  ruffle  shirt,  black  satin  stock,  his  military  blue 
coat  with  its  red  facings  and  wide  red  collar  turned  over,  bright  epaulets 
and  black  leather  sword  strap  with  United  States  arms  inscribed  on  its 
shield  across  his  shoulder,  are  all  items  of  fond  scrutiny  to  loving  hearts. 
His  wife  writes  :  "  I  cannot  tell  you  how  the  first  sight  of  your  Miniature 
affected  me,  it  was  sometime  before  I  could  recover  myself.  Methinks  I 


134  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

never  saw  a  better  likeness,  but  as  you  observed  rather  too  much  Gravity  for 
you.  It  is  my  constant  companion  and  far  preferable  to  any  other,  although 
a  Silent  one ;  could  I  enjoy  my  wish  it  should  be  my  only  one  till  the 
return  of  the  beloved  original."  No  wonder  his  tender-hearted  wife  wept 
with  joy  and  was  transported  in  ecstasy  when  she  received  this  excellent 
semblance  of  her  loved  one. 

Capt.  Van  Rensselaer  to  his  Wife. 

My  Lovely  Harriot,  Pittsburg,  April  28,  1797. 

I  arrived  at  this  place  in  eight  days  precisely  from  Philadelphia  in  pretty 
good  health ;  having  passed  through  the  beautiful  valleys,  romantic  dells, 
and  looking  with  your  eyes  at  the  grand,  the  picturesque  scenery  along  the 
winding  rivers  of  this  noble  State  and  over  its  lofty  mountains;  all  accom 
plished  in  safety  with  scalp  still  on  my  head  !  I  found  to  my  Sorrow  that  Gen 
eral  Wilkinson  had  left  this  three  days  since  for  Fort  Washington.  I  have 
some  expectation  of  following  him  tomorrow,  but  in  this  I  am  not  very  clear, 
owing  to  the  scarcity  of  men  toman  the  boats  down  the  Ohio.  Doctor 
Carmichael  and  some  Officers  go  down  in  about  a  week,  they  want  to  per 
suade  me  to  wait  for  them,  but  this  I  shall  not  consent  to  if  I  can  do  other 
wise.  I  wish  for  the  Society  of  no  one  in  this  part  of  the  Country.  It 
makes  me  unhappy  to  see  any  one  pleased  who  is  in  the  situation  I  once 
was  happily  placed.  I  therefore  wish  to  be  with  my  command;  to  attend 
strictly  to  their  discipline  and  Police  will  assist  me  in  killing  time  in  this 
far  off  country.  What  tedious  months  must  elapse  before  I  am  again  re 
stored  to  happiness  and  what  a  great  length  of  Territory  must  I  pass  over 
before  my  eyes  once  more  encounter  the  dear  object  of  its  wishes,  but  thank 
Heavens  the  distance  is  not  as  great  as  I  contemplated.  I  am  told  by  the 
officers  here,  that  I  am  not  to  go  farther  than  Knoxville  owing  to  circum 
stances  of  an  unforseen  nature  turning  up.  [Knoxville  in  Tennessee  is 
upon  the  Holston  river,  four  miles  from  its  junction  with  the  French 
Broad  and  is  204  miles  southeast  of  Lexington,  Kentucky.  "  The  city  is 
delightfully  situated,  and  affords  a  pleasant  place  of  resort.  *  It  was  laid 
out  in  1794  and  is  famous  for  its  manufacture  of  window  glass.  The  caves 
and  mounds  in  Tennessee  are  wonderful.  In  Coffee  county,  not  far  from 
Manchester,  there  is  an  ancient  stone  fort,  enclosed  by  a  wall,  upon  which 
trees  are  growing,  whose  age  is  supposed  to  exceed  500  years.  This  mys 
terious  fortification  is  situated  between  two  rivers,  and  occupies  an  area 
of  47  acres."]  Georgia's  climate  I  very  much  dreaded,  it  being  quite  un 
friendly  to  a  person  accustomed  to  a  colder  one,  but  where  ever  I  may  be 
and  whatever  my  situation  is,  I  shall  faithfully  inform  you,  sick  or  well, 
dangerous  or  otherwise.  I  therefore  call  upon  you  by  all  the  sacred  ties 
that  united  us,  not  to  give  yourself  a  moments  uneasiness  at  any  Idle  re 
ports  respecting  me,  should  there  be  any  of  an  unpleasant  nature  prevail 
ing;  and  on  your  part  I  have  not  the  smallest  doubt,  but  that  you  will  act 
with  equal  candor.  I  hope  you  have  ere  this  received  your  Portfolio,  Min 
iature  and  letters  sent  on  from  Philadelphia,  and  that  they  have  given 
you  pleasure.  I  wish  I  had  your  likeness  here,  what  very  great  satisfac 
tion  it  would  give  me,  I  wish  to  Heavens  you  would  have  it  taken  in  my 
absence,  I  shall  arrange  matters  in  such  a  manner  that  it  will  not  incon 
venience  you  at  all.  Kecollect  my  sweet  girl  what  happiness  it  will  give, 
so  please  oblige  me  and  let  me  know  if  you  intend  to  make  me  so  happy. 
Tell  black  Maggy,  Cornale  and  Flora  not  to  neglect  to  take  good  care  of 
their  lovely  charge ;  was  this  my  lot  how  doubly  happy  would  I  be,  but 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  135 

it  must  be  to  the  contrary  and  I  shall  submit  with  as  much  fortitude  as  I 
can  muster,  which  God  knows  is  but  little,  yet  my  duty  is  clearly  to  en 
force  it. 

I  left  Philadelphia  at  12  o'clock  April  19th  1797.  crossedtthe  Schuyl- 
kill  at  1  o'clock  and  proceeded  to  the 'Sign  of  Admiral  Warren  23  Miles 
where  I  lodged.  This  tavern  is  on  the  Lancaster  turnpike  not  far  from 
the  scene  of  the  massacre  of  part  of  General  Wayne's  detachment  on 
September  20,  1777,  by  orders  of  General  Howe.  ["  General  Grey  cut  down 
53  Americans  in  cold-blooded  cruelty  in  the  well  known  '  Massacre  at 
Paoli.'  "]  Moved  early  in  the  morning  of  the  20th,  a  rainy  day  and 
reached  Lancaster  that  evening  43  Miles  over  a  Turnpike  road  cut  through 
a  rich  tract  of  land.  Lancaster  stands  on  Conestoga  creek,  has  a  fine 
court  house,  churches  and  handsome  buildings  with  abont  800  houses. 
Moved  early  on  the  21st,  Passed  over  an  intolerable  bad  road  and  reached 
a  Tavern  2  Miles  from  Harrisburg  on  the  Susquehanna ;  this  river  is  one 
mile  across  and  the  Current  very  rapid.  The  town  contains  about  two 
hundred  houses,  chiefly  of  Brick,  with  a  stone  Jail  and  a  German  church  ; 
it  is  pleasantly  situated  on  the  winding  river  with  its  little  islands.  Eliz 
abeth  and  Middle  Town  are  small  villages  I  passed  through ,  the  houses 
are  old  and  chiefly  built  of  logs,  the  former  is  17  and  the  latter  25  Mfles 
from  Lancaster,  and  where  I  lodged  having  come  to  day  36  Miles.  The 
22d  reached  Carlisle  to  Breakfast  after  15  miles,  passed  Mount  Hock  7 
Miles,  Shippenburg  14  Miles,  and  Lodged  at  Black's  house,  Gen.  Washing 
ton  had  his  Head  Quarters  at  Carlisle  in  1794  ;  there  are  fine  stone  houses, 
a  college,  court-house  and  churches.  All  along  my  route,  these  villages 
flourish  where  the  Indians  and  wild  beasts  lately  roamed.  The  23rd 
being  a  rainy  day  I  did  not  start  until  near  8  o'clock,  then  passed 
through  Strasburg  six  miles  where  I  crossed  three  large  mountainous 
spurs  called  Kittatinny  hills;  all  these  mountains  are  full  of  coal  with 
much  iron  and  marble;  the  valleys  between  the  hills  are  of  a  rich,  black 
soil.  Skinners  at  the  foot  of  the  hill.  I  breakfasted  three  miles  from 
the  last  Town,  from  thence  to  Fort  Littleton  is  12  miles,  from  thence  to 
the  top  of  the  wonderful  Sideling  Hill  eleven  miles  to  another  Skinners 
where  I  lodged,  having  moved  32  miles  to  day.  Left  Skinners  early  on 
the  morning  of  the  24th,  crossed  a  branch  of  the  beautiful  Juniata  and 
thence  to  Colonel  Hartleys,  with  whom  I  breakfasted.  He  was  at  the 
terrible  scenes  in  the  Wyoming  valley.  After  a  pleasant  rest  I  proceeded 
to  Bedford  and  lodged  at  the  foot  of  the  Alleghany  mountains  at  Ryans. 
The  next  day  one  of  my  pistols  was  missing,  which  however  I  found  with 
some  difficulty,  by  offering  a  reward,  hid  by  one  of  the  Boys  in  the  Stable  ; 
after  it  was  recovered  I  commenced  my  journey  for  the  day  which  was 
rainy.  Passed  over  an  exceedingly  bad  road  across  the  mountain,  being 
15  miles  over  a  very  rocky  route.  At  Stony  Creek  I  breakfasted  and 
from  thence  to  Freemaus  at  the  foot  of  Laurel  Hill  where  I  lodged  in 
most  miserable  quarters.  The  26th  was  at  the  Old  Fort  Legonier  the  post 
of  General  St.  Clair  during  the  French  War,  and  proceeded  to  Iliads 
where  I  breakfasted,  15  Miles  from  that  to  a  Large  Town  bv  the  name  of 
Greensburg  10  Miles.  [At  Greensburgh  is  a  monument  to  the  same 
Major  General  Arthur  St.  Clair.]  From  thecce  to  Turtle  Creek  19  miles 
where  I  stayed  for  the  night  having  gone  44  miles.  On  the  27th'  pro 
ceeded  to  Pittsburg  being  twelve  miles  and  reached  it  at  11  o'clock  where 
I  found  ainumber  of  my  friends  which  in  some  measure  relieved  my  de 
pressed  spirits.  Farewell  my  dearest  Harriot  take  good  care  of  yourself, 


136  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

much  is  depending  on  it.     I  have  written  to  my  Father  and  others.     May 

much  happiness  attend  you  prays  your  affectionate  husband, 

Mrs.  Harriot  Van  Rensselaer,  Cherry  Hill.      SOL'  VAN  R^NSSELAER. 

Extracts  from  Captain  Van  Rensselaer' s  Note  Book, 

The  country  about  Pittsburgh  is  very  hilly,  and  a  few  miles  from  here 
is  the  Battle-ground  of  General  Braddock,  where  he  was  defeated  in  1755. 
A  French  Fort  called  Du  Quesne  was  then  standing  on  the  Pittsburgh 
site.  I  continued  in  this  place  till  Saturday  29th  ;  the  afternoon  of  which 
day  at  3  o'clock  I  embarked,  to  navigate  the  Ohio  river,  which  is  one  of 
the  most  beautiful  in  the  world,  with  a  gentle  current  and  easy  of  navi 
gation,  in  a  large  Kentucky  keel-boat  [had  a  flat  bottom,  but  no  sails,] 
loaded  with  Dragoon  equipments  and  the  Chickasaw  annuity  for  this  year, 
with  only  three  Soldiers  and  a  Quarter  Master's  man.  In  this  weak  state 
of  defence  I  commenced  a  really  dangerous  and  very  difficult  route  down 
the  picturesque  and  extensive  Ohio,  with  a  head  wind  and  rain  to  comfort 
me,  but  the  water  in  pretty  good  order  and  we  floated  quietly  all  night 
without  any  alarm  from  Indian  foes.  Early  in  the  morning  of  May  1st 
just  before  daylight  passed  Wheeling  96  miles  from  Pittsburg.  This  day 
nothing  of  note  happened  as  we  passed  along  in  sight  of  a  number  of  huts 
on  each  bank  and  a  small  town.  On  the  morning  of  2d  May  at  9  o'clock 
landed  atMuskingum  (Marietta)  a  large  and  beautiful  Settlement  of  New 
Englanders.  Here  I  remained  half  an  hour  and  took  on  board  a  Mr. 
Lowder,  a  printer  from  New  York  and  at  12  o'clock  landed  him  on  Belpree 
Island  twelve  miles  from  Marietta.  Here  I  was  introduced  to  a  Mr. 
Bachus  and  his  wife  from  New  London,  and  was  not  a  little  astonished 
to  find  so  accomplished  a  woman  in  these  desert  wilds.  Being  frustrated 
in  my  intention  of  procuring  forage  for  my  horses  at  this  place,  I  hoisted 
my  wooden  Sails  and  at  1  o'clock  P.M.  again  came  too,  at  the  lower  end 
of  the  Island,  three  miles  and  succeeded  in  getting  hay  by  paying  at  the 
rate  of  50  cts.  per  Hundred.  Opposite  this  Island  and  a  little  above  it, 
are  the  three  Settlements  of  Belpree,  each  village  3  miles  apart.  Two 
Turkeys  were  on  the  right  or  Indian  beach  for  the  first  time  since  we  left 
Pittsburg,  the  wind  continually  ahead. 

3d.  The  wind  from  the  South  accompanyed  with  rain  which  much  re 
tarded  our  progress,  a  few  huts  were  to  be  seen  on  each  Bank.  At  1 
o'clock  p.  M.,  passed  the  Great  Canawha  river,  the  Town  is  called  Point 
Pleasant,  a  name  well  adapted  to  the  situation.  Here  was  formerly  a 
Garrison  built  of  the  Inhabitants  of  Virginia  called  together  by  General 
Andrew  Lewis,  it  was  some  years  since  in  177-4  attacked  by  the  Indians, 
who  unfortunately  killed  Col.  Charles  Lewis,  but  could  not  carry  the  Fort 
which  was  strongly  fortified  with  logs  and  entrenchments.  At  half  past 
one,  passed  a  French  settlement  on  the  Indian  Bank  called  Gallipolice 
three  miles  from  the  last  river  and  100  miles  from  Muskiugum  which  we 
came  in  14  hours.  The  Country  on  each  side  of  the  River  was  beautiful 
beyond  conception  with  its  wild  scenery,  tall  grasses  and  trees. 

4th.  The  early  part  of  last  night  was  clear  and  the  moon  shone  bright 
until  about  11  o'clock,  when  a  violent  rain  and  thunder  storm  came  on 
which  lasted  until  near  four  in  the  morning,  with  so  much  violence  as  to 
put  us  in  danger  of  being  drove  on  shore.  The  water  being  high  it  was 
with  difficulty  we  could  proceed,  and  to  make  land  it  was  impossible  with 
out  infinite  danger  from  the  Indians.  No  material  injury*  however 
happened.  At  2  p.  M.,  passed  the  mouth  of  the  big  Sciota  river  on  the 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  137 

N.  W.  of  the  Ohio.  The  lands  are  very  rich  and  the  Country  level.  The 
head  waters  of  this  river  is  near  the  Lake  and  is  Navigable  for  boats  200 
miles,  the  width  of  it  is  about  150  yards.  Four  miles  below  this  Island 
at  a  friend's  Major  Bellies  on  Turkey  Creek,  the  old  Bachelor  treated  me 
with  great  politeness.  After  viewing  his  plantation  (which  is  really 
beautiful)  I  again  started  at  six  o'clock.  Some  distance  below  this,  passed 
the  three  Islands  in  the  night,  the  River  serene  and  pleasant. 

5th.  In  the  morning  it  rained  quite  fast,  and  the  wind  ahead,  passed 
Limestone  at  7  o'clock  A.  M.,  the  Kentucky  landing  place  60  miles  from 
Lexington  and  the  like  distance  from  Cincinnati,  a  number  of  houses  on 
each  bank  were  to  be  seen.  [Limestone  is  upon  Limestone  Creek  and  is 
now  called  Maysville.] 

6th.  Passed  Columbia  at  4  o'clock  in  the  morning  and  at  5  o'clock 
landed  at  Fort  Washington  in  good  order,  where  I  at  once  reported  my 
self  to  General  Wilkinson.  [In  those  early  times  it  was  a  very  hazardous 
business  to  navigate  the  Ohio  river.  Often  were  the  boats  taken  by  the 
enemy,  and  every  one  on  board,  destroyed  by  the  Indians.  And  if  the 
settlers  attempted  to  clear  new  fields,  they  did  it  at  the  peril  of  their 
lives.  Guarded  by  sentinels,  and  carrying  their  arms,  they  hoed  their 
corn  fields.  In  1791,  some  French  immigrants  settled  on  the  Ohio  river 
at  a  place,  which  they  appropriately  called  Gallipolis.  They  had  been 
swindled  out  of  about  one  hundred  thousand  crowns  in  silver,  by  a  few 
arch  knaves,  who,  visiting  Paris,  pretended  to  own  a  large  tract  of  land,  im 
mediately  adjoining  on  the  west  side  of  '  the  Ohio  company's  land/  These 
people  lived  at  Gallipolis  during  the  old  Indian  war,  and  suffered  some 
from  the  Indians  as  well  as  from  sickness,  and  many  privations  in  a  far 
wilderness.  Columbia  was  near  the  mouth  of  the  Little  Miami  river.] 

Capt.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Ms  Wife. 

My  Dearest  Wife,  Fort  Washington,  May  7,  1797. 

At  Fort  Washington  every  week  there  is  a  Mail  to  and  from  that  place, 
and  likewise  at  Knoxville,  therefore  I  shall  with  anxiety  attend  regularly 
when  the  mail  arrives.  On  Thursday  next  you  will  no  doubt  receive  my 
letter  from  Pittsburg  informing  you  of  my  safe  arrival  there,  and  the  time 
I  expected  to  leave  the  Site  of  the  old  French  Fort  Du  Quesne,  or  Fort 
Pitt.  Yesterday  a  week  was  the  time,  on  the  afternoon  of  that  day  I  set 
sail  with  a  head  wind  and  raining  very  fast.  Dr.  Carmichael  and  the 
officers  advised  me  not  to  proceed  on  my  journey  with  the  small  force 
under  my  command,  consisting  of  three  Infantry  soldiers  and  a  hired 
man,  having  in  my  charge  the  equipments  for  my  Troop,  and  the  valuable 
Chickasaw  Indian  goods  for  this  year.  The  obstacles  I  had  to  encounter 
were  very  evident  to  me,  but  knowing  how  tedious  it  would  be  to  wait 
ten  days  for  Colonel  Butler  and  the  company  who  wished  to  detain  me, 
in  a  place  where  there  was  nothing  calculated  to  draw  my  attention,  and 
above  all  the  continual  idea  of  shortening  my  absence  from  a  place,  where 
all  that  is  dear  and  interesting  to  me  in  this  life  is  fixed,  were  reasons  too 
forcible  for  me  to  disregard  every  difficulty.  Of  this  you  may  be  assured 
I  had  my  full  share ;  in  the  five  hundred  miles  I  only  stopped  three  times 
to  take  in  wood,  forage  &c.  1  kept  the  boat  afloat  at  all  times,  fair  and 
foul  weather,  night  and  day,  the  responsibility  was  intensely  felt  and  I 
had  no  disposition,  through  negligence  to  try  military  achievements  on 
inmates  of  the  many  wigwams  ever  in  sight.  Without  any  marvelous 

18 


138  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

adventures  I  reached  this  place  at  5  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  yesterday, 
all  in  good  order.  It  could  hardly  be  credited  that  I  had  come  in  so 
short  a  time  under  so  many  disadvantageous  circumstances ;  but  there 
was  no  need  of  an  affidavit  all  saw  for  themselves.  My  pleasing  expecta 
tions  of  dispatch  were  quickly  blasted  on  being  told  that  the  horses  and 
men  had  not  all  arrived.  This  is  the  case  to  my  sorrow,  nor  will  they 
be  here  in  less  than  a  fortnight  contrary  to  the  expectations  of  the  General. 
He  is  much  pleased  with  my  punctuality  and  shows  every  mark  of  friend 
ship,  with  a  wish  to  make  me  satisfied  with  my  situation.  May  \\th. 
General  Wilkinson  insisted  upon  my  living  with  him  in  his  family,  which 
I  have  agreed  to  do  while  I  remain  here.  Save  my  dear  Harriot,  I  have 
every  thing  I  can  desire  and  Jake  is  a  good  boy,  he  takes  good  care  of 
me.  I  sh  .11  be  busily  employed  the  ensuing  week  to  get  every  thing  in 
perfect  readiness  to  mount  the  men,  as  soon  as  they  arrive  from  Fort 
Defiance.  The  Saddles  &c.  will  all  want  repairing,  and  after  this  is  done 
and  the  horses  a  little  accustomed  to  firing,  I  shall  cross  the  Ohio  on  my 
route  to  the  Cumberland  in  Tennessee.  The  General  has  invited  me  to 
take  a  ride  with  him  to  the  big  Miami  tomorrow,  thirty  miles  below  this. 
To  day  we  all  dine  with  the  Lieut.  Governor  of  this  place,  I  will  soon 
have  to  prepare  for  the  occasion,  I  suppose  they  will  be  pretty  blue,  but 
for  my  part  I  declare  off.  Nine  o'clock  p.  M.  We  have  my  dear  Harriot 
just  returned  from  the  feast,  all  pretty  merry  and  one  or  two  a  little 
beyond  it.  The  afternoon  was  pleasantly  passed,  and  the  Dinner  in  great 
elegance  displayed,  nearly  as  well  as  the  Dutchmen  of  Albany  could  have 
done  it,  making  allowances  for  his  being  a  Bachelor,  it  was  better.  The 
General  showed  me  your  Father's  letter,  it  was  couched  in  very  strong 
terms,  he  wished  me  to  continue  in  service  and  told  the  General  to  keep  me 
in  it,  you  was  very  much  opposed  to  it,  for  which  they  could  make  al 
lowances  on  account  of  your  situation.  I  had  rather  he  had  been  silent 
on  that  business  *  *  *  Adieu,  Adieu.  May  God  bless  you  and  keep 
you  perfectly  well  and  happy.  your  g;ncere  Husband 

Mrs.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  SOLOMON  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Cherry  Hill,  Albany. 

Captain  Van  Rensselaer  to  Ms  Wife. 

My  Dear  Harriot:  Lexington,  Kentucky  18th  May,  1797. 

*  *  *  *  Since  writing  to  you  by  the  last  mail  from  Fort  Washington, 
I  have  been  ordered  to  this  place  to  Inspect  and  expedite  the  completion 
of  the  purchase  of  the  horses  for  my  Troop,  which  I  have  accomplished, 
they  are  fine  horses.  I  sent  on  all  those  the  Quarter  Master  purchased 
save  three  that  I  condemned,  they  would  not  pass  muster  j  yesterday  they 
left  this,  and  I  shall  follow  them  in  the  afternoon.  I  have  given  the 
Quarter  Master  directions  to  move  very  slow  with  them,  that  they  may 
be  in  good  order  when  I  receive  them.  I  shall  get  at  Fort  Washington 
two  days  before  them  and  have  every  thing  in  readiness  to  mount  the 
men  immediately  on  their  arrival ;  after  this  is  accomplished  and  the 
horses  a  little  manoeuvred  I  shall  commence  my  wished  for  march  through 
this  place  to  the  Cumberland.  Then  around  about  way  of  some  six  hund 
red  miles  to  Knoxville,  Tennessee,  where  you  shall  again  hear  from  me, 
and  likewise  before  I  leave  this  place  on  'my  return  here.  The  people  are 
very  kind  and  friendly  in  Lexington,  every  day  since  my  arrival  I  have 
dined  out,  and  am  engaged  for  a  week  if  I  was  to  stay,  but  how  very 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  CLEANINGS.  139 

differently  am  I  inclined  towards  them  now  to  what  I  was  three  years 
since.  Now  all  company  is  rather  an  iucumbrance  than  a  pleasure  to  me  ; 
no  society  can  I  enjoy  until  [  return  to  Cherry  Hill,  there  and  only  there 
can  I  be  happy,  but  alas,  this  period  is  too  far  distant.  How  many  uneasy 
moments  must  I  pass  away  before  I  can  possess  a  tranquil  mind,  never 
did  I  know  how  sincerely  I  loved  you  until  this  cruel  separation.  I  have 
injured  you  more  than  ever  I  can  make  compensation  for,  I  should  not 
have  married  until  after  I  left  the  Army ;  but  my  dear  Harriot,  you  know 
I  had  no  thoughts  of  leaving  you  at  that  time.  And  when  I  was  unex 
pectedly  called  upon,  I  could  not  retire  with  credit.  In  your  present 
delicate  situation,  you  stand  in  need  of  the  tender  care  and  sympathy  of 
a  husband  who  has  no  other  ambition  but  to  make  you  happy,  but  this 
unhappily  is  denyed  him  at  present,  but  you  know  it  is  not  through  his 
choice.  Therefore  keep  up  your  spirits  and  let  us  meet  with  fortitude 
the  misfortunes  allotted  to  each  in  this  life,  of  which  we  must  expect  our 
share,  but  very  little  can  I  boast  of  when  I  reflect  on  you. 

Write  to  Knoxville  immediately  on  the  receipt  of  this  I  shall  be  there 
about  the  last  of  next  month  ;  give  me  all  the  news  of  the  day.  Has 
the  fever  left  your  Father  ?  I  am  sorry  to  hear  of  the  misfortune  of  my 
brother  Killian,  I  saw  the  account  in  a  paper  before  I  left  Philadelphia 
that  he  had  been  captured.  My  mother's  letter  to  him  says:  "Your 
Father  has  been  to  New  York,  since  his  return  your  brother  was  brought 
in  on  April  23d  by  the  Schr  Betsey,  master  C.  N.  Mole  in  24  days. 

["  Capt.  Killian  H.  Van  Rensselaer,  late  of  the  schooner  Two  Friends 
of  New  York  port,  and  belonging  to  Thomas  White,  merchant  of  this 
city,  came  passenger  in  the  Betsey.  He  sailed  from  Wilmington,  N.  C., 
on  the  15th  of  February  bound  to  Martinico,  and  on  the  6th  of  March  in 
lat.  26,  long.  58,  he  was  captured  by  a  French  privateer  schooner,  called 
La  Voitisseur,  commanded  by  Lombar.  They  took  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer 
on  board  the  privateer,  he  was  put  in  irons,  and  deprived  of  much  j  they 
robbed  his  chest  of  all  his  papers  and  great  part  of  his  clothing.  They 
likewise  robbed  the  mate  and  crew  ;  then  sent  a  prize  master  and  six  men 
on  board  the  schooner  and  ordered  her  for  Curracoa,  detaining  the 
captain,  mate  and  2  seamen  on  board  the  privateer.  On  the  8th,  they 
spoke  the  sloop  Industry,  Capt.  Lovell  from  Charleston,  and  carried  into 
Jaquemel."] 

"  Disagreeable  news  is  furnished  with  wings  and  Killian's  misfortune 
adds  greatly  to  our  uneasiness  on  my  brother  Robert's  account,  he  too  may 
share  the  same  fate  and  I  fear  his  want  of  fortitude  in  that  case.  On 
Friday  Papa  went  to  attend  the  funeral  of  the  Patroon's  only  daughter 
she  died  suddenly  of  the  colic.  The  first  you  write  after  receiving  this 
do  inclose  me  a  lock  of  your  hair,  I  will  have  it  put  in  the  Back  of  your 
Miniature  with  some  of  mine,  like  sheaves  of  wheat.  Far  be  it  from  me 
to  beg  you  to  return  one  moment  sooner,  than  is  consistent  with  honor 
or  duty."  Capt.  V.  R.,  continues,  "  I  earnestly  pray  your  brother  Robert 
may  not  share  the  same  fate,  should  he  be  so  unfortunate,  let  me  beg  of 
you  not  to  take  it  too  much  to  heart,  it  can  answer  no  good  purpose.  A 
Brother  is  near,  but  recollect  a  fond  husband  is  nearer.  If  your  two 
brothers  Peter  and  Robert  have  arrived,  tell  them  I  am  one  of  their  best 
wishers.  I  am  now  in  great  haste  to  get  off, 

Your  affectionate  Husband, 
SOLOMON  VAN  RENSSLAER. 

Mrs.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  Cherry  Hill,  Albany. 


140  LEGACY  OE*  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 


Extracts  from  Capt.  V.  It's  Note  Book. 

May  11,  1797.  At  Fort  Washington  dined  in  Company  with  the  Gen 
eral  and  other  officers  at  the  Lieut.  Governors.  At  Fort  Washington  I 
found  the  men  of  my  old  troop  dismounted.  I  had  not  seen  the  fine  fellows 
since  the  great  battle  in  which  they  bore  a  distinguished  part.  The 
meeting  was  as  unexpected  as  gratifying.  I  immediately,  on  the  12th 
passed  over  to  Lexington,  Ky.,  to  facilitate,  superintend  and  expedite  the 
purchase  of  horses  to  mount  my  men,  and  in  a  few  days  reported  myself 
and  troop  ready  for  duty  :  having  arrived  at  Lexington  on  the  morning  of 
the  14th  and  left  in  the  afternoon  of  the  18th  and  reached  Georgetown 
12  miles  after  having  forwarded  the  horses  for  my  Troop,  and  on  the  20th 
reached  Fort  Washington  through  a  continual  rain  for  30  miles. 

21st.  The  horses  arrived  at  the  river,  Lieut.  Ball  with  thirty  Dragoons 
went  over  and  took  charge  of  them.  I  crossed  with  him  and  receipted 
for  them. 

22nd.  They  were  crossed  in  tolerable  order  and  without  confusion. 
The  two  or  three  following  days,  the  Blacksmiths  were  employed  in  Shoe 
ing  of  them,  and  the  Tarrier  in  trimming  and  Physicing  them,  whilst 
myself  closely  engaged  in  getting  every  thing  in  readiness  for  the  March  &c. 

25th.  Assorted  the  horses  to  their  Riders  and  on  the  26th,  were  for  the 
first  time  mounted,  and  after  being  inspected  by  the  Commander-in-Ohief 
crossed  the  Ohio  and  encamped  on  its  bank  opposite  Cincinnati,  to  prevent 
the  frequent  cases  of  drunkenness  in  the  Troop.  This  day  Captain  Isaac 
Guion  received  orders  to  descend  the  River  to  Natchez  in  Mississippi, 
but  did  not  go  until  the  day  after.  Captain  Ford's  company  also  received 
orders  this  day  and  the  General  descended  the  River  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Miami,  to  the  Camp  of  the  4th  Regiment  under  the  command  of  Col 
onel  Butler  intended  for  Knoxville,  and  returned  on  the  day  following 
when  Captain  Guion  Sailed  for  the  post  of  Natchez.  In  compliance  with 
my  orders  received  to  day,  I  am  exercising  my  Troop  and  in  a  few  days 
will  be  ready  to  start.  ["  The  equivocal  conduct  of  the  Spanish  authori 
ties  of  Louisiana  in  relation  to  the  treaty  of  limits  &c.  induced  General 
Wilkinson  to  reinforce  our  military  posts  on  the  Mississippi  river  ;  and  for 
this  service  he  selected  Captain  Isaac  Guion,  an  officer  of  tried  confidence 
and  approved  intelligence,  who  had  served  with  General  Montgomery 
before  Quebec,  and  possessed  great  energy  of  character/'] 

General  Wilkinson  to  Capt.  Van  Eensselaer. 

Sir,  Head  Quarters,  Fort  Washington,  May  26,  1797. 

You  are,  this  day,  to  cross  the  Ohio  river,  with  your  troop,  and  to 
commence  your  march  for  Knoxville,  in  the  state  of  Tennessee,  without 
one  moments  unnecessary  delay.  You  will  proceed  by  easy  marches,  on 
the  most  convenient  road  for  Fort  Blount,  on  the  Cumberland  river. 
Should  you  discover  on  your  approach  to,  or  arrival  at  this  place,  that  the 
Indians  are  hostilely  disposed,  you  are  to  fall  back,  either  to  Nashville,  or 
take  some  intermediate  secure  position,  where  your  cavalry  can  be  well 
subsisted,  and  wait  the  arrival  of  Lieut.  Col.  Commandant  Butler,  whose 
orders  you  are  to  receive.  But  should  you  find  the  Indians  in  a  state  of 
tranquility,  you  will  proceed  on  to  Knoxville,  with  due  military  precau 
tion  and  on  your  arrival  there,  will  report  to  the  senior  officer  on  that 
station,  and  require  quarters  and  subsistence  for  your  men  and  horses, 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  141 

where  you  are  to  wait  the  arrival  of  Col.  Butler,  unless  otherwise  disposed 
of  under  the  authority  of  the  President.     Wishing  you  an  agreeable  tour 
I  remain  with  much  friendship  your  obedient  servant, 


Captain  Van  Rensselaer. 

General  Wilkinson  was  appointed  deputy  adjutant  general  by  Gen. 
Gates,  and,  after  the  surrender  of  Burgoyne,  congress  made  him  a  briga 
dier  general  by  brevet.  Congress  was  so  overjoyed  at  the  surrender, 
they  allowed  Col.  Wilkinson,  the  messenger  of  the  glad  tidings,  to  stand 
upon  their  floor  and  announce  the  fact. 

Extracts  from  Capt.   V.  R's  Note  Book. 

June  4th.  Remained  until  this  day  in  the  family  of  the  General  Lieut. 
Ball  with  the  Troop  on  duty.  The  General,  Inspectors  and  other  Officers 
visited  our  camp  and  reviewed  the  Troop  ;  in  the  evening  I  returned  with 
them  and  remained  until  the  afternoon  of  the  5th  When  I  received  my 
Orders  to  march,  and  took  leave  of  the  General  and  others.  This  morning 
we  commenced  our  march  and  reached  Reads  on  the  Dike  Ridge  the  20 
Miles.  Seven  of  the  men  were  drunk  and  one  lost  his  sword,  for  which 
he  received  thirty  Lashes,  and  another  Six  for  his  carelessness  in  losing 
his  canteen. 

6th.  In  the  morning  commenced  our  March  and  reached  Little  Station 
at  4  oclock  P.M.  without  any  accident  happening,  here  Lieut.  Ball 
joined  me  with  Dispatches  from  the  Commander-in-Chief  for  Knoxville 
&c,  went  to  day  20  Miles. 

7th.  Left  the  Troop  under  the  Command  of  Lt.  Ball  and  proceeded 
onward  with  my  Servant  and  one  Dragoon  to  Lexington  40  miles,  with  a 
view  to  forward  him  on  express  if  a  Citizen  of  confidence  could  not  be 
had,  and  reached  that  Town  about  sunset,  and  proceeded  to  accomplish 
the  business. 

8th.  Dispatched  the  Dragoon  Express,  and  then  was  employed  in  Scour 
ing  the  Country  to  form  our  Encampment  &c. 

9th.  The  Troop  arrived  and  took  possession  of  a  beautiful  spot  two 
miles  from  Lexington.  Several  of  the  men  intoxicated  and  three  did  not 
join  this  day  which  will  be  all  the  worse  for  them. 

10th.  The  men  joined.  Corporal  Joiney  I  reduced  to  the  ranks  and  or 
dered  him  to  receive  25  Lashes  for  disobedience  of  orders.  Maynard, 
Culin  and  Jackson  received  50  Lashes  each  for  leaving  the  Troop  and 
getting  drunk. 

llth  &  12th.  Dined  with  the  citizens  who  are  very  attentive  and  friendly 
to  the  officers.  There  are  frequent  parties  visiting  our  Camp.  The 
Saddlers  and  Blacksmiths  are  employed  constantly  in  the  necessary  re 
pairs  of  the  Troop. 

13th.  The  Volunteer  Troop  of  horse,  gives  us  a  grand  and  pleasant 
Barbecue  ;  theirs  is  a  pretty  Scarlet  with  Black  and  Silver  lace.  The 
social  entertainment  in  the  open  air  gave  a  day  spent  in  harmony  and 
friendship. 


142  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

14th.  Mr.  Brown,  brother  to  a  Senator  in  Congress,  with  his  Wife  and 
a  number  of  fine  agreeable  young  ladies  honored  us  with  a  pleasant  visit. 

15th.  A  Ball  was  given  in  honour  of  the  Cloth,  but  not  feeling  much 
inclined  for  such  amusements  I  declined  going  but  I  requested  Lieut.  Ball 
to  attend,  which  he  did. 

Capt.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Ms  Wife. 
My  Lovely  Harriot,     Dragoon  Camp,  Lexington,  Ky.,  June  14,  1797. 

*  *  *  I  have  taken  possession  of  a  beautiful  piece  of  ground  in  a 
sequestered  spot  two  miles  from  Lexington,  and  have  formed  a  pretty 
Camp.  The  Ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the  City  pay  us  frequent  visits,  a 
large  party  are  to  be  out  to  day.  It  is  9  o'clock  A.  M.,  I  have  ordered 
the  Trumpeter  to  sound  for  Roll  call.  I  must  attend.  While  I  lived 
with  General  Wilkinson  in  his  family  at  Fort  Washington,  as  an  evidence 
of  his  confidence,  not  one  single  order  was  given  me  for  the  Police  or 
discipline  of  my  Troop.  I  was  left  to  make  such  a  disposition  as  I 
thought  proper,  it  gives  me  pleasure  that  my  little  experience  has  placed 
me  beyond  the  unpleasant  reflection  of  inadequacy.  Since  I  have  been 
here,  I  have  received  letters  from  the  General,  amongst  other  things  he 
says,  "  Deliver  the  enclosed  to  Col.  Butler  when  you  meet,  and  send 
forward  the  letter  for  Knoxville  in  such  a  way  as  your  discretion  shall 
direct,  it  is  of  importance.  Life  and  Laurels  my  dear  Boy  to  you."  The 
letter  I  have  forwarded  by  a  confidential  sergeant. 

5  o'clock  p.  M.  The  expected  party,  my  lovely  Harriot,  have  been 
here,  they  were  quite  agreeable,  and  I  did  the  honors  to  the  best  of  my 
skill,  June  15th.  This  morning  it  rained  a  little  which  prevented  my 
moving,  but  it  has  now  cleared  off,  and  have  given  directions  to  have 
every  thing  in  readiness  for  that  purpose  in  the  morning,  a  little 
more  time  can  I  only  devote  to  you.  The  Ball  is  Postponed  until  this 
evening  in  consequence  of  the  rain.  Lieut.  Ball  is  now  making  prepara 
tions  for  the  occasion,  but  for  my  part,  I  am  off ;  the  perusal  of  your 
affectionate  letter  will,  by  far,  give  me  more  pleasure. 

I  have  an  elegant  pair  of  bays,  these  with  a  fine  sleigh  and  then  what 
pleasure  will  I  have  with  my  Harriot.  Jake  takes  good  care  of  them  and 
behaves  well,  he  is  a  fine  boy  and  makes  an  excellent  body  servant,  you 
will  hardly  know  him.  I  draw  provisions  for  him  by  order  of  the 
General.  I  wrote  this  letter  at  different  times  as  I  could  find  opportunity, 
or  be  spared  from  the  duty  of  the  Troop,  it  is  written  on  my  knee,  1  need 
not  make  any  apology  for  inaccuracy  in  it.  Mr.  Ball  is  just  going  to 
Town  and  I  must  close,  with  the  cruel  word  Adieu. 

SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Mrs.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Cherry  Hill,  Albany. 

Extracts  from  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer' s  Note  Book. 

June  16th.  Every  thing  being  again  ready  for  a  march,  the  tents  were 
struck  and  baggage  packed.  At  ten  oclock  commenced  our  move  through 
Lexington  on  the  head  waters  of  Elkhorn  river,  with  about  900  inhabitants. 
Our  cavalry  passed  on  in  handsome  order ;  the  streets  were  crowded  with 
gaping  citizens  ex  pressing  their  entire  approbation  "  at  the  beautiful  sight," 
as  they  were  pleased  to  term  it.  The  full  uniform  and  dragooner's  heavy 
sword  always  carry  their  peculiar  charm;  perhaps  it  is  owing  to  the  satis 
faction  felt  in  knowing  how  nicely  they  can  slash  through  the  wily  In 
dian  skull,  just  like  cutting  into  a  round  ripe  pumpkin  in  successful  war 
fare  !  After  a  walker  of  20  Miles  encamped  at  a  hot  headed  Democrats. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  143 

17th.  Reached  Danville  twenty  miles  more  after  crossing  the  Kentucky 
and  Dicks'  River;  a  heavy  rain  accompanied  us  this  day.  The  high 
rocks  or  precipices  being  400  feet  high  of  Dick  river  are  wonderful ;  some 
of  the  banks  are  of  lime  stone  and  other  of  white  marble }  they  are  covered 
with  large  groves  of  red  cedar,  the  banks  high  on  both  sides. 

18th.  It  rained  fast  all  day  ;  our  clothes  being  wet,  we  continued  in  camp, 
and  were  treated  with  much  Civility  by  the  Citizens. 

19th.  Two  pack  horses  were  missing  and  could  not  be  found ;  proceeded 
to  William  Shaws,  found  a  fine  meadow  for  our  horses. 

23rd.  Having  procured  provisions  and  forage  we  left  Shurmans,  and 
after  two  miles  passed  through  the  small  town  of  Greensburgh  and  12 
miles  further  brought  us  to  the  little  Barren  river,  thence  to  the  Blue 
Spring  grove  where  we  encamped.  The  streams  from  some  of  these  springs 
are  quite  as  brinish  as  ocean  water ;  the  deer  and  other  animals  come  to 
these  licks  to  lap  up  the  salt.  The  land  here  for  eight  miles  at  least  may 
be  called  very  barren  in  every  sense  of  the  word ;  the  Soil  is  stony,  the 
grass  is  long  and  coarse  affording  but  little  subsistence  for  cattle.  Save 
small  scopes  of  timber  in  a  few  places,  nothing  but  scrubby  oaks  are 
visible.  The  extent  of  this  piece  of  most  extraordinary  land  is  100  miles 
each  way,  it  is  extremely  unpleasant  in  warm  weather  and  even  dangerous 
to  travelers.  There  are  many  curious  caves  of  miles  in  length  with  sin 
gular  pillars  and  arches;  there  was  also  a  spring  on  Green  river  the  water 
of  which  was  very  much  like  oil  and  burnt  with  a  fine  light. 

24th.  Encamped  at  Sinking  Creek ;  for  13  miles  the  water  was  very 
bad,  nauseous  with  sulphur  and  the  land  same  as  yesterday  with  very 
singular  cavities  j  the  Creek  disappears  for  some  miles. 

26th.  Found  the  4th  Regiment  under  Col.  Butler  encamped  at  the 
Forks  of  the  road  from  Nashville  I  therefore  advanced  three  miles  from 
them  and  encamped  at  Major  Wilson's  26  miles  from  our  last  encampment, 
where  I  got  some  excellent  timothy  and  corn  for  the  horses  and  Indian 
meal  for  the  men,  rain  all  this  day. 

27th.  Proceeded  in  the  rain  four  miles  to  Gen.  Winchesters,  where  I 
purchased  seven  days  provisions  and  Forage.  This  is  the  Cumberland 
Settlements  and  the  richest  soil  I  ever  beheld.  The  Fourth  Regiment 
encamped  near  us,  only  a  creek  dividing  the  camps. 

Col.  Butler  to  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer. 

Sir,  Please  give  the  Corporal  a  Pass  to  travel  the  Caney-fork  road  to 
South-west  Point.  I  have  notified  the  Officer  at  that  post  of  your  move 
ments,  and  directed  Capt.  Sharks  to  provide  for  the  Dragoons  until  they 
receive  your  orders  to  Join.  Your  Humble  Servt. 

June  28th  1797.  THOS'  BuTLER  L"  Gen'  4th  U'  S'  **&: 

The  Regiment  moved  before  sunrise  fifteen  miles.  My  Troop  continued 
in  Camp  until  near  12  o'clock,  being  detained  by  rain,  when  it  ceased  the 
line  of  march  was  taken  up.  Being  obliged  to  have  on  hand  a  quantity 
of  provisions  and  forage  to  last  us  for  150  miles  (not  burgagable  to  get 
any  at  the  Stations  in  the  wilderness)  I  directed  the  Dragoons  to  march 
on  foot  to  save  the  horses.  The  road  being  through  a  rich  country  and 
a  continual  thicket  of  cane-brake ;  it  was  very  muddy  in  consequence  of 
the  rain. 

29th.  Early  in  the  morning  moved  through  rain  and  over  intolerable 
roads,  passed  the  Infantry  encampment,  who  remained  there  for  the 


144  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

day;  the  Country  was  rich  and  well  timbered.  Crossed  the  beautiful 
River  Cumberland  at  the  Caney-fork  ferry  and  formed  our  Camp  on  the 
South  Bank  thereof,  between  the  large  Caney  Branch  and  this  river, 
fifteen  miles.  This  River  is  very  deep  and  consequently  the  current  not 
rapid. 

30th.  Moved  early  in  the  morning,  the  Dragoons  still  on  foot  but 
the  road  being  over  a  light  hilly  ridge  the  traveling  is  better.  The 
beautiful  waterfalls  among  the  hills  over  which  we  had  passed  and  the 
high  cliffs  was  an  impressive  scene.  Passed  the  Line  (two  miles  south 
east)  between  the  United  States  and  the  Cherokee  Indians  where  we  en 
camped  having  gone  twenty-five  miles. 

July  1st.  Our  route  to  day  lay  through  a  Barren  Country  for  about  six 
miles  to  the  forks  of  the  Caney-fort  and  Fort  Blount  roads  at  the  foot  of 
the  Cumberland  Mountain. 

Capt.  Van  Rensselaer  to  his  Wife. 
My  Lovely  Harriot,  Dragoon  Encampt.  July  llth  1797. 

I  reached  Knoxville  the  place  of  my  destination  on  the  5th  Inst.  after 
a  long  march  of  six  Hundred  miles,  which  I  performed  in  one  month  pre 
cisely  from    Fort  Washington.     Not  being  pleased  with  my  situation  in 
Town,    and  Col.   Butler  with  the  Fourth  Regiment  not  soon  expected,  I 
moved  on  the  6th  to  this    place  two  miles  from  it,  formed  my  Camp  and 
built  fine  strong  Stables  which  has  engrossed  all  my  time.     *     *     *     My 
Troop  is  to  be  stationary  near  this  place.     The  Country  is  beautiful  and 
healthy,  the  river  scenery  exceedingly  fine;  the  mountains  and  valleys 
have  great  natural  wonders,  and  all  is  most  agreeable  to  me.    Every  thing 
drives  on  smoothly  about  me,  not  a  man  or  horse  have  I  lost  on  the  march 
or  here.     The  Fourth  Regiment  have  lost  several  by  desertion  etc ;  in 
about  ten  days  they  will  be  here,  when  my  Troop  will  probably  take  its 
position  at  Telico  Block  House  30  miles  distant.     The  pleasing  hope  of 
receiving  a  number  of  letters  from  you  on  my  arrival  in  this  state,  made 
me  bear  with  greater  fortitude  the  fatigues  of  so  long  a  march,  but  Col. 
Butler  is  now  daily  expected  and  I  hope  on  the  first  of  September  I 
will  leave  this,  never  to  return  more  if  you  are  only  spared  to  me.     My 
time   is  almost   constantly  employed  in  the  Police  and  discipline  of  my 
Troop,  business  and  company  leave  but  little  for  writing.     I  have  this 
moment  received  a  letter  from  Colonel  Butler  advising  me  of  his  arrival 
at  the  Confluence  of  the  Tennessee  and  Clinch  Rivers,  forty  miles  from 
here,  in  a  few  days  he  will  be  here,  possibly  before  this  leaves  me  on 
next  Wednesday  by  the  mail.     Under    the    Knoxville  head  of  the    in 
closed  paper  you  will  find  my  name  mentioned,  it  will  please  you  and  so  I 
send  it  on.     I  have  a  beautiful  pair  of  Moccasins  for  you,  and   from  this 
will  see  I  intend  to  make  a  little  squaw  of  you.     I  must  stop  with  this  at 
tempt  at  a  little  liveliness,  it  does  not  correspond  with  my  feelings.    Let 
me  not  look  back  to  past  scenes,  it  is  too  distressing;  instead  of  finding 
the  happy  Harriot  to   welcome  me  with  a  tender  embrace  on  my  return 
from  short  visits  on    business  I  must  attend  to  the  dull  routine  of  camp 
duty  and  then  roused  from  my  broken  slumbers  by  the  Trumpet  before 
daylight   in    the    morning.       The    Commissioners    are    proceeding  with 
amicableness  in  the  limit  line  survey,  and  my  furlough  will  allow  me  to 
leave,  if  not  necessarily  required  here.     May  you  not  be  disappointed  in 
spending  your  Birthday,  Sept.  3,  with  me,  we  will  celebrate  it  together, 
and  may  you  see  many  days  equally  happy  with  your  doting  Husband  and 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  145 

fond  little  ones.     And  may  they  crown  you  with  Laurels  that  will  com 
pensate  for  what  you  may  suffer  ;  in  the  character  of  a  Mother  you  will 

shine  in  tho  care  of  your  little  family.  -n 

(rod  Bless  you  Jbarewell. 

Mrs.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Cherry  Hill.      SoL'  VAN  ^SSELAER. 

"  Knoxville,  Tenn.  July  19,  1797.  On  the  15th  inst,  Captain  Van 
Rensselaer  with*his  troop  of  light  dragoons,  arrived  in  this  town.  The 
good  order  and  soldierly  appearance  of  this  corps  of  horse  reflect  honor  on 
themselves  and  their  officers.  We  understand  that  the  commissioners 
who  acted  under  the  United  States,  in  running  the  line  between  this  state 
and  the  Indians,  have  desisted  from  extending  the  line  from  some  distance 
beyond  Cumberland  to  Clinch  river,  in  consequence  of  some  dissatisfaction 
expressed  by  the  Cherokees.  Col.  Hawkins  &  Mr.  Dinsmoor,  returned  to 
this  town  a  few  days  ago,  and  Gen.  Pickeus  has  remained  at  his  camp  on 
Sinking  creek  about  ten  miles  from  this  town,  though  we  just  learn  he 
will  come  to  town  tomorrow.  Also  that  Gen.  Winchester  will  shortly  be 
here,  when  it  is  uuderstood  these  vicegerents  of  Executive  power  of  the 
United  States  will  proceed  to  the  division  line  between  the  Cherokees  and 
the  district  of  Washington  and  Hamilton  in  this  state.  We  do  them  but 
justice  to  add,  that  a  strict  regard  to  the  claims  and  rights  of  both  nations 
(we  have  understood)  will  be  the  governing  principle  of  these  gentlemen/' 

General  Andrew  Pickens  took  his  first  lessons  in  the  art  of  war  while  serv 
ing  as  a  volunteer  in  Grant's  expedition  against  the  Cherokees.  He 
became  a  warm  republican  when  the  revolution  broke  out,  and  was  one 
of  the  most  active  of  the  military  partizans  of  the  South.  He  was  commis 
sioned  major  general  of  the  South  Carolina  militia  in  1795,  and  was  often  a 
commissioner  to  treat  with  the  Indians.  He  married  an  aunt  of  the  late 
John  C.  Calhoun. 

The  Furlough. 

Knoxville,  State  of  Tennesssee  July  30,  1797.  CaptainVan  Rensselaer 
of  the  Dragoons  is  permitted  to  visit  his  Family,  and  to  be  absent  during 
the  pleasure  of  the  Secretary  of  War. 

Lt.  Col.  Butler.  JA  :  WILKINSON. 

Lt.  N.  I.  Visscher  to  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer. 
My  dear  Sir,  Fort  Oswego,  November  16,  1797. 

How  many  days,  and  months,  nay  !  almost  years  have  passed  since  I 
have  beheld  a  Letter  from  you,  and  I  do  not  suppose  that  I  should  ever 
again  receive  a  line  if  I  was  not  to  write  you.  How  strange  it  is  that 
whenever  man  (I  mean  the  majority  of  mankind)  slip  into  the  matrimo 
nial  noose,  their  friendship  is  at  once  diverged.  But  with  me,  there  will 
be  a  glaring  exception  to  the  rule,  with  me ;  where  two  hearts  have  beat 
in  unison,  where  providence  has  thrown  the  sweet  ingredient  of  friend 
ship  into  the  rugged  path  of  life  to  enable  us  to  sail  down  the  torrent 
with  ease  and  safety,  nothing  can  efface  the  tie  from  my  memory.  No 
morbid  tumor  shall  rankle  in  my  breast,  nor  shall  even  the  Bridal  Bed 
snap  asunder  the  tenderest  ties  of  consanguinity,  affinity  and  friendship 
with  me.  Friendship  when  once  rooted  in  my  breast  is  not  like  the  plant 
of  a  temperate  clime  when  removed  to  a' torrid  zone,  where  the  leaf  be 
comes  withered,  the  blossom  no  more  expands  and  the  plant  enervates  and 
dies  under  the  influence  of  the  scorching  sun.  But  with  me  it  never  en- 

19 


146  LEGACY  or  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

ervates,  it  is  as  impenetrable  to  infection  as  the  castle  which  is  impregna 
ble,  is  impenetrable  to  the  sword  of  the  open  invader.  You  have  heard 
before  this  of  my  appointment  to  the  command  of  this  place.  Pray  when 
have  you  seen  Miss  Sanders  ?  I  wish  she  would  prove  friendly  in  assisting 
me  to  choose  a  partner  like  the  turtle  of  the  vale.  I  am  too  apprehensive 
of  a  rebuff,  or  I  should  request  you  to  present  my  warmest  esteem  to  her. 
I  sincerely  wish  that  my  acquaintance  with  her  was  of  an  earlier  period, 
but  permit  me  to  drop  a  subject  which  admits  of  so  much  doubt  in  its  at 
tainment  to  my  happiness.  This  goes  by  Col.  Smith  my  particular  ac 
quaintance  who  goes  in  a  Boat  that  carries  your  Trunk  from  Fort  Wash 
ington  to  Schenectady.  I  have  given  a  certificate  on  Mr.  Glen  Agent  for 
transportation,  for  the  carriage.  Present  my  friendship  to  Mrs.  V.  R. 
I  hope  you  are  made  happy  ere  this  by  an  increase  of  family,  but  mum 
on  this  score.  Adieu,  Yours. 

Capt.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany,  N.  I.  VISSCHER. 

After  remaining  more  than  a  year  at  Fort  Oswego,  Lieutenant  Nanning 
I.  Vissclier  of  the  Artillery,  was  appointed  to  the  command  of  the- gar 
rison  at  that  place.  This  fort  was  of  great  military  importance  during 
the  colonial  wars.  The  London  Magazine,  for  the  year  1757  gives  an 
account  of  the  investment  and  surrender  of  the  place,  it  was  reduced  by 
the  French  under  Gen.  Montcalm.  The  works  at  Oswego  at  this  time 
consisted  of  three  forts,  viz.,  the  old  fort  on  the  west  side  of  the  river, 
and  two  forts  on  the  east  side,  situated  on  two  eminences,  which  latter 
were  commenced  the  year  previous,  and  were  in  an  unfinished  state. 
These  works  were  very  weak,  and  the  walls  of  insufficient  strength  to 
resist  heavy  artillery.  The  English  relied  for  a  defense  upon  having  a 
superior  naval  force  upon  the  lake  but  it  was  incomplete.  The  French 
were  the  victors  and  after  the  capitulation  immediately  dismantled  the 
forts. 

Eicliard  Varick  to  Philip  Van  Eensselaer. 
Dear  Sir :  New  York,  Nov.  28,  1797. 

I  have  the  Honor  of  acknowledging  the  Receipt  of  Mrs.  Rensselaer's 
favor  without  date  accompanied  by  two  Cheeses  and  a  Bag  of  Aragrietties 
for  Mrs.  Benson  and  myself.  I  should  long  ere  now  have  forwarded  an 
Answer  with  a  Remittance  of  perishable  articles,  consisting  of  most  excel 
lent  Carolina  potatoes,  Oranges  and  a  pot  of  Brandy  peaches,  which  are 
boxed  up  and  have  been  at  the  Wharf  and  remanded  on  account  of  the 
extreme  Cold  Weather,  and  our  hearing  of  your  River  being  frozen  up  so 
as  to  Stop  the  Navigation  to  Kinderhook.  I  hope  the  river  will  open 
again,  or  both  of  us  will  be  disappointed.  While  we  congratulate  you  on 
the  Birth  of  another  Grand  Daughter,  and  wish  you  and  Mrs.  Rensselaer 
as  well  as  Arrietta  and  her  dear  Spouse  [Solomon  Van  Rensselaer]  every 
Blessing  on  the  Occasion,  we  hear  with  extreme  Concern  the  continued 
Indisposition  of  Mrs.  Elmendorf,  and  that  you  are  far  from  being  well. 
Our  best  wishes  attend  you  both  and  may  a  beneficent  Heaven  preserve 
our  friends  ;  to  his  Care  and  protection  we  cheerfully  commit  them,  assured 
that  there  alone  they  can  feel  themselves  safe  and  happy. 

With  regret  I  mention  to  you  the  Death  of  Mr.  Martin  Hoffman  of 
Mount  Ross  in  Dutchess  County  (whose  lady  you  saw  with  us).  He  died 
on  Tuesday  last  between  10  and  11,  after  about  24  or  26  Hours  Illness  of 
a  Cholic.  So  we  drop  off  one  after  another,  and  who  knows  the  next  Pas- 
sengcr  in  that  Journey.  Mrs.  Benson  joins  Mrs.  Varick  and  Miss  Laidlie 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  147 

and  myself  in  thanks  to  you  and  Mrs.  Rensselaer  for  your  present,  and  in 
our  best  wishes  for  your  Health  and  That  of  our  other  friends  of  your 
family,  to  All  whom  We  pray  to  be  affectionately  remembered.  Accept 
the  best  sentiments  of  Respect  and  Affection  from  your  Friend  (who  is 
called  to  Court  in  Haste).  RICHARD  VARICK. 

Mr.  Philip  Van  Rensselaer,  Cherry  Hill,  near  Albany. 

Secretary  of  War  to  Gapt.  Van  Rensselaer. 
t^'ir,  War  department,  25  April,  1798. 

The  Service  requiring  your  immediate  presence  with  your  Company, 
you  will  be  pleased  to  join  it  with  all  convenient  Speed. 

I  am  Sir  with  regard  Your  most  obedt  Serv. 
Capt.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany.  JAMES  M°HENRY. 

Col.  Hodgdon  to  Capt.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Philadelphia,  2Gfch  November,  1798. 

The  Generals  Washington,  Hamilton  and  Pinckney  are  here  making 
with  the  Assistance  of  the  Secretaries  an  arrangement  for  bringing  into 
effect  the  contemplated  Array,  if  you  have  any  particular  claims  to  pre 
fer  I  think  you  ought  to  be  here  as  early  as  possible,  for  it  is  not  expected 
General  Washington  will  remain  an  hour  longer  than  is  Necessary  to 
compleat  this  business  for  which  his  information  and  Station  peculiarly 
fit  and  entitle  him.  I  have  no  doubts  deserving  Officers  already  in  Serv 
ice  will  be  properly  noticed,  yet  I  think  it  best  they  should  urge  their 
pretensions  personally.  In  haste  adieu.  If  I  can  Serve  you,  command 
me.  Yours  very  sincerely, 

Capt.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer.  SAMUEI  H°D<«>ON. 

Invitation  from  General  Thomas  Pinckney. 

Mr.  Pinckney  requests  the  Honor  of  Mr.  Renslaer's  Company  at 
Dinner  on  Monday  the  23d  Febry,  at  £  past  5  oClock. 

General  WasJiington  to  JoJm  Tayloe. 
Dear  Sir  :  Mount  Vernon,  23  January,  1799. 

The  Gazettes,  which,  I  presume,  you  have  seen,  having  announced 
your  appointment  as  Major  in  the  Regiment  of  Light  Dragoons,  I  shall 
add  no  more  than  a  wish  that  it 'may  be  acceptable  to  you,  as  it  is  a  very 
honorable  one  for  any  gentleman  who  has  not  been  in  or  seen  much  service. 
The  other  Major  now  is,  and  has  been  in  the  dragoon  service  several 
years  a  Captain,  is  a  man  of  family,  genteel  in  his  person,  has  given 
proofs  of  his  gallant  behavior,  and  was  wounded  in  General  Wayne's 
victory  over  the  combined  Indian  force  in  the  year  1794. 1  Colonel 
Watts,  you  will  no  doubt  have  heard,  was  esteemed  one  of  the  best  cavalry 
officers  we  had  in  the  Revolutionary  War,  and  whose  merit  is  particularly 
well  known  in  this  state.  In  a  word,  I  believe  it  may  be  said,  that  a  more 
respectable  corps  of  officers  cannot  well  be  than  this,  if  all  the  appoint 
ments  are  accepted. 

With  great  esteem  and  regard,  I  am,  dear  Sir, 

Your  most  obedient,  humble  servant, 

John  Tayloe,  Esqr,  At  Mount  Airy.  Go"  WASHINGTON. 

1  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  of  Albany,  subsequently  a  general,  and  the  hero  of 
Queenstown. 


148  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  (CLEANINGS. 

Colonel  Tayloe  of  Richmond  county,  having  just  been  elected  to  the 
senate  of  Virginia  after  a  fatiguing  contest,  hesitated  before  accepting  this 
appointment  in  the  army,  on  the  ground,  as  he  wrote  to  General  Wash 
ington,  that  if  he  should  accept,  his  seat  in  the  senate  would  inevitably 
be  filled  by  an  opponent  of  the  administration.  Congress  called  Gen. 
Washington  from  retirement  to  take  command  of  the  army.  He  selected 
those  he  could  rely  on  and  sent  his  trusty  General  Hamilton  who  cherished 
my  father  as  a  friend  and  kinsman  for  him.  In  the  presence  of  Gen. 
Hamilton  and  Gen.  Pinckney  he  questioned  him  in  regard  to  the  state  of 
his  wounds,  and  in  January,  1800,  appointed  him  a  major  of  cavalry.  "  By 
the  law,"  says  Major  Van  Rensselaer,  "  subsequently  enacted  for  reducing 
this  army,  two  troops  of  cavalry  were  retained  without  a  field  officer,  I  of 
course,  was  among  the  disbanded,  but  not  until  after  every  effort  in  my 
favor  had  been  made  by  Governor  Jay,  the  gallant  but  ill-used  Gen. 
Schuyler,  General  Hamilton,  and  all  the  great  Federal  leaders  of  the  day 
to  have  me  retained  in  service." 

Gen.  Schuyler  to  the  Secretary  of  War. 
Dear  Sir,  Albany,  Octr.  8,  1799. 

As  it  seems  of  importance  to  the  Community  that  Military  officers 
should  as  much  as  possible,  be  selected  from  that  class  of  Citizens  whose 
property  renders  them  interested  in,  and  attached  to  the  public  weal,  If 
in  that  class  competent  characters  can  be  found  ;  Under  this  impression 
I  deem  it  a  public  duty,  respectfully  to  draw  the  attention  of  Government 
to  one  who  in  my  opinion  and  in  the  estimation  of  our  Citizens,  is  every 
way  worthy.  Captain  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  is  the  eldest  Captain  of 
Dragoons  of  the  Army  of  the  United  States  &  who  wishes  to  continue  in 
the  service,  hoping  that  from  his  standing  in  that  Corps,  he  may  with 
propriety,  solicit  promotion  to  the  rank  of  Major  therein.  Of  his  military 
character,  Government  is  probably  well  advised  ;  his  civil  one,  is  marked 
with  prudence,  sobriety,  integrity  and  patriotism.  As  it  will  afford  much 
satisfaction  here  and  to  many  of  your  friends  of  the  Government,  to  see 
its  patronage  extended  to  so  very  worthy  a  young  Gentleman,  permit  me 
to  entreat  your  countenance  in  his  favor,  with  our  worthy  President. 
I  am  Dear  Sir,  With  great  regard  &  esteem 

Your  obedient  Servant. 

Hon.  James  McHenry  &c.,  &c.,  Secretary  War.         PH>  ScHUYLER- 

Lieut.  JW.  /.  Viscclier  to  Major  Van  Rensselaer. 

My  dear  Sir,  Fort  Niagara,  Nov.  14,  1799. 

After  a  long  lapse  of  time  I  have  again  presumed  to  address  you.  I 
have  from  your  long  silence  supposed,  that  your  friendship  towards  me 
had  ceased,  yet,  I  cannot  conceive  that  the  juvenile  warmth  so  early 
kindled  into  benevolence  and  brotherly  affection, and  which  had  for  years 
been  cherished  with  the  greatest  reciprosity,  should  thus  fade  like  the 
falling  leaf.  I  think  my  conjectures  must  be  right,  for  I  cannot  conceive 
that  any  material  change  could  on  your  part  have  happened  since  I  left  you, 
save  your  rank  and  preferment  in  life,  but  this  could  not,  and  I  am  almost 
persuaded  that  it  has  not  effected  the  smallest  iota  of  change  in  you.  On 
my  part,  fortune  has  frowned  with  its  severest  dispensations  on  me  in  the 
lottery  of  promotion,  and  my  humble  rank  makes  me  despair  of  ever 
glittering  as  a  Soldier,  or  acting  a  conspicuous  part  in  the  Science 
of  War.  To  continue  speaking  of  myself  (and  which  I  do  with  diffi- 


LEGACY  or  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 


149 


dence)  I  have  for  a  year  or  two  been  more  particularly  engaged  in  scien 
tial  pursuits,  but  my  application  has  only  been  conducive  of  evincing  how 
insignificant  is  man,  and  comparatively  speaking,  I  have  been  left 
something  in  the  same  way,  that  Juno  left  Ixion,  fully  convinced  of  the 

truth,  that  "  at  twenty  man 
suspects  himself  a  fool,  knows 
it  at  30,  and  at  40  "  &c.,  thus 
have  I  in  my  searches  arrived 
at  the  second  stage,  too  well 
impressed  with  my  deficiency 
of  education,  u  and  the  thou 
sand  natural  shocks  that  flesh 
is  heir  to,"  grieved  to  death 
that  I  am  not  capacitated  to 
act  a  more  shining  part.  I  am 
sorry  to  inform  you  that  my 
religious  tenets  have  under 
gone  some  change,  but  on  this 
I  must  for  the  present  be  silent, 
and  request  the  same  of  you 
to  this  point.  I  find  that  1 
have  in  this  Letter  been  quite 
an  egotist,  but  I  write  to  you 
as  an  old  friend  and  compa 
triot,  and  with  such,  strict 
formula  is  therefore  not  neces 
sary.  I  have  lately  met  with  a 
rebuif  in  application  to  Gene 
ral  Hamilton  for  leave  of  absence.  I  shall  to-day  write  my  ultimatum  to 
the  General  on  that  score,  for  I  am  determined  no  longer  to  serve  under 
the  auspices  of  this  Frenchman,  it  will  not  be  till  sometime  in  the  winter 
I  can  expect  to  leave  this,  till  then, 

I  remain  as  usual,  your  affectionate 


N.  I.  VISSCHER. 


Major  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 

Mr.  Visscher  returned  to  Albany  and  subsequently  we  read  : 

"  Married,  on  Thursday  Jan.  8,  1807  at  Albany,  by  the  Rev.  John  M. 
Bradford,  Mr.  Nanniog  I.  Visscher,  Merchant,  to  Miss  Catharine  Glen 
Van  Rensselaer,  daughter  of  Colonel  John  I.  Van  Rensselaer,  both  of 
Greenbush." 

Alexander  Hamilton  was  born  on  the  island  of  Nevis,  British  West 
Indies.  He  was  of  Scottish  descent  by  his  father;  French  by  his  mother. 
Fort  Niagara  was  under  the  supervision  of  Gen.  Hamilton. 

In  1798,  when  an  invasion  was  apprehended  from  the  French,  and  a 
provisional  army  had  been  called  into  the  field,  President  Adams  had  offered 


150  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

the  chief  command  of  this  army  to  Gen.  Washington,  who  consented  to 
accept  in  case  Hamilton  should  be  chosen  second  in  command,  with  the 
title  of  inspector  general.  He  succeeded  in  bringing  the  organization  and 
discipline  of  the  army  to  a  high  degree  of  excellence.  The  chief  com 
mand  devolved  on  him  at  the  death  of  Washington  in  1799. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

TROUBLOUS  TIMES. 

President  John  Adams  transmitted  to  the  congress  of  the  United  States 
a  letter  received  from  Tobias  Lear,  Esq.,  private  secretary  to  General 
Washington,  communicating  the  sad  intelligence  that:  "  On  the  14th  day 
of  December  1799,  GENERAL  GEORGE  WASHINGTON  breathed  his  last  at 
Mount  Vernon  in  the  69th  year  of  his  age."  House  of  Representatives, 
Dec.  18,  1799,  Philadelphia.  Mr.  Marshall  rose  and  addressed  the 
Speaker  in  the  following  words  :  "  Information,  Sir,  has  just  been  received 
that  our  illustrious  fellow  citizen,  the  commander-in-chief  of  the  American 
army,  and  late  President  of  the  United  States,  Our  Washington  is  no 
more !  the  hero,  the  sage,  and  the  patiot  of  America,  the  man  on  whom  in 
times  of  danger  every  eye  was  turned,  and  all  hopes  were  placed,  lives 
now  only  in  his  own  great  actions,  and  in  the  hearts  of  an  affectionate  and 
afflicted  people/' 

"  Philadelphia  December  20.  In  consequence  of  the  afflicting  intelligence' 
of  the  death  of  General  Washington,  Mrs.  Adams's  drawing  room  is  de 
ferred  to  Friday  the  27th,  when  the  Ladies  are  respectfully  requested  to 
wear  white,  trimmed  with  black  ribbon,  black  gloves  and  fan,  as  a  token 
of  respect  to  the  memory  of  the  late  President  of  the  United  States.  The 
Ladies  of  the  officers  of  the  general  government  will  please  to  wear  black." 

"  WASHINGTON  is  NO  MORE  !  How  shall  we  express  our  grief  on  this  dis 
tressing  event ;  with  what  language  shall  we  give  vent  to  the  full  feelings 
of  our  hearts.  It  is  true,  he  had  reached  the  summit  of  human  honor, 
and  was  ripe  for  immortal  Glory.  It  is  true,  he  had  retired,  in  a  degree, 
from  public  office,  to  the  walks  of  rural  life.  It  is  true,  the  government 
of  our  country  has  devolved  on  wise  and  faithful  men  ;  Yet  Washington 
was  still  our  guardian,  our  pride  and  our  defence.  His  reputation  was  a 
bulwark,  and  a  shield,  under  whose  broad  and  protecting  shade  America 
reposed  with  unbounded  confidence.  He  led  our  armies  amidst  the  perils 
of  revolution  to  victory.  His  virtues,  his  wisdom  hushed  to  peace  the 
voice  of  discord,  and  consolidated  these  states  under  one  firm  government. 
Heaven  lent  him  to  us,  to  make  us  a  nation,  and  to  render  us  prosperous, 
powerful  and  happy.  Having  accomplished  his  high  errand,  he  is  now 
recalled  and  we  are  overwhelmed  with  grief.  He  was  taken  ill  on  Friday. 
An  intimate  friend  asked  him  if  he  wished  to  have  anything  done  on  the 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  151 

arrangement  of  his  temporal  affairs ;  he  shook  his  head  and  replied,  '  no 
I  thank  you,  for  my  books  are  all  posted  to  Tuesday" 

"The  Common  Council  of  ALBANY  N.  Y.,  on  hearing  the  melancholy 
tidings  of  the  death  of  GENERAL  WASHINGTON,  came  to  the  following 
resolution  : 

"  RESOLVED,  That  the  Bells  of -this  City  be  tolled  from  three  to  five 
o'clock  this  afternoon ;  [Dec.  23d]  and  that  the  Members  of  this  Board 
wear  Crape  round  the  left  arm  for  the  space  of  six  weeks,  as  a  testimony 
of  respect  to  the  memory  of  LIEUT.  GEN.  WASHINGTON,  deceased." 

During  the  tolling  of  the  bells,  minute  guns  were  fired  by  the  corps  of 
U.  S.  Artillery  stationed  in  this  city,  under  the  command  of  Captain 
John  McClallen.  The  churches  in  this  city  were  dressed  in  Mourning 
on  Sabbath,  and  appropriate  discourses  delivered. 

Funeral  Procession  in  Albany. 

Thursday,  January  9th,  1800,  was  devoted  by  the  citizens  of  Albany 
to  the  performance  of  military  and  civil  honors  in  memory  of  the  beloved 
find  venerated  Washington.  The  concourse  of  citizens,  and  inhabitants 
of  the  vicinity  was  uncommonly  numerous.  A  deep  and  mournful  silence 
hung  over  all  ranks,  and  gave  the  most  impressive  testimony  of  a  pervad 
ing  heart-felt  grief  at  the  irreparable  loss  of  a  character  uniting  such  un 
exampled  virtue  and  public  worth.  The  artillerists  of  the  United  States 
began  the  solemnities  at  daybreak,  by  firing  sixteen  guns  in  quick  suc 
cession,  and  continued  firing  a  gun  every  half  hour  until  the  signal  was 
given  by  three  guns  for  the  procession  to  form.  At  ten  oclock,  the  military 
paraded  in  Watervliet  street,  under  the  command  of  MAJOR  SOLOMON 
VAN  RENSSELAER  of  the  army  of  the  United  States,  as  Marshal.  Capt. 
McClallen  as  officer  of  the  day,  assisted  by  Adj.  Wendell  and  Lieut. 
Treat  directed  the  procession. 

[In  June,  1799,  we  find  regarding  Hearses:  "  It  is  in  contemplation 
to  bury  on  hearses,  instead  of  bearing  on  the  shoulders.  This  certainly 
will  be  an  excellent  substitute  for  bearers,  who  are  inevitably  exposed  to 
the  putrid  exhalations  of  dead  bodies,  with  which  they  are  almost  in  living 
contact.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  no  ancient  prejudices  in  favor  of  an  old 
custom  will  prevail  against  propriety  and  expedience,  for  the  life  of  no 
man  ought  to  be  endangered  if  it  can  be  avoided."] 

The  bier  was  received  on  the  left  of  the  line,  drawn  up  in  open  ranks 
with  arms  presented,  the  officers,  colors,  and  music  saluting.  Minute 
guns  firing  at  a  distance,  during  the  procession.  At  11  o'clock  by  a  signal 
of  two  guns,  in  immediate  succession,  the  procession  moved  in  the  follow 
ing  order  :  Cavalry  with  swords  reversed,  Drums  muffled,  colors  reversed 
and  in  mourning,  Band  of  Music,  instruments  dressed  in  crape.  Pall 
Bearers  were  :  Col.  Lush,  Col.  Wendell,  Genls.  Ten  Broeck,  Van  Home, 
Schuyler,  Gansevoort.  General's  Horse,  led  by  2  black  men  in  mourn 
ing  with  white  turbans.  Military  Associations  in  uniform  and  full 
mourning.  Law  Society  of  young  gentlemen  wearing  crape,  with 
badges  trimmed  with  black  ribbon;  their  president  in  full  mourning. 
Having  arrived  at  the  North  Dutch  Church,  the  procession  halted,  the 
troops  formed  in  two  lines,  with  open  ranks;  the  whole  body  of  military 
leaning  on  their  arms  reversed.  The  bier,  preceded  by  the  officers  of 
government,  and  the  clergy,  passed  through  to  the  centre  of  the  middle 
isle  of  the  church.  The  officers  of  the  army,  the  corporation  of  the  city 
and  the  respective  corporations  then  followed,  succeeded  by  the  several 


152  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

societies  in  reversed  order,  the  citizens  following.  As  the  bier  was  enter 
ing  the  church,  a  solemn  chaunt,  with  accompaniments  was  sung  by  Miss 
Lilly.  The  walls,  pulpit  and  the  stage  erected  for  the  orator,  were  draped 
with  black  cloth.  The  solemnities  in  church  were  opened  with  prayer 
by  the  Rev.  John  Bassett.  Funeral  Oration  by  Wm.  P.  Beers,  Esq. 
Concluding  Prayer  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Nott.  Anthem  in  full  chorus.  The 
vocal  accompanied  by  instrumental  music  was  very  fine.  The  bier  was 
then  removed  in  front  of  the  church  where  the  last  military  honors  were 
paid  to  the  memory  of  the  deceased.  While  the  procession  was  moving 
the  bells  of  the  respective  churches  were  tolled,  they  all  had  been  pre 
viously  muffled.  The  military  presented  a  splendid  appearance. 

On  Saturday,  February  22d  1800,  Washington's  birthday,  a  sermon 
was  preached  by  the  Rev.  John  B.  Johnson  (at  the  request  of  the  legisla 
ture  of  the  state)  on  the  death  of  Washington.  The  text  was  from  1st 
Chronicles,  29th  chapter,  28th  verse  :  "  And  he  died  in  a  good  old  age, 
full  of  days,  riches,  and  honour/'  The  church  also  at  this  time  was  draped 
with  black.  In  the  afternoon  an  oration  was  delivered  in  the  court-house. 
Our  beloved  Washington  is  no  more  !  He  has  descended  to  the  house  ap 
pointed  for  all  living,  followed  by  the  tears  of  a  nation. 

General  Hamilton  to  the  Secretary  of  War. 
Dear  Sir,  New  York,  August  8th,  1800. 

Major  Rensselaer,  who  was  eldest  captain  of  dragoons  before  the  late 
augmentation  of  the  army,  was  under  that  augmentation  promoted  to  a 
major.  He  has  some  time  since  devoted  himself  to  military  affairs,  as  a 
profession  for  life,  and  is  unwilling  to  quit.  For  my  parti  have  conceived 
there  was  a  discretion  in  the  president  on  this  subject,  which  may  be  ex 
ercised  in  favour  of  the  major.  A  field  officer  for  the  cavalry  appears  to 
me  in  every  view  proper.  For  the  character  of  Major  Van  Rensselaer, 
as  an  officer,  I  refer  you  to  Gen.  Wilkinson,  with  whom  he  served.  The 
inquiry  I  know  will  result  greatly  in  his  favour,  and  as  a  man,  there  is 
none  more  worthy :  he  is  a  kinsman  of  Mrs.  Hamilton. 

With  esteem  and  regard 

The  Hon.  Samuel  Dexter,  Secretary  of  War.  A<  HAMILTON- 

Gen.  Hamilton  to  Gen.  Wilkinson. 
Dear  Sir : 

I  have  received  your  letter  from  Washington,  my  wishes  in  every  thing 
accord  with  yours.  I  shall  be  glad  of  every  opportunity  of  brightening 
the  charm.  As  soon  as  possible  I  will  send  you  the  information  you  desire. 
A  change  pf  office  has  deranged  my  Military  papers  and  will  occasion  some 
delay.  Major  Rensselaer  unwilling  to  quit  goes  to  ascertain  the  possibility 
of  remaining.  I  am  of  opinion  that  the  thing  is  still  in  the  discretion  pf 

the  President.     You  I  know  are  his  friend.  -«- 

Yours  truly 

To  General  Wilkinson.  A.  H. 

General  Hamilton  was  a  noble  man,  quick  to  do  justice  to  others  if  in 
his  power.  In  speaking  of  General  Washington,  between  whom  and  him 
self  a  coolness  had  taken  place  towards  the  close  of  the  war,  and  the 
colonel  had  left  General  Washington's  family,  he  says,  "  all  appointments 
to  office,  wherein  he  was  especially  called  to  exercise  his  own  judgment,  he 
nobly  divested  himself  of  sympathy  or  antipathy,  and  made  what  he  con 
sidered  the  fitness  of  the  agent  to  the  office  the  ground  of  his  choice. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  153 

There  had  been  for  sometime  such  a  standing,  or  misunderstanding,  be 
tween  us,  that  I  had  no  more  expectation  of  office,  than  I  had  of  being 
appointed  pope's  nuncio,  when  I  received  the  invitation  to  take  charge  of 
the  treasury  department/'  The  coolness  was  caused  by  the  following 
malapropos  casualty.  The  army  was  encamped  in  New  Jersey,  General 
Washington  was  just  mounting  his  horse,  to  visit  his  advanced  post,  when 
he  recollected  a  letter  he  had  recently  received  from  the  British  com 
mander,  which  it  occurred  to  him  he  might  have  occasion  for  whilst  at 
the  lines.  He  called  Colonel  Hamilton,  and  requested  him,  to  hand  the 
letter  to  him.  The  colonel  returned  to  the  office,  but  not  being  able  to 
place  his  hand  on  it,  reported,  that  it  was  mislaid.  The  general  replied, 
"  I  must  have  it/'  Search  was  again  made  without  effect,  and  Colonel 
Hamilton  returning,  repeated  that  the  letter  had  been  mislaid,  and  ex 
pressed  his  sorrow  at  not  being  able  to  find  it.  The  general  rejoined  with 
warmth,  "  Sir,  you  shall  find  it."  Hamilton  was  astonished,  but  replied 
promptly,  "  I  shall  find  it,  sir,  but  must  let  you  know,  that  in  addressing 
me,  you  do  not  speak  to  a  menial/'  The  occasion  was  honorable  to  the 
parties ;  it  furnished  General  Washington  an  occasion  for  the  display  of 
his  magnanimity,  and  Col.  Hamilton  an  opportunity  to  assert  his  personal 
dignity  and  independence  of  mind.  Colonel  Hamilton  retired  from  head 
quarters,  but  was  appointed  to  the  command  of  a  battalion  in  the  elite 
corps,  at  the  head  of  which  he  stormed  a  redoubt  during  the  seige  of  New 
York  before  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis.  Whilst  secretary  of  the  treasury, 
he  was  ex  officio  one  of  the  cabinet  counselors  of  President  Washington ; 
and  such  was  the  confidence  reposed  by  that  great  man  in  his  integrity 
and  ability,  that  he  rarely  ventured  upon  any  executive  act  of  moment 
without  his  concurrence. 

There  had  been  serious  divisions  in  the  federal  party  on  account  of 
President  Adams's  course  in  the  appointment  of  diplomatic  agents  for  the 
negotiations  with  the  French  government  before  that  government  had 
officially  signified  its  willingness  to  receive  them.  Timothy  Pickering 
and  James  McHenry  were  in  Adams's  cabinet  but  opposed  to  him.  Mc- 
Henry  was  desired  to  resign,  which  he  did,  and  Samuel  Dexter  had  been 
chosen  secretary  of  war.  The  event  caused  much  excitement,  bitter 
animosities  prevailed,  while  criminations  and  recriminations  ensued.  The 
alien  and  sedition  laws  were  used  adroitly  by  the  democrats  to  excite 
the  people  against  Adams's  administration  and  the  federal  party.  Burr, 
the  most^ unscrupulous  intriguer  of  the  day,  worked  incessantly  ;  the  result 
was,  the  "triumph  of  the  democratic  party  over  the  federalists. 

Extract  of  a  Letter  from  Gen.  Wilkinson  to  the  Secretary  of  War. 

City  of  Washington,  August  9th,  1800. 

*  *  *  General  Hamilton  warmly  recommends  the  retention  of 
Major  Van  Rensselaer  in  service ;  but  I  fear  the  ground  he  takes  is  not 
tenable,  though  the  circumstance  is  undoubtedly  essential  to  the  service, 
and  is  devoutly  to  be  desired,  as  the  major  is  a  gem  worthy  preservation. 
A  squadron  of  cavalry  without  a  leader,  is  an  unseemly  thing ;  and  not 
unlike  a  body  without  a  head,  from  which  much  good  cannot  be  expected. 
Mr.  Van  Kensselaer's  pretensions  to  patronage  are  peculiarly  strong.  On 
the  20th  August,  1794,  he  received  a  shot  through  his  lungs,  at  the  head 
of  the  troop.  At  the  reduction  of  the  then  army,  he  continued  in  service, 
and  on  the  levy  of  the  late  contingent  force  he  was  taken  from  his  troop 
and  promoted  to  a  majority.  The  disbanding  this  force  has,  I  fear, 

20 


154  LEGACY  OF  HISTOKICAL  GLEANINGS. 

thrown  him  out  of  service,  unless  you  may  judge  proper  to  retain  him  on 
the  ground  of  expediency,  until  the  president  or  legislature  may  be  con 
sulted.  Certain  it  is,  he  is  essential  to  the  formation  and  discipline  of 
the  squadron,  which,  without  a  chief,  presents  an  original  spectacle. 
But  he  was  among  the  disbanded  at  the  reduction  of  1800;  and  after 
that  period,  although  anxious  for  a  military  appointment  to  which  he 
would  have  done  honour,  his  politics,  as  a  good  federalist,  opposed  an  in 
superable  bar  to  his  applications.  The  strong  party  feeling  between 
federalists  and  democrats  was  strongly  developed. 

Governor  Jay  to  the  Secretary  of  War. 
Sir,  Albany,  19th  Nov.,  1800. 

Whether  a  major  for  the  cavalry  of  United  States  should  be  retained 
in  service,  is  a  question  on  which  it  would  not  be  proper  for  me  to  make 
any  remarks.  But  if  it  should  be  deemed  expedient,  that  such  an  officer 
should  be  retained,  I  take  the  liberty  of  informing  you,  that,  from  what  I 
have  heard  and  know  of  Major  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  who  wishes  to 
devote  himself  to  the  military  profession,  I  really  think  he  merits  the  at 
tention  of  government. 

His  qualifications  and  conduct  as  an  officer  have  probably  been  made 
known  to  you  by  Gen.  Wilkinson  and  others.  His  character  here  as  a 
citizen  and  a  gentleman  attracts  general  esteem ;  and  for  my  own  part,  I 
consider  him  as  one  of  the  most  valuable  and  promising  young  men  that 
I  know.  I  have  the  honour  to  be,  with  great  respect, 

Sir,  your  most  obedient  servant,          JOHN  JAY. 

The  Honourable  Samuel  Dexter,  Esq.,  Secretary  at  War. 

Governor  Jay,  perceiving  it  was  the  policy  of  the  democratic  party  or 
those  in  power,  not  to  accede  to  his  suggestions,  subsequently  gave  to 
Major  Van  Rensselaer  the  best  office  in  his  gift,  adjutant  general  of 
New  York  state.  Regarding  which,  Gen.  V.  R.  says ;  "  Soon  after,  I  re 
ceived  the  appointment  of  Adjutant  General  of  the  militia  of  this  state, 
under  that  great  and  good  man  Gov.  Jay.  This  appointment  I  held  during 
the  respective  administrations  of  his  successors  Governors  George  Clinton 
and  Lewis  ;  for  nine  years  during  Governor  Tompkins's  administration,  and, 
though  subsequent  to  the  events  on  which  the  mention  of  these  facts  is 
intended  to  bear,  for  nearly  the  whole  period  of  Governor  DeWitt 
Clinton's."  These  marks  of  consideration  and  of  confidence  were  from 
such  high  sources,  and  justly  obtained.  After  the  completion  of  John 
Jay's  mission  to  England  to  obtain  the  evacuation  of  the  forts  wlbich  that 
power  still  held  on  the  frontiers  of  the  United  States  contrary  to  the  treaty 
of  1783 ;  compensation  for  losses  suffered  by  American  merchants  from 
the  seizure  of  their  vessels,  having  cargoes  for  France  &c.,  he  was  elected 
to  the  gubernatorial  chair  for  the  second  time  in  1795,  two  days  before  he 
landed  at  New  York. 

He  was  the  first  governor  who  set  the  beautiful  example  of  proclaiming 
a  day  of  public  thanksgiving  in  this  state.  In  1815,  he  was  appointed 
president  of  the  Westchester  Bible  Society,  and  in  the  ensuing  year,  one 
of  the  vice  presidents  of  the  American  Bible  Society  ;  in  1821,  he  became 
president  of  this  society,  which  office  he  held  till  1828,  when  he  resigned 
on  account  of  the  infirmities  of  age.  He  died  at  Bedford  May  ]7,  1829, 
aged  84  years.  Mrs.  Jay  accompanied  her  husband  to  Europe  and  on 
leaving  Paris  in  1784,  among  the  souvenirs  presented  by  Madame  de  la 
Fayette  to  her,  were  two  arm-chairs,  embroidered  by  her  own  hands.  The 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  155 

Jay  treaty  at  that  time  was  universally  applauded,  Hamilton  wrote  to  him 
"  The  New  England  people  talk  of  making  you  an  annual  fish-offering." 

Oen.  Wilkinson  to  Maj.  Van  Rensselaer. 
My  dear  Van,  .  Pittsburgh,  Dec.  29,  1800. 

Your  letter  enclosing  the  testimonials  of  Governor  Jay,  soon  reached 
me  here  and  I  immediately  transmitted  them  to  the  Secretary  of  War, 
with  every  thing  I  could  say.  Your  Brother  [Kilian  H.]  will  be  appointed 
beyond  Doubt.  Mrs.  Wilkinson  is  with  me,  and  in  Good  Health.  I 
hope  this  may  find  you  and  your  fireside  comfortable  and  happy.  Visscher 
is  on  the  \Ving  and  I  have  one  Moment  only  in  which  to  assure  you  of 
my  unalterable  attachment.  ,17. 

Major  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany. 

*  *  *  Kilian  H.  Van  Rensselaer  was  a  very  active  and  enter 
prising  man,  and  particularly  as  a  seaman  was  capable,  very  able  and 
accomplished.  We  have  good  reason  for  saying  this  much,  as  by  his 
extraordinary  exertions  on  board  a  vessel  in  which  we  were  largely  in 
terested,  in  a  very  severe  gale  of  wind  arid  a  violent  storm,  the  crew  being 
nearly  all  frozen,  it  was  by  his  exertions  alone  that  the  vessel  was  saved 
and  brought  into  port.  We  do  therefore  recommend  him  as  a  seaman 
well  qualified  for  any  Station  he  may  engage  in. 

DAVID  GILSTON. 

New  York,  Deer.  17th,  1798.  NATHN  :  G.  INGRAIIAM. 

Kilian  Henry  Van  Rensselaer  was  the  second  child  of  Major  General 
Henry  K.  Van  Rensselaer  and  Alida  Bradt,  was  born  at  Greenbush, 
Rensselaer  county,  February  17,  1769.  He  was  a  remarkably  fine  looking 
stately  gentleman  and  much  beloved  by  all. 

Secretary  of  War  to  Kilian  H.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Sir,  War  Department,  18th  February  1801. 

The  President  by  and  with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the  Senate  has 
appointed  you  a  Lieutenant  in  the  first  Regiment  of  Artillerists  and  En 
gineers  in  the  Service  of  the  United  States. 

You  will  be  pleased  to  notify  me  of  your  acceptance  or  non-acceptance 
immediately  on  receipt  hereof;  and  should  you  accept,  at  the  same  time  re 
port  yourself  to  Major  Thomas  H.  Gushing,  Inspector,  City  of 'Washington. 
I  am  Sir,  with  much  respect.  Your  Obedt.  Servt.      SAM'L  DEXTER. 

Kilian  H.  Van  Rensselaer  Esq.,  Spring  Hill  near  Albany. 

"  Kilian  Van  Rensselaer,  Esq.  of  Greenbush  is  promoted  to  command 
the  George  Washington,  of  32  guns  and  350  men,  now  lying  at  Newport, 
where  she  arrived  on  the  12th  inst.  Captain  Van  Rensselaer  passed  through 
New  York  on  Saturday  December  1800  on  .his  way  from  the  Seat  of 
Government,  to  take  charge  of  the  above  frigate.  He  is  to  proceed  with 
all  possible  dispatch  to  the  West  India  station." 

When  Mr.  Van  Rensselaer  was  making  an  effort  for  this  appointment, 
before  Mr.  Dexter  came  into  office,  in  a  letter  to  his  brother,  the  major, 
he  says :  "  Mr.  McIIenry  our  Secretary  of  War  observed  to  me,  that  he 
should  be  very  happy  to  see  one  of  our  Name  in  the  U.  S.  Navy ;  he  also 
mentioned  that  he  should  be  very  happy  to  see  me  conduct  myself,  in  my 
professional  Line,  as  you  have  done  in  yours.  He  passed  a  number  of 
very  flattering  Encomiums  on  your  prudent  Conduct  and  abilities  which 
he  desired  me  to  imitate/' 


156  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Kilian  H.  Van  Rensselaer  was  a  lieutenant  in  the  navy,  a  very  brave 
and  proud  spirited  man  who  aimed  at  a  high  position  in  life.  After  his 
promotion  he  sailed  for,  and  arrived  at  the  West  Indies  in  safety,  but  fell 
in  a  duel  at  Cape  Francis  in  Hispaniola  at  the  early  age  of  32  years  on 
Tuesday  March  17th,  1801,  with  an  English  naval  officer  on  that  station. 
The  cause  of  this  duel  was  an  insult  to  our  country  and  its  officers,  which 
the  patriotic  scion  of  the  Van  Rensselaer  family  would  not  submit  to,  and 
a  challenge  was  the  sad  consequence.  In  maintaining  the  dignity  due  to 
our  "  Star  Spangled  Banner"  he  believed  in  resorting  to  coercive  mea 
sures  if  necessary,  and  evinced  the  same  nobleness  of  spirit,  that  was  sub 
sequently  manifesied  by  General  John  A.  Dix  when  he  issued  his  famous 
order,  January  29,  1861.  "  If  any  one  attempts  to  haul  down  the  Ameri 
can  flag,  SHOOT  HIM  ON  THE  SPOT."  This  noble  officer  was  another 
victim  to  that  mistaken  code  of  honor,  which  has  so  frequently  sent  brave 
hearts  prematurely  to  the  silent  grave,  sacrifice  to  a  false  view  of  laws. 
He  now  rests  in  a  far  off  sunny  land,  beneath  the  moss-covered  stone, 
under  the  massive  branches  of  stately  trees,  shielded  by  the  luxuriance 
of  tropical  foliage  and  glittering  blossoms.  A  younger  brother  writes : 
"  Kilian  being  of  a  magnanimous  and  forgiving  disposition,  having  by  lot 
the  first  shot,  fired  his  pistol  in  the  air.  The  English  officer,  more  bull 
dog  like,  took  deliberate  aim  and  shot  him  down  ;  for  which  act,  my  and 
his  father,  and  his  other  brother,  your  father,  never  forgave  the  English 
nation.  The  old  hate  keeps  good  in  the  blood  of  the  family.  I  have  dur 
ing  life  hoped  for  an  opportunity  to  test  it  on  one  of  the  English  race, 
but  now  I  am  fast  passing  away."  In  1621,  ih&  first  duel  in  New  England 
was  fought  with  sword  and  dagger  between  two  servants.  Both  were 
wounded,  and  they  were  sentenced  to  have  their  heads  and  feet  tied 
together  and  so  to  be  24  hours. 

THE  PEOPLE  of  the  State  of  New  York  by  the  Grace  of  God  Free  & 
Independent,  To  SOLOMON  VAN  RENSSELAER  Esquire  GREETING. 
WE  reposing  especial  trust  and  confidence  as  well  in  your  patriotism, 
conduct  and  loyalty  as  your  Valour  and  readiness  to  do  us  good  and  faith 
ful  Service,  HAVE  appointed  and  constituted  and  by   these  presents   Do 
appoint  and  constitute  you  the  said  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  ADJUTANT 
GENERAL  of  the  Militia  of  our  said  State  :  You  are  therefore  to  take  the 
said  Militia  into  your  charge  and  care  as  Adjutant  General  thereof  and 
duly  to  exercise  the  Officers  and  Soldiers  of  the  said  Militia  in  Arms  who 
are  hereby  Commanded  to  obey  you  as  their  Adjutant  General  and  you  are 
also  to  observe  and  follow  such  orders  and    directions   as  you  shall  from 
time  to  time  receive  from  our  General  &  Comrnander-in  Chief  of  the  Mili 
tia  of  our  Said  State  or  any  other  your  superior  Officer  according  to  the 
Rules  and  discipline  of  War  and  to  do  &  perform  all  other  acts  and  duties 
to  the  said  office  of  Adjutant  General  by  Law  appertaining  in  pursuance  of 
the  trust  reposed  in  you  and  for  so  doing  this  shall  be  your  Commission,  for 
and  during  our  good  pleasure  to  be  signified  by  our  Council  of  Appointment. 
IN  TESTIMONY  whereof,  We  have  caused  our  Seal  for  Military  Com 
missions  to  be  hereunto  affixed.      Witness  our  trusty  &  well 
[EXCELSIOR]  beloved  JOHN  JAY  Esquire  Governor  of  our  said  State  Gen 
eral  and  Commander  in  Chief  of  all  the  Militia  and  Admiral 
of  the  Navy  of  the  same  by  and  with  the  advice  and  consent  of  our  said  Coun 
cil  of  Appointment,  at  our  City  of  Albany  the  twenty-third  day  of  January  in 
the  Year  of  our  Lord  One  thousand  eight  hundred  and  one,  and  in  the  twen 
ty-fifth  Year  of  our  Independence.  DANIEL  HALE,  Sec'T. 
Passed  the  Secretary's  Office  the  27th  January  1801. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  157 

When  the  army  was  disbanded,  Major  Van  Rensselaer  went  into  civil 
pursuits,  but,  after  the  death  of  Adj.  Gen.  Van  Home,  was  called  by 
that  great  and  good  man,  Governor  John  Jay,  to  the  responsible  position 
of  adjutant  general  of  New  York  state  on  January  23,  1801.  His  com 
mission  is  signed  by  John  Jay,  governor,  and  Daniel  Hale,  secretary,  which 
office  he  retained,  notwithstanding  the  high  political  excitement  which  agi 
tated  the  state,  for  twenty-two  years.  This  was  during  the  succeeding  ad 
ministrations  of  Governors  George  Clinton,  Morgan  Lewis,  Tompkins,  and 
for  nearly  the  whole  of  that  of  Gov.  DeWitt  Clinton  ;  the  latter  was,  sub 
sequent  to  the  time  he  rendered  such  important  and  brilliant  service,  in 
his  country's  behalf,  in  the  war  of  1812.  At  this  period  the  gallant 
major  was  appointed  an  officer  in  the  North  Dutch  church.  The  first 
time  he  went  around  at  the  close  of  the  sermon  as  an  acting  deacon,  with 
the  plate  for  alms,  he  was  closely  observed  by  his  companions.  During 
the  collection,  on  handing  it  to  our  greatly  beloved  Dr.  William  Bay, 
since  deceased,  who  was  seated  at  the  head  of  his  pew,  his  patience  was 
sorely  tested.  The  fun  loving  doctor,  with  a  twinkle  of  his  merry  eye, 
for  some  moments  fumbled  in  his  vest  pocket  to  find  his  money,  thinking 
thus  to  embarrass  the  church  officer.  With  imperturbable  gravity,  the 
young  deacon  waited  a  suitable  time,  and  then,  with  inimitable  composure, 
put  his  hand  in  his  own  pocket,  and  taking  out  a  penny,  handed  it  to  the 
mischievous,  conscience  stricken  physician.  I  have  heard  Dr.  Bay  relate 
this  incident  with  great  glee,  and  say  the  tables  were  completely  turned, 
that  all  the  mortification  was  his  own;  for  it  made  a  little  sensation  in 
the  church,  causing  the  risible  faculties  of  not  a  few  of  the  devout  wor 
shipers  to  be  exercised  at  the  ingenious  device  of  the  young  soldier. 

"  It  is  with  deep  regret  that  we  announce  the  death  of  the  HON.  MAJOR 
GENERAL  PHILIP  SCHUYLER  at  Albany  on  Sunday  evening  Nov.  18, 
1804  in  the  71st  year  of  his  life.  A  man  eminent  for  his  useful  labors,  in 
the  military,  and  civil  affairs  of  our  country.  Gen.  Schuyler  was  born  in 
Albany  on  Nov.  22,  1733.  In  the  dim  galleries  of  the  past,  where  now 
hang  the  portraits  which  commemorate  the  good,  the  gifted,  and  the  brave, 
who  pledged  their  lives,  their  fortunes,  and  their  honor  to  the  cause  of 
liberty  in  the  stormiest  days  of  the  revolution,  no  one  more  deservedly 
challenges  admiration  than  does  Gen.  Schuyler.  Among  all  those  grand 
actors  in  the  heroic  history  of  our  country,  whose  shadowy  outlines  are 
now  but  faintly  visible  through  the  smoke  of  revolution  and  the  haze  of  an 
intervening  century,  surely  none  should  be  more  proudly  recognized  than 
General  Philip  Schuyler,  especially  by  the  citizens  of  Albany.  At  an 
early  age  he  began  to  display  his  active  mind  and  military  sbirit  and  was 
a  captain  at  Fort  Edward  in  the  year  1775.  He  was  with  Lord  Howe 
when  he  fell  by  the  fire  of  the  enemy  at  the  north  end  of  Lake  George  in 
the  summer  of  1758  ;  and  he  was  appointed  to  convey  the  body  of  that 
young  and  lamented  nobleman  to  Albany  where  he  was  buried,  with  ap 
propriate  ceremonies  in  the  Episcopal  church.  He  was  a  practical,  not  a 
theoretical  statesman ;  an  active,  not  a  visionary  patriot.  He  was  wise  in 
devising,  enterprising  and  persevering  in  the  execution  of  plans  of  great 
and  public  utility.  The  death  of  such  a  man  is  truly  a  subject  of  private 
and  of  public  sorrow.  On  Wednesday  his  remains  were  interred  with 
military  honors,  in  the  family  vault  of  the  Hon.  Abraham  Ten  Broeck. 
The  military  under  command  of  Major  S.  Lansing  were  drawn  up  in  Wash 
ington  street;  and  on  the  appenrance  of  the  corps*  it  was  received  by 
the  line  with  presented  arms,  saluted  by"  the  officers  and  by  the  standard, 


158  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

which  was  enshrouded  with  crape,  and  with  melancholy  music  by  the  band. 
The  military  then  preceded  the  bier  in  open  column  and  inverted  order 
with  arms  reversed,  the  band  playing  a  dead  march.  The  pall  was  sup 
ported  by  Chancellor  Lansing,  Stephen  Lush  Esq.,  Abraham  Van  Vechten, 
Esq.,  Peter  W.  Yates  Esq.,  Col.  Van  Vechten,  John  V.  Henry  Esq., 
Mr.  James  Caldwell  and  Mr.  Barent  Bleecker.  On  the  top  of  the  coffin 
was  the  General's  hat  and  sword,  with  boots  and  spurs  reversed  across  the 
horse.  His  grey  horse  was  led  by  two  black  servants  dressed  in  black 
with  white  turbans.  The  streets  were  lined  with  people,  doors  and  windows 
were  filled,  and  even  the  house  tops  were  not  without  spectators  to  behold 
the  melancholy  procession,  and  to  pay  their  last  offices  of  respect  to  the 
deceased.  During  the  procession's  advance,  there  was  a  regular  dis 
charge  of  minute  guns  from  Prospect  Hill,  by  a  detachment  of  the 
artillery."  Subsequently  his  remains  were  removed  to  the  Albany  Rural 
Cemetery.  In  1871,  Mrs.  Mary  R.  Miller,  a  grand-daughter  of  General 
Schuyler,  erected,  at  her  own  expense,  a  costly  granite  monument  over 
his  remains,  in  one  of  the  finest  plots  on  the  domain  given  by  the  trustees 
of  the  cemetery.  It  is  eminently  fitting  that  this  beautiful  city  of  the 
dead,  so  near  to  the  home  where  he  dwelt  while  living,  ajid  where  slumber 
the  descendants  of  friends  and  neighbors  who  stood,  shoulder  to  shoulder 
in  the  contest  of  the  past,  should  furnish  for  his  remains  a  resting  place. 

"  Gather  him  to  his  grave  again 
And  solemnly  and  softly  lay, 

Beneath  the  verdure  of  the  plain, 
The  warrior's  scattered  bones  away." 

June  16,  1806.  Monday  at  11  o'clock  A.  M.,  there  was  a  total  Eclipse 
of  the  Sun  ;  the  stars  appeared  and  it  was  dark  as  at  night  for  3  J  minutes. 

Thursday,  July  3,  1806.  A  shock  of  Earthquake  was  sensibly  felt  at 
10  o'clock  which  caused  much  alarm  but  no  disastrous  effects  from  the 
occurrence. 

Judge  Van  Ness  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Hudson,  18th  March,  1807. 

Ever  since  my  arrival  I  have  been  engaged  in  making  arrangements 
relative  to  the  election.  This  morning  I  returned  from  Cats-Kill,  I  find 
our  friends  in  this  Country  languid  though  united.  In  this  place  the 
leading  federalists  are  firm  and  determined,  some  of  our  friends,  however, 
have  as  yet  not  made  up  their  minds.  Mr.  C — 1  talks  reasonably  and  I 
believe  without  disguise,  many  things  might  be  stated  which  would  satisfy 
you  that  great  ardor  and  great  zeal  could  not  be  expected  from  him.  I 
have  every  reason  to  believe  that  with  some  trouble  he  will  be  induced  to 
alter  his  tone,  and  to  act  promptly  and  decidedly  in  conjunction  with  his 
party.  I  however  may  be  disappointed  and  I  therefore  am  induced  to 
add  that  no  great  expectations  are  intended  to  be  excited.  I  am  most 
thoroughly  and  completely  satisfied  that  Mr.  C — 1  is  not  a  Clinton  man, 
on  this  I  would  hazard  my  existence.  The  Govr.  has  his  doubts  on  this 
subject.  He  stated  to  me  a  conversation  with  a  Cliutonian,  relative  to 
Mr.  C — 1  which  I  confess  alarmed  me.  When  at  Catskill  I  satisfied -my 
self  that  Mackay,  not  Harry  C — 1  was  the  person  alluded  to  by  the 
gentleman  with  whom  Governor  Lewis  conversed.  Mackay  edits  the 
Recorder.  I  will  explain  this  at  another  time.  The  federalists  at  Cats- 
kill  are  not  opposed  to  Gov.  Lewis,  Benton,  Haxtun,  and  one  or  two  of 
their  dependants  exempted.  But  they  are  not  yet  active  or  zealous, 
measures  have  been  taken  to  awaken  them,  never  did  you  know  such 


LEGACY  >C$F  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  159 

exertions  as  are  made  by  the  Clintonians  here  and  in  Green.  Could  it 
have  been  so  ordered  as  to  have  roused  our  friends,  all  their  exertions 
would  have  been  counteracted,  much  can  and  will  yet  be  done.  But  it 
requires  more  than  one  man  to  set  a  whole  party  in  motion,  why  should 
we  exert  ourselves  ?  is  a  question  daily  put  to  me  !  I  answer  it  as  well  as 
I  can,  my  friends  listen  to  me  but  they  are  not  all  satisfied.  However,  I 
flatter  myself  we  shall  do  pretty  well  both  here  and  in  trreen.  But  how 
much  better  we  might  have  done  if  a  proper  course  had  been  pursued  ! 
never,  never  have  I  known  so  glorious  a  prospect  for  the  triumph  of  good 
men  and  good  principles  so  strangely  and  unaccountably  trifled  with.  The 
policy  which  has  been  pursued  was  doubtless  conceived  to  be  the  true  policy. 
I  have  been  for  some  time  and  am  daily  becoming  more  and  more  satisfied 
that  if  we  lose  the  election  it  is  because  the  temper  and  views  of  our  pary 
have  been  entirely  misunderstood  and  wantonly  sported  with  by  the 
Council.  I  yesterday  received  a  line  from  our  friend  Foot.  He  is  ex 
tremely  wroth,  and  is  nominated  as  a  Candidate  for  the  Senate.  The 
appointment  of  the  Sheriff  in  Delaware  has  excited  great  uneasiness  there, 
and  I  fear  much  injury  will  result  from  it.  Foot  tells  me  he  has  written 
to  Tillotson.  When  I  left  Albany  I  mentioned  to  the  Govf  that  it  was 
host  to  postpone  the  appointment  of  the  officers  of  the  indef  endant  com 
pany  proposed  to  be  raised  here  until  I  might  ascertain  the  state  of  things 
here  a  little  better.  It  is  essential  that  the  appointments  should  be  made 
as  soon  as  may  be,  at  the  same  time,  I  do  not  mean  that  these  appoint 
ments  should  precede  all  others  of  a  military  kind.  We  had  a  meeting 
here  last  evening  respecting  Charter  officers,  never  did  I  see  our  party  in 
this  City  more  animated  as  it  respects  the  support  of  federal  candidates, 
about  170  voters  attended.  We  appointed  a  Committee  for  our  County 
meeting,  which  will  be  about  the  10th  April,  I  am  one  of  the  Committee 
the  rest  are  good  men.  I  hardly  know  what  I  have  written,  I  am  con 
fined  to  my  house  this  inorning  (I  began  this  letter  yesterday)  by  a  smart 

fever.     Do  let  me  hear  from  you  soon.    0. 

J  Sincerely  and  truly  yours. 

W.  W.  VAN  NESS. 
Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Esqr.,  Adjt.  General,  Albany. 

At  this  time  there  was  a  great  struggle  between  the  democrats  and 
federalists.  William  W.  Van  Ness  was  one  of  the  most  eminent  leaders 
among  the  latter.  On  June  9,  1807,  by  the  Hon.  the  council  of  appoint 
ment,  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  justices  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Ju 
dicature  of  New  York  state-,  and  took  the  place  of  Judge  Livingston. 
No  appointment  which  has  been  made  gives  greater  satisfaction.  It 
reflects  great  credit  on  Governor  Lewis.  He  was  a  man  of  most  wonder 
ful  ability,  and  seemed  to  know  every  thing  that  was  necessary  for  a  man 
and  judge  to  know.  Nothing  he  ever  said  or  did  seemed  to  cost  him  any 
effort,  yet  there  was  a  power  and  a  strength  in  his  intellectual  movements 
which  every  body  felt  who  witnessed  them.  He  was  a  brilliant  and  a 
noble. hearted  man,  pure  in  spirit  and  in  purpose  as  he  was  gigantic  in  his 
intellectual  proportions. 

These  were  troublous  times,  dating  as  far  back  as  1792.  "When  the 
proclamation  of  the  French  republic  was  made  known  in  America,  and 
that  the  French  had  made  a  conquest  of  Austrian  Netherlands,  the  friend 
ship  of  Holland  during  our  own  revolution  seemed  to.be  forgotten,  for 
there, was  an  outburst  of  popular  feeling  in  favor  of  the  French  republic; 
they  were  blind  to  the  total  difference  between  their  own  revolution  and 


160  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  - 

that  in  France.  In  honor  of  this  great  change  there  was  a  grand  fete, 
held  in  Boston,  January  24,  1793.  An  ox  was  roasted  whole.  It 
was  then  decorated  with  ribbons,  and  placed  upon  a  car  drawn  by 
sixteen  horses.  The  flags  of  the  United  States  and  France  were  dis 
played  from  -the  horns  of  the  ox.  It  was  paraded  through  the  streets, 
followed  by  carts  bearing  sixteen  hundred  loaves  of  bread  and  two 
hogsheads  of  punch.  These  were  distributed  among  the  people,  and  at 
the  same  time,  a  party  of  three  hundred,  with  Samuel  Adams,  lieutenant 
governor  of  Massachusetts,  at  their  head,  assisted  by  the  French  consul, 
sat  down  to  a  dinner  in  Faneuil  Hall.  To  the  children  of  all  schools  who 
were  paraded  in  the  streets,  cakes  were  presented,  stamped  with  the  words 
Liberty  and  Equality. 

By  public  subscription,  the  sums  owed  by  prisoners  in  the  jail  for  debt 
were  paid,  and  the  victims  of  that  barbarous  law  were  set  free.  These  de 
monstrations  were  soon  followed  by  the  arrival  of  Citizen  Genet,  as  he  was 
styled,  as  minister  of  the  French  republic  to  the  United  States.  He 
came  in  a  frigate,  and  was  landed  at  Charleston,  South  Carolina.  His 
reception  was  all  that  his  ambition  could  have  demanded,  and  his  journey 
from  there  to  Philiadelphia,  the  national  capital,  was  a  continued  ovation. 
He  was  a  man  of  culture  and  tact,  spoke  the  English  language  fluently, 
was  frank,  lively  and  communicative.  He  was  precisely  the  man  for  his 
peculiar  mission.  He  mingled  familiarly  with  the  people,  proclaimed 
wild  and  stirring  doctrines,  scorned  all  diplomatic  art  and  reserve,  and 
assured  the  citizens  of  the  United  States  of  the  unbounded  affection  of 
his  countrymen  for  the  Americans.  The  republican  leaders  hailed  his 
advent  with  delight;  and  a  large  portion  of  the  people  were  favorable  to 
immediate  and  active  participation  by  their  government  with  France  in 
its  impending  struggle  against  armed  Europe.  Many  in  the  wild  enthu 
siasm  of  the  moment,  forgetting  the  difference  between  American  and 
French  liberty,  would  not  have  hesitated  an  instant  in  precipitating  their 
country  into  a  war  that  might  have  proved  its  utter  ruin.  If  our  citizens 
have  not  already  been  shedding  each  others'  blood,  it  is  not  owing  to  the 
moderation  of  Mr.  Genet  but  to  the  forbearance  of  the  government." 

It  was  fortunate  for  the  country  that  a  man  like  Washington,  and 
his  wise  counselors  were  at  the  helm  and  halliards  of  the  vessel  of 
state  at  that  time,  and  endowed  with  courage  sufficient  to  meet  the  dan 
gerous  popular  gale.  The  unwarrantable  conduct  of  Mr.  Genet  from  the 
moment  he  landed  in  Charleston,  until  the  date  of  his  letter  on  the  sub 
ject  of  the  negotiation,  was  sufficient  to  excite  caution  in  the  American 
government.  He  had  there  violated  the  sovereignty  of  the  United  States 
by  enlisting  men  and  giving  them  commissions  to  commit  hostilities  on 
nations  at  peace  with  us.  The  president  issued  a  proclamation  of  neu 
trality,  warning  citizens  of  the  United  States  not  to  take  part  in  the  kind 
ling  war.  At  the  same  time  it  was  agreed  that  the  minister  of  the  French 
republic  should  be  received.  The  wisdom,  and  timeliness  of  Washington's 
proclamation  of  neutrality  was  soon  made  manifest.  There  were  written 
proofs  that  Genet  was  truly  engaged  in  villainous  machinations  against 
our  peace  and  friendship,  in  endeavors  to  excite  discord  and  distrust  be 
tween  our  citizens  and  those  whom  they  had  entrusted  with  their  govern 
ment.  He  had  secret  instructions  in  his  pocket  also  to  foment  disturbance 
between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain,  and  to  set  the  American 
government  at  defiance,  if  necessary,  in  the  execution  of  his  designs.*  The 
executive  department  however,  unawed  by  the  storm  of  passion  that  beat 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  161 

upon  it,  went  steadily  forward  in  the  path  of  right  and  duty.  These 
measures  greatly  irritated  the  French  minister  and  his  American  partizans. 
Mr.  Genet  assumed  a  new  and  bolder  line  of  conduct;  he  engaged  in  a 
correspondence  with  our  government  which  on  his  part  was  replete  with 
insults,  till  finally  the  government  instructed  our  minister  at  Paris,  to 
desire  Mr.  Genet's  recall  because  he  was  offensive  to  that  of  the  United 
States.  He  was  recalled,  but  never  returned  to  France  as  a  change  of 
faction  had  taken  place  in  his  country,  and  he  thought  it  not  prudent  to 
do  so.  Mr.  Genet  often  spoke  in  after  days  of  the  wisdom  of  Washington 
and  his  administration ;  the  folly  of  his  own  countrymen  at  that  time  and 
their  admirers  in  America,  and  rejoiced  that  the  proclamation  of  neutrality 
defeated  his  wild  scheme. 

(Mr.  Genet  married  a  daughter  of  Gov.  George  Clinton.  His  daughter 
married  a  son  of  Col.  Nicholas  Van  Rensselaer  of  Greenbush ;  and  his 
second  son  married  Magdalena  Witbeck  a  grand-daughter  of  Col.  Nicholas 
Van  llensseher  who  fought  at  Quebec  in  1775.  Mr.  Genet  was  buried 
in  1834,  in  the  grave  yard  of  the  Reformed  Dutch  church  at  Greenbush, 
and  since  then  his  eldest  son  has  been  laid  by  his  side). 

The  failure  of  Citizen  Genet's  mission  put  an  end  to  these  unhallowed 
schemes  of  conquest,  not  however,  until  they  had  produced  annoying  effects 
upon  the  national  government.  A  spirit  of  intolerance  had  been  continued 
all  this  time,  and  still  existed  even  in  1806,  beyond  the  control  of  sober 
men,  of  either  party ;  there  were  more  than  ordinary  causes  for  this ;  the 
influence  of  the  French  revolution  upon  the  people  of  this  country  re 
mained  with  great  power ;  the  annunciation  of  liberty  restored  in  France, 
after  a  dark  night  of  centuries,  gave  an  impulse,  that  caused  a  delirium 
in  the  public  mind,  especially  among  the  masses.  It  was  enough  that  the 
chain  was  broken,  and  the  Bastile  destroyed ;  the  Marseillaise  and  other 
famous  national  hymns  of  the  French  revolution  were  chanted  in  our 
streets ;  scarce  a  thought  occurred,  whether  here  were  materials  to  lay  the 
foundation  of  rational  liberty ;  whether  the  French  character,  at  all  times 
easily  excited,  light,  frivolous  and  changeable,  ignorant  of  the  first  princi 
ples  of  free  government,  did  not  require  a  long  training,  to  prevent  its 
termination  in  anarchy,  or  a  despotism  more  oppressive,  than  that  from 
which  they  had  escaped.  Many  in  the  ardor  of  their  feelings,  were  ready 
to  suspect  some  of  the  best  friends  of  liberty,  if  they  expressed  fears  of 
the  final  result.  An  individual  who  was  not  prepared  to  hurra  for  the 
French,  would  have  but  little  influence  at  elections  with  a  portion  of  the 
republican  party.  On  the  other  hand,  the  prevailing  temper  of  the 
federal  party  was,  to  stigmatize  their  opponents,  as  French  Jacobins,  ready 
to  approve  the  atrocities  of  the  French  revolution  then  apparent.  In  this 
state  of  things,  truth  requires  the  admission,  that  the  republican  party 
was  more  infected  with  the  mania  of  wild  French  democracy,  than  their 
opponents.  The  federalists  having  the  power  of  the  state  in  their  hands, 
were  rather  intolerant  in  the  exercise  of  that  power  ;  this  at  times  produced 
much  irritation.  The  federal  party  were  in  favor  of  the  Constitution  of 
the  United  States,  and  the  republican  party  generally  opposed  to  its  adop 
tion  without  certain  amendments,  and  in  consequence  called  anti-federal 
ists.  There  were  feelings  of  alienation  on  that  ground  and  prejudices 
which  had  not  yet  been  removed  ;  there  was  also  much  personal  hostility 
between  individuals  arising  from  real  or  imaginary  wrongs,  these  gave 
keenness  to  the  edge  of  political  warfare. 

21 


162  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

The  political  elements  were  in  violent  commotion  and  extended  to 
Albany,  at  which  place  Mr.  Genet  now  resided.  The  democratic  party 
were  nearly  all  in  raptures  and  sympathized  with  Citizen  Genet:  not  so 
my.  paternal  grandfather,  General  Henry  K.  Van  Rensselaer.  Although  a 
strong  democrat,  the  old  soldier  had  shed  his  blood  too  freely  for  our  inde 
pendence  to  see  it  now  bartered  away  so  easily ;  he  still  carried  in  his 
thigh  a  constant  remembrancer  in  the  shape  of  British  lead,  and  exerted 
himself  to  stay  the  torrent  of  a  misguided  community.  He  gave  his  opi 
nion  freely,  stating  insolent  declarations  and  menaces  regarding  America, 
which  Genet  had  made  to  him,  in  the  presence  of  his  son  the  adjutant 
general  and  others.  He  was  contradicted  and  told 'it  was  false;  and 
this  was  more  fully  expressed  at  a  public  meeting  of  democrats,  of  which 
Elisha  Jenkins  was  secretary,  by  means  of  the  adverse  resolutions,  re 
garding  a  federal  meeting,  which  were  unanimously  adopted.  His  son 
Solomon,  was  justly  incensed  that  his  own  untarnished  integrity  was  thus 
maligned  ;  and  though  opposed  to  his  father  in  politics,  being  a  strong 
Federalist,  would  not  hear  of  such  an  insult  to  his  venerable  and  de 
crepit  sire  without  notice.  It  was  the  law  of  a  soldier's  nature  which 
prompts  him  to  repel  a  base  attack  on  the  reputation  of  the  brave  and 
the  deserving,  in  the  same  spirit  which  he  would  meet  an  assault  on  a 
military  post  or  position,  which  had  been  committed  to  his  own  spe 
cial  keeping.  He  flies  irresistibly  to  the  rescue  of  his  comrade,  when  in 
danger,  and  he  is  always  ready  to  thrust  himself  in,  to  receive  any  blow 
which  he  sees  aimed  at  the  one  whom  he  would  save.  Elisha  Jenkins 
(secretary  of  state)  being  the  author  of  the  resolutions,  adopted  at  the 
republican  meeting  that  questioned  Gen.  Van  liensselaer's  veracity,  was 
held  responsible.  The  sequence  of  a  well  merited  chastisement  inflicted 
on  the  secretary  as  a  base  traducer,  was  the  occasion  of  a  disgraceful  po 
litical  row,  the  crafty  handiwork  of  democratic  demagogues  showing 
"  the  good  old  times  of  their  boyhood,"  which  resulted  in  serious  injury 
to  the  intrepid  and  high  minded  son.  The  first  brand  thrown  into  the 
fire  consisted  of  an  affidavit  by  Colonel  Nicholas  Staats,  of  the  county  of 
Rensselaer,  charging  Adjutant  General  Van  Rensselaer  with  what  was 
characterized  as  ;'  Corrupt  Influence/'  to  favor  the  re-election  of  Governor 
Lewis.  This  was  followed  by  an  affidavit  from  Gen.  Solomon  Van  Rens 
selaer  and  his  father,  Gen.  H.  K.  Van  Rensselaer,  denying  the  whole 
charge,  together  with  other  affidavits  and  letters.  The  allusions  to  Mr. 
Genet  in  these  documents  called  the  minister  of  France  to  his  feet. 
In  consequence  of  which  he  published  a  lengthy  statement  as  a  counter 
debate,  for  the  opposers  of  Governor  Lewis  in  order  to  defeat  his  re 
election  and  implicate  the  reputation  of  the  adjutant  general  had  fabri 
cated  an  affidavit  which  was  the  occasion  of  much  trouble. 

E.  C.  Genet's  Counter  Statement. 

Prospect  Hill,  April  7th,  1807. 

Among  the  shafts  which  unknown  hands  dart  incessantly  at  me  through 
the  poisoned  channel  of  the  papers  devoted  to  the  .most  virulent  faction, 
I  have  noted  one  whose  authors  have  had  at  least  the  honesty  to  give  their 
names.  I  will  accordingly  answer  them  in  the  same  way,  excepting  the 
ceremony  of  an  oath,  which  I  do  not  consider  as  necessary  to  strengthen 
my  declarations. 

The  affidavits  of  Messrs.  Henry  K.,  and  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer 
might  require  on  my  part  several  remarks  ;  but  as  the  public  are  very 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  163 

little  interested  to  know  the  minute  particulars  of  my  conversation  with 
them,  I  will  merely  state,  that  the  motives  which  induced  me  to  obtain 
from  Mr.  Nicholas  Staats,  at  the  request  of  several  of  my  friends  in 
Albany,  a  testimonial  proof  of  certain  facts  which  that  gentleman  had 
frequently  divulged,  were  grounded  on  public  good  and  equal  justice. 
An  attempt  made  to  seduce  the  honor  of  that  representative  of  the  people, 
and  entice  him  to  deviate  from  the  path  of  faithfulness  to  constituents, 
was  a  very  alarming  precedent,  if  true,  or  a  very  slanderous  report,  if 
unsupported  by  evidence.  The  case  is  now  before  the  tribunal  of  the 
public,  and  I  am  satisfied  to  have  done  my  duty  as  a  citizen,  in  exposing 
it  there. 

I  wonder  how  private  opinions,  totally  unconnected  with  the  transac 
tion  above  mentioned,  have  been  introduced  in  the  affidavits  of  the  said 
gentlemen.  It  appears  to  have  been  done  with  an  intention  to  hurt  me  : 
but  as  passion  is  very  often  blind,  her  blows  seldom  bear.  I  could  also 
go  to  a  justice  of  the  peace  and  swear  on  the  Holy  Book,  that  I  never 
have  said,  to  the  best  of  my  recollection,  that  after  Napoleon  the  1st  had 
dispatched  England  in  "  case  the  government  of  the  United  States  did  not 
conduct  towards  him  with  more  civility  and  friendship  than  they  had 
hitherto  done,  they  would  next  be  attacked  and  subjugated  to  him  " — but 
by  the  use  or  abuse  which  has  been  lately  made  of  affidavits,  I  confess 
that  I  am  a  stranger  to  the  point  in  dispute,  it  would  have  very  little  effect 
upon  my  mind.  I  prefer  to  demonstrate,  by  plain  reasoning,  that  I  have 
not,  that  I  could  not  have  asserted  that  such  an  event  should  take  place, 
with  those  degrading  circumstances,  or  that  I  have  been  grossly  misun 
derstood.  The  great  object  of  the  editors,  co-operators  and  suppliers  of 
the  quid  papers  is,  to  make  the  people  believe  that  I  am  here,  at  Prospect 
Hill,  the  agent,  the  emissary,  the  factotum  of  Bonaparte  !  Is  it  probable, 
if  I  had  accepted  that  important  embassy,  after  having  abjured  my  alle 
giance  to  France,  when  France  ceased  to  be  free,  that  I  should  be  im 
prudent  enough  to  disclose,  in  that  delicate  situation,  the  ambitious  views 
of  my  employer?  Is  it  probable  that  I  should  be  ignorant  that  he  does 
not  complain  of  our  general  administration  ?  Is  it  probable  that  I  should 
have  offered  for  the  service  of  this  country,  as  I  can  prove  I  have  done, 
memorials  on  the  use,  organization  and  tactics  of  the  flotillas  and  plans 
for  the  defense  of  our  coasts  and  harbors  ?  Is  it  probable,  that  knowing 
the  principles  of  the  present  form  of  government  in  France,  I  should 
support  here,  by  all  the  means  in  my  power,  the  cause  of  liberty  ?  No, 
certainly  not.  The  idea  of  a  French  invasion  to  take  place  after  the  con 
quest  is  accomplished,  has  for  several  years  been  held  up  among  the 
people,  but  I  have  always  considered  and  represented  it  publicly  and 
privately  as  a  mere  folly,  if  it  was  sincere,  or  as  a  trick  of  the  English 
and  federal  alarmists  if  it  was  not ;  and  I  never  have  thought  that  the 
conquest  of  the  United  States  could  be  an  object  of  glory,  ambition  or 
•interest  for  France.  What  glory  would  there  be  for  those  veteran  legions 
who  have  annihilated  the  renowned  legions  of  Austria,  Prussia,  llussia, 
and  so  many  other  powers,  to  cross  the  ocean  for  the  purpose  of  attacking 
a  militia  valorous  but  not  yet  equally  disciplined  ?  In  what  would  the 
ambition  of  France  be  gratified  by  crushing  down,  at  an  immense  ex 
pense,  a  government  which  owes  to  her  in  a  great  measure  its  existence  ? 
And  what  advantage  would  there  Be  for  her  to  paralyze  by  despotism  the 
wonderful  activity  and  enterprise  of  a  people  so  useful  to  her  manufacto 
ries,  to  her  trade,  to  her  colonies,  and  whom  she  has  lately  treated  with 


164  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

so  much  magnanimity,  in  excluding  them  from  the  severity  of  the  decree 
of  Berlin  ?  It  is  absurd,  it  is  deleterious  to  admit  the  possibility  of  such 
an  unnatural  event,  unless  that  spirit  of  experience,  reason,  good  sense 
and  patriotism,  which  has  occasioned  the  downfall  of  federalism,  should 
abandon  our  fellow-citizens,  and  raise  up  a  new  English  faction,  ready  to 
insult,  outrage,  provoke,  and  even  declare  war  against  the  most  powerful 
nation  on  earth.  But  in  case  the  judgment  should  be  passed  on  us  by 
heaven,  then  would  we  see  whether  the  quids  or  the  republicans  would 
be  the  first  to  shed  their  blood  for  the  defence  of  their  country,  and  to 
perish  rather  than  be  conquered  and  subjugated.  F  f  T 

The  state  of  excitement  was  such,  after  the  letter  of  Mr.  Genet  was 
published,  that  an  indignation  meeting  of  the  federalists  was  held  at  the 
City  Hall,  on  the  14th  of  April,  1807,  at  which  among  many  other  resolu 
tions  the  following  were  adopted  : 

14  *  *  *  And  whereas  this  meeting  has  understood  that  a  certain  emi 
grant  from  France,  formerly  minister  of  the  French  Republic  in  the 
United  States,  and  notorious  for  his  intrigues  during  the  administration 
of  President  Washington,  is  now  zealously  interfering  in  the  elections  of 
this  state,  and  has  declared  to  one  of  our  fellow-citizens :  "  That  in  case 
the  Government  of  the  United  States  did  not  conduct  towards  the  Emperor 
of  France  with  more  friendship  and  civility  than  it  had  hitherto  done,  they 
would  next  be  attacked  and  subjugated  by  him." 

Resolved,  As  the  sense  of  this  meeting,  that  the  said  declaration  is  an 
unjustifiable  attempt  to  alarm  the  fears  of  our  citizens,  to  violate  the  free 
dom  of  suffrage,  and  to  overawe  the  ensuing  election  by  the  menace  of 
foreign  powers.  And  it  is  further 

Resolved,  That  the  renewal,  at  this  critical  juncture,  of  the  intrigues  of 
the  above  mentioned  French  emigrant,  after  so  long  an  interval  of  obscur 
ity,  viewed  in  connection  with  the  late  turbulent  attempt  of  the  above 
said  Irish  emigrant,  [Thomas  Addis  Kmmet  in  an  attempt  made  in  the 
Hibernian  Society  of  Yew  York  to  inflame  the  passions  of  foreigners] 
contrary  to  his  professed  intention  of  taking  no  active  part  in  political  and 
party  questions,  affords  strong  grounds  of  suspicion  and  belief  that  a  great 
effort  is  now  making,  by  a  certain  party  in  our  state,  to  accomplish  party 
purposes  by  the  united  force  of  a  dangerous  foreign  influence. 

They  considered  the  influence  of  intriguing  and  turbulent  foreigners  as 
dangerous  to  the  peace  and  safety  of.our  country. 

Sol.  Van  Rensselaer  to  E.  C.  Genet. 

Cherry  Hill,  15th  April,  1807. 

In  your  statement  of  the  7th  instant,  you  seem  to  consider  General 
Van  Ilensselaer's  and  my  affidavits  as  violent  attacks  upon  you.  Had 
you  reflected  one  moment,  it  would  have  occurred  to  you  that  you  was 
the  first  assailant.  Your  officiousness  in  procuring  the  affidavit  of  a* 
weak  and  intemperate  man  to  fix  a  stigma  on  my  character,  for  the  pur 
pose  of  implicating  the  Governors,  and  of  which  I  warned  you  to  desist 
before  that  affidavit  was  published,  rendered  a  defence  highly  proper. 
In  making  that  defence  I  deemed  it  right  to  submit  to  the  public  every 
circumstance  that  might  serve  to  develop  your  views,  or  to  designate 
your  secret  prompters.  I  do  not.  howftver,  mean  this  explanation  by  way 
of  apology  for  anything  contained  either  in  the  Generals  or  my  own  affi 
davit,  to  such  an  apology  you  are  not  entitled,  because  by  assuming  the 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  165 

humble  employment  of  an  affidavit  hunter,  to  subserve  the  basest  party 
purposes,  you  have  forfeited  the  consideration  of  every  respectable  citizen. 
Whatever  the  abuse  may  be  which  has  been  actually  made  of  affidavits, 
it  cannot  exonerate  you  from  the  imputation  of  having  made  the  foolish 
and  unwarrantable  assertions  stated  in  the  affidavits  first  alluded  to.  But 
lest  my  object  in  tins  disclosure  may  be  misapprehended,  I  now  tell  you, 
that  it  was  not  because  I  gave  credence  to  your  assertions  or  thought 
them  wise  ;  but  because  I  conceived  that  they  evinced  your  real  disposi 
tion  in  relation  to  the  relative  interests  of  this  Country  and  France,  for  in 
that  view,  it  is  of  little  moment  how  absurd  and  preposterous  soever  the 
assertions  are,  when  an  adopted  citizen  (as  you  call  yourself)  utters  senti 
ments  which  denote  that  he  has  not  abjured  his  alien  propensities,  with 
the  renunciation  of  his  first  allegiance,  it  shows  that  the  work  of  abjura 
tion  is  not  perfected.  That  such  a  man,  whatever  his  professions  may  be, 
is  still  an  alien  at  heart,  and  not  to  be  trusted  in  case  of  a  coniflct  between 
his  adopted*-  and  native  country.  I  shall  take  no  further  notice  of  your 
statements,  nor  of  the  obligations  which  you  seem  inclined  to  impose  on 
the  United  States  toward  France  '•'•for  their  political  existence,  and  the  mag 
nanimity  of  Bonaparte,  in  excluding  them  from  the  severity  of  the  decree 
of  Berlin,''  than  by  observing,  that  whatever  those  obligations  may  be, 
they  were  due  to  your  murdered  Sovereign,  and  not  to  the  Usurper, 
whose  magnanimity  and  heroism  you  on  all  occasions  delight  to  extol. 
But  that  the  public  may  be  more  fully  apprised  that  your  confessed 
conviction  of  the  absurdity  of  your  assertions  relative  to  Bonaparte's 
subjugation  of  this  Country,  does  not  restrain  or  regulate  your  tongue,  I 
now  subjoin  two  more  affidavits.  Hence  it  will  appear  that  there  are 
four  affidavits  opposed  to  your  bare  assertion  on  this  subject.  Go  then  to 
"  a  justice  of  the  peace  and  swear  on  the  Holy  Book  "  that  you  never  made 
use  of  the  expressions  stated  in  those  affidavits,  and  then  let  an  impartial 
public  decide  where  the  falsehood  lies. 

With  respect  to  your  affidavit  maker,  Staats,  I  only  remark,  that  while 
he  stands  convicted  in  essential  points  by  two  credible  witnesses,  besides 
myself,  an<J  is  a  convicted  liar  l  of  many  years  standing,  and  was  seen 
going  hoima  intoxicated  on  Saturday  the  llth  inst.,  when  his  affidavit, 
accompanying  your  statement  was  taken,  I  deem  it  unnecessary  to  bestow 
any  further  attention  on  him  than  by  exhibiting  that  conviction  anew  to 
the  public.  SOL.  VAN  KENSSELAER. 

u  The  demonstration  made  by  the  federalists  at  their  indignation  meet 
ing  on  the  14th  was  followed  by  a  mass  meeting  of  democrats,  at  which 
Mr.  Rufus  King,  resident  minister  of  the  United  States  at  the  court  of 
London,  came  in  for  a  large  share  of  censure,  while  Mr.  Emmet  was 
warmly  applauded  as  deserving  of  thanks.  They  viewed  with  lively 
satisfaction  the  bright  prospect  of  triumph  for  their  cause. " 

"  At  a  numerous  meeting  of  republican  electors,  held  pursuant  to  notice, 
at  the  Albany  Coflee  House,  on  Friday,  17th  April,  1807,  George  Mer 
chant,  chairman,  Elisha  Jenkins,  secretary.  The  meeting  proceeded  to 

JMr.  Staats  in  the  year  1798,  caused  a  publication  to  be  made  in  the  public 
papers  about  himself  in  regard  to  the  nomination  of  Mr.  Jay,  which  was  proved 
to  be  a  mis-statement  as  solemnly  declared  on  oath  by  eighteen  persons  who  were 
cognizant  of  the  whole  affair. 


166  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

take  into  consideration  the  resolutions  passed  at  a  federal  meeting  lately 
held  in  this  city,  censuring  the  conduct  of  THOMAS  ADDIS  EMMET,  Esq., 
and  approving  the  interference  of  RUFUS  KING,  Esq.,  American  minister 
at  London,  in  preventing  the  migration  of  certain  Irish  state  prisoners 
to  these  United  States,  and  other  resolutions  passed  at  the  same  meeting. 
The  business  of  the  meeting  was  opened  and  explained  by  the  Honorable 
John  Tayler,  in  an  eloquent  and  spirited  appeal  to  the  judgment  and 
feelings  of  all  present.  After  reading  the  federal  resolutions,  etc.,  the 
following  RESOLUTIONS  were  read  and  duly  considered,  and  the  question 
being  put  upon  each,  they  were  all  unanimously  agreed  to  :"  *  *  * 
The  Third  Resolution  was  the  cause  of  the  State  street  affray,  viz : 

"  RESOLVED,  That  we  wholly  disbelieve  that  EDMUND  C.  GENET,  the 
former  minister  of  the  French  republic,  has  declared,  '  that  in  case 
the  government  of  the  United  States  did  not  conduct  themselves  towards 
the  Emperor  of  France  with  more  friendship  and  civility  than  it  had 
hitherto  done,  they  would  next  be  attacked  and  subjugated  by  him.'  And 
we  are  warranted  herein,  not  only  by,  the  positive  denial  by  Mr.  Genet  of 
his  having  made  such  a  declaration,  but  by  the  whole  tenor  of  his  conduct 
which  has  fallen  under  our  notice  sin  ce  his  residence  in  this  part  of  the 
state.  That  this  meeting  has  incontestible  evidence  of  his  attach 
ment  to  this  country,  inasmuch,  as  he  has  purchased  and  holds  considera 
ble  real  estate  within  this  state ;  has  resided  here  more  than  fourteen 
years,  has  been  naturalized  more  than  three  years,  and,  by  his  marriage 
with  the  daughter  of  a  native  citizen  of  distinguished  rank,  by  whom  he 
has  several  children,  he  has  every  tie  to  bind  him  to  the  interests  of  his 
adopted  country.  That  to  deny  him  the  rights  of  an  elector,  would  be  a 
prostration  of  the  constitution  and  laws  of  the  UNITED  STATES,  and  an 
act  of  tyranny,  which  we  abhor  and  detest. 

"  Resolved,  That  we  see  no  evidence  whereon  to  ground  a  suspicion  or 
belief,  that  an  effort  is  now  making  to  accomplish  party  purposes  by  the 
united  force  of  a  dangerous  foreign  influence;  but  to  the  contrary  thereof, 
the  citizens  now  assembled  see  in  this  charge  the  revival  of  those  stale 
and  antiquated  attempts  of  the  federal  party,  to  alarm  and  agitate  the 
public  mind  for  the  obvious  purpose  of  promoting  the  election  of  Morgan 
Lewis,  and  defeating  that  of  the  republican  candidate  Daniel  D.  Tompkins 
&c.  &c/; 

The  next  thing  in  order  was  the  fight  in  State  street :  After  Dr.  Samuel 
Stringer  had  dressed  the  wounds  of  General  Van  Rensselaer,  at  the  Ton 
tine  Coffee  House,  which  was  located  on  the  north  side  of  State  street, 
above  where  the  City  Bank  now  stands,  he  was  taken  to  Cherry  Hill,  on 
a  mattress,  in  a  boat.  His  thick,  beautiful  long  hair,  fortunately,  was 
braided  and  clubbed  behind,  and  this  had  afforded  some  protection  to  his 
head  •  but  his  symptoms  continued  very  alarming.  The  stroke  from  the 
heavy  club  on  the  back  of  his  head,  and  the  dastardly  kicking  after  he 
was  prostrate,  brought  him  to  the  verge  of  the  grave ;  for  many  weeks  he 
lay  nearly  unconscious,  and  the  chance  for  life  appeared  but  small.  "The 
patient  was  confined  to  his  bed  about  three  weeks,  sometimes  worse  and 
sometimes  better  \  the  wound  probably  would  unfit  him  for  business  many 
years.  Any  violent  exercise  of  body  or  mind,  at  some  future  day,  might 
carry  him  off.  Dr.  Stringer  was  repeatedly  asked  by  defendant's  counsel, 
whether  he  knew  that  there  was  a  contusion  of  the  brain  in  VanRcnsselaer's 
case  ;  the  witness  replied,  that  he  had  not  been  on  the  inside  of  the  skull  to 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  167 

look.  Witness  had  forbidden  his  riding  even  in  a  chair,  Van  Rensselaer  had 
formerly  rode  much  on  horseback  •  but  could  do  it  no  more."  For  years 
afterwards  he  could  not  bear  the  motion  of  a  carriage. 


Lieutenant  Governor  Tayler  to  the  Public. 

I  certify,  that  I  do  not  know  or  believe  that  his  Excellency  Governor 
Lewis  furnished  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Esquire,  with  a  Cane  on  Tues 
day  last;  nor  do  I  know  or  Believe  that  the  said  Solomon  had  the 
Governor's  Cane  during  the  Affray  on  that  day  ;  nor  do  I  Know  or  Believe 
that  his  Excellency  the  Governor  did  in  any  manner  encourage  or  coun 
tenance  said  Affray,  but  when  I  saw  him,  alter  it  was  over,  he  plainly 
and  unequivocally  disapproved  thereof.  T  T 

Albany,  25th  April,  1807. 


William  James,  while  writing  at  the  back  of  his  store,  heard  Mrs. 
Cooper  scream  and  went  out  just  in  time  to  separate  Bloodgood  from  Van 
Rensselaer.  "  Mrs.  Cooper  was  between  Tayler  and  Van  Rensselaer  when 
Bloodgood  came  up."  Mrs.  Cooper  had  been  an  intimate  friend  of  my 
mother's,  and  till  her  death,  my  father  always  sent  a  couple  of  olikoeks 
to  her,  on  New  Year's  day  by  the  hand  of  her  excellent  son.  Gen.  Cooper. 

The  following  letter  was  received  a  few  days  subsequently. 

Lieut.  Governor  Tayler  to  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer. 

Sir,  Albany,  24th  April,  1807. 

The  unfortunate  affray  that  took  place  on  Tuesday  last  excites  in  me 
the  deepest  regret,  and  to  add  to  the  misfortune  the  grossest  misrepresent 
ations  are  propagated,  it  is  said  that  my  negro  was  armed  with  a  Club, 
and  the  others  of  my  friends  were  also  armed  and  prepared. 

I  can  in  the  most  solemn  manner  declare  this  to  be  an  untruth,  I  did 
not  Suspect  any  thing  of  the  kind  nor  did  I  know  that  Mr.  Bloodgood 
was  in  my  house,  passion  and  not  Malice  induced  me  to  address  you  in 
.harsh  Language  and  to  go  up  to  you  when  you  called  to  come  on.  I  was 
confident  from  your  skill  in  the  use  of  the  back  sword,  that  small  injury 
only  if  any  could  fall  on  you  from  the  mean  of  defence  I  possessed,  in 
this  I  am  sure  you  will  agree  with  me  and  I  can  most  solemnly  protest 
that  I  meant  no  more. 

Mr.  Cooper  at  my  door  seeing  me  engaged  with  two  men  as  he  supposed 
ran  out  and  got  between  you  and  Mr.  Schermerhorn,  getting  hold  of  him 
but  did  not  as  he  positively  declares,  see  you  after  that  or  touch  you  at 
any  time,  Lis  back  being  towards  you. 

Mr.  Bloodgood,  acted  under  the  same  impression,  as  he  also  positively 
declares,  and  that  neither  of  them  made  use  of  any  harsh  or  improper 
language  to  which  they  are  willing  to  be  qualified. 

That  I  should  in  the  remotest  degree  be  the  mean  or  Instrument  of 
giving  so  much  pain  and  distress  to  a  family  for  whom  I  always  had  the 
greatest  respect  gives  me  great  pain.  Mr.  Bloodgood  most  sincerely 
laments  his  imprudence  and  would  not  hesitate  to  make  any  atonement  in 
his  power.  I  have  learnt  with  pleasure  that  the  Symptoms  were  very 
favorable  last  Evening. 


168  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

That  the  Parent  of  all  good  may  be  graciously  disposed  to  Continue 
them,  and  that  your  health  may  Soon  again  be  restored  to  the  great  Joy 
of  your  respectable  and  afflicted  family  is  the  Sincere  wish  and  devout 
prayer  of  Your  distressed  humble  Servant, 


Solomon  Van   Rensse-       /  /  laer,  Esqr., 
Adjutant  General    //         of  the  State 

of  New  York. 

"  Those  savage  gentlemen,  who  came  well  nigh  being  assassins,  hired 
persons  to  watch  the  house  and  obtain  information,  as  to  the  patient's  situa 
tion,  from  the  four  attending  physicians.  They  made  arrangements  to 
leave  the  country  in  case  of  his  death,  which  for  a  long  time  was  hourly 
expected."  One  of  the  honorable  men  sent  a  beautiful  letter,  expressive 
of  contrition,  to  my  dear  afflicted  mother  and  begging  her  forgiveness; 
but,  while  she  believed  his  deep  regret  to  be  sincere,  the  wrong  inflicted 
was  felt  too  acutely  ;  and  the  uncertainty  if  the  life  of  her  "  loved  one" 
would  be  spared,  together  with  the  thought  that  the  wound  might,  at  any 
rate,  unfit  him  for  business  many  years,  decided  her,  and  in  sorrow  the 
letter  was  at  once  returned  to  him.  They  all  regretted  this  sad  breach  of 
friendship,  and  many  years  after,  when  the  federal  and  part  of  the  demo 
cratic  party  united  on  DeWitt  Clinton  for  governor,  th4y  sent  friends 
to'  my  father's  friends,  to  ask  them  to  intercede,  and  beg  for  a  reconcilia 
tion  and  his  forgiveness.  The  general  sent  them  word,  he  was  not  a 
savage,  he  forgave  them,  but  could  not  forget  the  wrong  done,  however, 
he  was  willing  "  to  bury  the  hatchet,"  and  meet  their  advances  if  they 
were  sincere.  It  was  a  great  trial  to  him,  but  those  who  had  once  been 
the  aggressors,  behaved  so  frankly,  so  heartily,  while  the  friends  on  both 
sides  engaged  in  bringing  about  the  renewal  of  friendship  effected  it  so 
handsomely  and  judiciously,  that  after  a  long  consultation  with  my  mother,, 
he  fully  consented.  The  step  was  never  regretted,  and  those  once  bitter 
political  enemies,  were  ever  after  his  warm  friends.  Francis  Bloodgood, 
when  on  his  death-bed,  sent  a  mutual  friend,  Isaac  Denuiston,  Esqr.,  to 
beg  my  father  to  visit  him  and  grant  him  forgiveness.  With  tears  rolling 
down  his  aged  cheeks,  the  venerable  man,  pleaded  that  General  Van 
R.ensselaer  would  accompany  him,  to  that  chamber  of  death.  From  a 
quivering  lip,  slowly  came  the  response  :  "Tell  Mr.  Bloodgood  I  freely 
forgive  him,  but  cannot  go  to  see  him." 

Years  after  in  1826,  my  mother  accompanied  my  father  on  a  tour  of 
inspection  of  post  offices,  by  order  of  post  master  general,  John  McLean  ; 
from  one  of  her  letters  we  take  this  extract :  "  At  Rochester  we  remained 
a  few  days,  after  viewing  the  Falls  left  there  in  a  canal  boat  in  company 
with  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Elisha  Jenkins,  they  were  very  sociable.  All  was 
as  pleasant  and  cordial  as  if  nothing  disagreeable  had  occurred  between 
the  gentlemen;  they^parted  with  regret  on  both  sides." 


LEGACY  OK  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  169 

A  Brief  Statement  of  Facts  WhicJi  led  to  and  attended  the  Affray  in  Albany, 

April  21**  1807. 

On  the  17th  instant,  at,  a  meeting  of  the  Clintonians  in  this  city,  certain 
Resolutions  were  adopted,  one  of  which  declared  the  utter  disbelief  of  the 
meeting  of  certain  facts  contained  in  a  deposition  of  HENRY  K.  VAN 
RKNSSELAER,  Esquire,  and  SOLOMON  VAN  RENSSELAER,  Esquire,  the 
Adjutant  General.  The  latter  gentleman  feeling  himself  grossly  injured 
and  insulted,  and  having  understood  that  the  Resolutions  were  drawn  up 
by  ELISIIA  JENKINS,  Esquire,  who  was  Secretary  of  the  meeting,  at 
tacked  Mr.  Jenkins  in  the  street  on  the  morning  of  the  21st  inst.,  having 
first  accosted  him  and  told  him  to  defend  himself,  and  gave  him  a  severe 
caning  *  *  ^  Mr.  Jenkins  himself  being  armed  with  a  cane.  About 
two  hours  after  this  Judge  TAYLER,  in  the  presence  of  several  gentlemen, 
used  abusive  language  of  the  Adjutant  General,  calling  him  Assassin, 
Rascal,  Scoundrel,  &c.,  and  shortly  after  seeing  the  Adjutant  General 
passing  down  State  Street,  pursued  him  with  his  cane  raised,  calling  him 
damn'd  rascal,  and  demanding  of  him  why  he  had  used  Mr.  Jenkins  thus, 
and  coming  up  with  him  attacked  him,  the  General  defending  himself 
with  his  cane,  which  was  soon  wrested  from  him  by  Judge  Tayler 
*  *  *  *  On  which  Mr.  Cornelius  Schermerhorn,  jun.  came  up  and 
furnished  him  with  another,  with  which  he  struck  Judge  Tayler,  and 
while  they  were  thus  engaged  Francis  Bloodgood,  Esquire,  and  Dr. 
Charles  D.  Cooper  came  up,  one  of  them  crying  knock  the  damn'd  rascal 
down,  the  other  kill  the  damn'd  rascal,  and  Bloodgood  with  the  thick  end 
of  a  heavy  cane  which  he  held  with  both  his  hands,  struck  Van  Rens- 
selaer  from  behind  a  blow  that  felled  him  *  *  *  Both  Tayler  and 
Cooper  as  well  as  Bloodgood,  then  struck  Van  Rensselaer  while  down 
with  their  canes,  and  Cooper  also  kicked  him,  Van  Rensselaer  being 
raised  up  by  two  persons  and  greatly  disabled,  walked  off  with  their  as 
sistance,  Bloodgood  pursued  him,  and  while  he  was  led  off,  struck  him 
two  severe  blows  with  the  thick  end  of  his  cane,  held  as  before,  Van 
Rensselaer  being  then  unarmed. 

While  Judge  Tayler  and  Mr.  Van  Rensselaer  were  engaged,  and  jusfc 
before  the  first  mentioned  blow  from  Mr.  Bloodgood,  Henry  Yates  jun. 
Esq.,  came  up  and  interfered  with  Mr.  Van  Rensselaer,  but  being  disabled 
himself  by  a  stroke  from  a  person  unknown  retired.  The  Governor, 
[Morgan  Lewis  took  hold  of  Tayler  and  told  him  it  was  a  shame.  Tayler 
replied,  My  dear  Governor,  I  could  not  help  it,  are  we  to  be  murdered  for 
expressing  our  sentiments,]  who  happened  to  be  near  at  the  time  of  the 
affray,  exerted  himself  to  the  utmost,  in  quelling  the  tumult,  and  the 
Mayor  of  the  city  [Philip  S.  Van  Rensselaer]  and  other  Magistrates, 
were  very  active  in  the  discharge  of  their  duty.  The  Adjutant  General 
now  lies  very  dangerously  ill  of  his  wounds.  To  prevent  erroneous  im 
pressions,  as  to  the  transaction  above  mentioned,  and  to  contradict  the 
false  reports  that  have  been  industriously  circulated,  by  our  political  oppo 
nents,  to  answer  party  purposes,  we  publish  the  above  statement,  from 
actual  testimony,  and  from  a  full  conviction  of  its  truth.  By  order  of 
Federal  Republican  Committee  of  Albany, 

JOHN  H.  WENDELL,  Chairman. 

TEUNIS  VAN  VECIITEN,  Secretary. 
Albany,  27th  April,  1807. 

22 


170  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 


CHAPTEK  VIII. 

SPEECH  OF  HON.  ELISHA  WILLIAMS. 

The  affray  gave  rise  to  more  law,  ill  feeling  and  vindictiveness  than 
any  occurrence  that  ever  took  place  in  Albany.  For  this  murderous 
attack,  Gen.  Tan  Rensselaer  subsequently  had  all  the  parties  arrested, 
and  those  concerned  in  the  several  encounters  went  to  law  about  their 
grievances.  [The  difficulty  which  caused  these  suits  took  place  at  Albany, 
on  the  21st  day  of  April,  1807,  a  few  days  previous  to  the  general  elec 
tion,  at  which  time  the  republican  candidate  Daniel  D.  Tompkins  was 
elected  over  Morgan  Lewis  of  the  federal  party.]  The  actions  were  com 
menced  in  the  Supreme  Court,  and,  by  consent  of  parties,  referred  to 
SIMEON  DE  WITT,  Esq.,  Mr.  JAMES  KANE  and  Mr.  JOHN  VAN  SCHAACK, 
as  arbitrators,  and  was  tried  at  Albany  in  Aug.  1808.  ABRAHAM  VAN 
VECHTEN  and  JOHN  WOODWORTH,  Esqs.,  were  associated  with  ELISHA 
WILLIAMS,  as  counsel  for  Mr.  Van  Kensselaer,  and  THOMAS  R.  GOLD, 
EBENEZER  FOOTE  and  JOHN  CHAMPLAIN,  Esqs.,  were  opposed.  SPEECH 
OF  HON.  ELISHA  WILLIAMS  in  the  causes  of  Elisha  Jenkins  vs.  Sol.  Van 
Eensselaer.  Solomon  Van  Kensselaer  vs»  John  Tayler.  The  same  vs. 
Charles  D.  Cooper.  The  same  vs.  Francis  Bloodgood. 

"  The  great  importance  of  these  controversies  to  my  client,  as  they  re 
spect  his  feelings,  his  property  and  his  character,  is  the  only  apology  I 
shall  offer  to  you,  gentlemen,  for  the  observations  I  am  about  to  submit. 
The  high  confidence  reposed  in  you  (who  are  selected  by  the  parties  them 
selves)  may  be  more  finely  expressed  by  the  opposite  counsel,  but  cannot 
be  more  sincerely  felt  than  by  ourselves.  Nor,  gentlemen,  can  a  more 
sure  and  ample  pledge  of  your  ability,  candor,  and  integrity,  be  required, 
than  that  which  you  have  furnished  in  the  patience  and  impartiality  you 
have  displayed  through  the  tedious  details  of  this  unprecedented  investi 
gation.  These  considerations,  inspire  a  confidence  that  the  few  observations 
I  shall  now  submit  to  you,  will  be  attentively  heard  and  duly  appreciated. 

"  The  opposing  counsel  have  confined  their  observations  to  the  transactions 
of  that  unfortunate  day,  when,  on  the  one  hand  insolence  and  insult  were 
justly  chastised,  and  when  on  the  other,  unbridled  rage  and  brutal  violence 
finally  triumphed  in  the  destruction  of  a  patriot  and  a  soldier.  They  have 
described  General  Van  Ilensselaer  as  the  baleful  star,  which  arose  in  the 
morning,  and  produced  and  justified  all  the  fatal  excesses  and  crimes  per 
petrated  throughout  the  day.  Upon  this  theme,  they  have  poured  forth 
torrents  of  declamation,  and  evinced  all  the  fiction,  all  the  '  melancholy 
madness/  if  not  the  inspiration  of  poetry. 

"But,  gentlemen,  I  must  beg  the  favor  of  you  to  travel  back  with  me 
to  an  earlier  period,  to  examine  the  causes,  which  produced  the  misfor 
tunes  of  that  unhappy  day.  And  if,  in  this  examination,  we  find  that  the 
political  elements  were  in  violent  commotion,  prior  to  that  lamented  day, 
if  we  find  that  the  machinations  of  the  evil  genius  of  our  country,  had 
prepared  all  things  for  an  explosion,  if  in  fine,  we  find  '  the  hand  of  Napo 
leon  even  in  this  thing/  let  us  hear  no  more  of  '  the  baleful  morning  star/ 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  171 

and  its  baleful  mid-day  influence.  Rather  let  the  guilty  authors  of  those 
horrid  transactions,  those  incendiaries,  who,  to  gratify  an  unholy  ambition, 
dared  to  attack  and  stigmatize  the  fair  fame  of  a  soldier,  to  torture  his 
honorable  feelings  with  the  most  unfounded  calumnies,  until  at  length 
they  compelled  him  to  raise  his  arm  in  defense  of  his  injured  character, 
let  these  calumniators  be  dragged  before  the  public,  and  let  them  feel 
from  your  hands,  gentlemen,  the  punishment  which  their  dastardly  con 
duct  merits. 

"What,  then,  is  the  real  cause  of  all  these  outrages,  where  and  when 
did  they  commence,  and  by  whose  hand  was  the  fatal  apple  of  contention 
thrown  among  these  parties  ? 

"  It  had  pleased  Mr.  Edmund  C.  Genet,  by  some  means,  to  procure  from 
a  Mr.  Nicholas  Staats,  an  affidavit,  deeply  impugning  the  character  and 
conduct  of  the  adjutant  general.  [Said  to  be  a  bribe  to  vote  for  Gov. 
Lewis.]  The  adjutant  general,  then,  not  suspecting  the  dark  and  cxten-  ' 
sive  system  which  had  been  planned  for  the  destruction  of  his  character, 
accompanied  by  his  aged  father,  called  on  Staats  for  an  explanation  of 
his  affidavit.  He  was  referred  to  Genet,  whose  bureau,  it  seems,  had 
now  become  the  grand  arsenal,  whence  were  to  be  drawn  all  the  political 
weapons  and  democratic  ammunition  which  the  approaching  contest 
might  require.  Staats,  acknowledging  the  errors  which  his  affidavit  was 
calculated  to  propagate,  declared  to  the  general  that  he  had  long  refused ; 
but  finally  was  prevailed  upon  to  swear  by  the  incessant  and  pressing 
solicitations  of  Genet ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  referred  him  to  the  citizen 
for  an  inspection  of  his  oath.  The  General  and  his  father  then  repaired 
to  the  house  of  Genet,  there  it  was  that  the  offensive  observations  were 
made  which  are  detailed  in  the  affidavit  of  those  gentlemen.  There  it 
was,  that  this  Frenchman  painted  the  power,  the  designs  and  the  inten 
tions  of  the  Corsican  tyrant :  Bonaparte,  he  said,  had  now  disposed  of  all 
his  European  enemies,  excepting  England  and  Russia.  -They  soon  would 
fall^before  his  power;  and  then,  if  America  did  not  treat  him  with  more 
respect,  she  must  expect  that  chastisement  which  his  imperial  master  had 
never  failed  to  inflict  upon  national  insolence  and  national  impudence, 
foolishly  styled  national  independence.  These,  gentlemen,  were  the 
observations  which  my  client  and  his  aged  father  felt  it  their  solemn 
duty  to  submit,  under  their  oaths  to  their  fellow  citizens.  In  this  were 
they  wrong?  Did  they  violate  any  rule  of  justice,  any  principle  of  honor 
in  this  procedure?  No.  It  was  a  public  conversation,  nor,  with  a  sem 
blance  of  truth,  can  it  be  said,  that  any  confidence  was  violated.  Nay, 
gentlemen,  had  they  concealed  it,  had  they  failed  to  give  it  every  degree 
of  publicity  in  their  power,  then  indeed  might  they  justly  have  been 
charged  with  treason  against  the  independence  of  their  country.  Who 
was  this  mac,  who  menaced  our  country  with  the  vindictive  power  of 
Bonaparte  ?  A  Frenchman  !  a  man  who,  from  birth,  from  education,  from 
habit,  and,  perhaps,  from  principle,  was  well  calculated  to  subserve  the 
cause  of  his  imperial  master.  A  Frenchman,  by  birth,  by  education,  a 
very  Talleyrand  in  all  the  mysteries  of  political  intrigue ;  allied,  exten 
sively,  to  the  leaders  of  the  triumphant  party;  his  influence  almost  un 
bounded  over  that  party ;  this  man  now  stood  forth  the  commander  in 
chief  of  the  republican  forces  of  the  northern  department.  To  awe  the 
federalists  into  silence,  when  art  and  intrigue,  when  calumnies  and  affi 
davits  had  failed,  he  now,  as  the  dernier  resort,  brandishes  over  their 
heads  the  powers  and  the  vengeance  of  his  imperial  master. 


172  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

"  Gentlemen,  conduct  like  this  is  not  new  in  the  annals  of  the  French 
nation,  for  the  last  twenty  years.  Look  at  all  those  miserable  countries 
which  France  has  deceived,  betrayed,  revolutionized  and  conquered,  and 
you  will  find  the  same  means  in  full  operation.  Not  a  nation  but  has  been 
first  corrupted  by  the  emissaries  of  the  tyrants  of  the  terrible  republic. 
And  if  patriots  have  resisted  the  ruin  of  their  liberties,  if  they  have  de 
tected  and  exposed  the  delusions,  the  deceptions  of  their  enemy,  then  have 
they  invariably  been  menaced  with  the  vengeance  of  the  tyrants  of  the 
world.  But,  gentlemen,  these  emissaries,  who  in  every  form,  spread  like 
locusts  through  every  country,  have  always  been  able  to  delude  and  lead 
astray  the  majority  of  the  people.  They  corrupt  the  presses,  the  very 
sources  of  information.  They  flatter  the  ignorance,  the  prejudices  of  their 
intended  victims,  they  wrap  around  them  the  glittering  robe  of  liberty, 
which  veils  a  thousand  deformities,  they  become  the  friends  of  universal 
liberty,  the  genuine  defenders  of  the  rights  of  man,  they  represent  France 
as  engaged  in  the  great  cause  of  philanthropy  and  liberty.  They  con 
stantly,  and  through  a  thousand  channels,  pour  upon  the  people  whole 
floods  of  high  sounding  terms  and  metaphysical  jargon,  and  thus  they 
succeed  in  bewildering  the  judgment,  and  corrupting  the  integrity  of  mil 
lions.  In  this  seductive  form,  they  have  constantly  proffered  their  accursed 
principles  to  the  world;  and  on  the  eastern  continent,  nation  after  nation 
have  'drunken  the  medicated  draught,  nor  dreamed  of  the  lurking  poison, 
until,  racked  by  convulsions,  they  awoke  to  expire!' 

"Gentlemen,  are  not  these  facts  established  beyond  the  power  of  con 
troversy  ?  Do  you  not  already  perceive,  even  in  this  our  native  country, 
that  this  sentiment,  which,  when  first  expressed  by  Genet,  was  deemed  so 
infamous  as  to  call  forth  its  condemnation  from  the  united  suffrage  of  the 
party,  is  now  heard  with  approbation  ?  Yes,  it  now  passes  current  for 
sound  republican  doctrine ;  and  the  very  thoughts  and  sentiments  then 
first  broached  by  Genet,  are  daily  ushered  into  public,  through  the  columns 
of  the  Boston  Chronicle,  the  Baltimore  Whig,  and  even  Col.  Duane's  Au 
rora,  with  the  silence,  at  least,  if  not  with  the  approbation  of  the  republi 
can  party.  With  a  full  knowledge  of  all  these  circumstances,  gentlemen, 
let  me  now  ask  to  whom  were  these  insolent  menaces  uttered  ?  To  Gen. 
Van  Rensselaer,  an  old  and  faithful  servant  of  his  country,  an  officer  of 
the  revolutionary  army,  who  had  little  left  but  his  honor  and  his  wounds, 
to  entitle  him  to  the  notice  of  his  country;  and  to  his  son,  the  first  mili 
tary  officer  of  the  state.  These  American  officers  heard  this  language 
from  a  Frenchman,  with  that  indignant  spirit  which  should  ever  inspire 
the  defenders  of  our  country.  They  were  bound  by  every  principle  of  honor 
and  virtuous  patriotism,  to  caution  their  fellow  citizens  against  the  in 
trigues  and  principles  of  a  man,  dangerous  from  his  connections  and  influ 
ence.  They  felt  the  full  force  of  the  obligation,  and  their  affidavits  came 
before  the  public,  supported  by  the  oaths  of  M'Donald  and  Rockwell,  in 
whose  presence  Genet  had  made  similar  declarations. 

"  The  federal  meeting,  referring  to  the  affidavit,  and  extracting  the  par 
agraph,  express  of  Genet,  his  sentiments,  and  his  political  conduct,  their 
warmest  abhorrence.  In  the  estimation  of  certain  gentlemen,  who  styled 
themselves  republicans,  it  became  important  to  clear  their  northern  manager 
from  the  imputation  of  sentiments  and  designs  so  detestable,  and  then  so 
unpopular.  But  how  was  this  to  be  effected  ?  Two  American  patriots,  two 
gentlemen  of  unblemished  character,  had,  by  their  oaths,  convinced  the 
public  of  their  truth.  To  remove  that  conviction,  the  most  violent  and 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  173 

imposing  measures  must  be  adopted.  First,  Genet  must  be  called  on  to 
deny  the  assertion  of  those  gentlemen.  He,  however,  declines  making 
his  affidavit.  He  surveys  himself  with  all  the  complacency  and  pride  of 
conscious  greatness,  and  asks  '  shall  I,  who  but  yesterday  a  great  minister 
of  the  terrible  republic ;  who  assisted  in  the  production  of  a  revolution 
which  has  wholly  overthrown  the  land-marks  of  civil  society,  shall  I,  who, 
with  impunity,  attacked  the  character  of  the  god-like  Washington  ;  who 
appealed  from  the  constituted  authorities  of  this  country,  to  the  populace, 
and  shook  to  the  very  center  the  government  and  constitution  of  this  re 
public,  shall  I,  who  sanctioned  in  my  own  country  all  those  principles  which 
finally  mingled  in  one  mighty  ruin  the  throne  and  the  altar,  shall  I,  who 
even  now  bask  in  the  dazzling  glory,  and  greatness  of  Bonaparte,  I,  who 
am  myself  a  Frenchman  shall  I,  stoop  to  kiss  the  Gospels  of  God  to  sanction 
what  I  publish?  No.  Two  American  officers  have  sworn  to  a  fact.  Sin 
gular  indeed  must  be  the  state  of  the  republican  mind,  and  all  my  efforts 
and  intrigues  must  have  wholly  failed  of  their  wonted  succees,  if  the  very 
troops  7,  command,  are  not  yet  prepared,  upon  my  word  of  honor,  to 
pronounce  those  officers  guilty  of  perjury. '  Gentlemen,  was  he  mistaken  ? 
Not  at  all.  As  though  inspired  by  liis  genius,  a  republican  meeting  was 
called  at  the  seat  of  government :  a  ci-devant  republican  secretary  of  state, 
descended  to  the  rank  of  a  republican  secretary  of  this  electioneering  con 
vention.  This  universal  secretary,  introduces  to  this  meeting,  a  resolution 
substantially  adopting  the  assertion  of  his  manager,  as  truth,  and  substan 
tially  declaring  that  General  Van  Rensselaer  was  guilty  of  perjury.  Yes, 
gentlemen,  an  officer  of  our  government,  dependent  upon  his  superiors,  if 
not  upon  Genet  for  a  future  salary,  thus  descends  from  his  high  station, 
to  become  the  propagator  of  the  basest  slander.  But  he  did  not  stop  here. 
Not  contented  with  this  private  blow  at  the  character  of  the  general,  he 
steps  forth  into  the  gazettes  of  the  day,  and  sanctions  by  his  name  and  his  offi 
cial  character,  the  basest  slander  that  ever  transpired.  That  this  name 
gave  a  character,  weight  and  deadly  influence  to  this  calumny,  which  it 
never  would  have  derived  from  ten  thousand  anonymous  publications,  is 
not  to  be  disguised. 

"  Much  has  been  said  of  the  character,  the  exalted  standing,  the  exten 
sive  influence  of  the  secretary.  We  admit  them  all.  But  surely  in  pro 
portion  to  that  character,  standing,  and  influence,  when  he  gave  his  name 
to  the  propagation  of  the  slander,  he  inflicted  a  wound  upon  Gen.  Van 
Ptensselaer's  character  more  deep  and  deadly.  And  in  the  same  proportion, 
was  the  injury  he  inflicted  and  the  crime  he  perpetrated,  more  aggravated, 
more  destructive.  And  here,  gentlemen,  let  it  be  remembered,  that  Gen. 
Van  Rensselaer  was  not  a  volunteer  before  the  public.  He  was  drawn 
out  in  self-defense  against  the  foul  aspersions  of  Staats,  upon  whom  Genet 
has  prevailed  to  swear  to  conversations  implicating  the  general's  reputation. 
He  was  not  the  first  '  to  cheapen  oaths/  by  making  voluntary  affidavits. 
No,  this  very  Citizen  Genet,  who  afterwards  disdained  to  swear  to  a  sus 
picious  statement,  he  was  the  man,  that  first  induced  the  attack  in  the 
form  of  an  affidavit.  How,  then,  can  his  advocates  indulge  in  declamation 
against  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer,  for  the  course  he  adopted  '/  Away  with  all  this 
French  mummery  — this  squeamishness  of  '  cheapening  oaths.'  They  are 
observations  which  should  blister  the  mouths  of  the  advocates  of  the  man, 
who  imposed  the  painful  duty  on  my  client  of  repelling  with  his  oath  a 
base  and  insidious  slander,  to  which  Staats  had  been  made  to  swear. 

["  The  federal   republican  cause,  founded  on  the  basis  of  the  common 


174  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

good,  and  having  for  its  objects  the  preservation  of  social  order  and  the 
protection  of  general  liberty,  is  a  common  cause,  in  which  the  interest  of 
free  citizens  in  general  are  concerned :  That  it  is  a  common  duty  of 
federal  republicans  without  regarding  local  distinctions,  to  support  that 
cause  wherever  it  is  questioned,  to  assert  and  maintain  its  principles 
wherever  they  are  assailed,  and  to  defend  the  reputations  of  our  most 
virtuous  and  distinguished  patriots  whensoever;  and  by  whomsoever  they 
are  calumniated."] 

"  But  it  is  now  denied  that  Mr.  Jenkins  referred  at  all  to  the  affidavit 
of  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer.  He  referred,  say  his  counsel,  only  to  the  reso 
lutions  of  the  federal  meeting.  Gentlemen,  if  those  resolutions  were  be 
fore  him,  the  marks  of  quotation  therein  used,  clearly  demonstrate  from 
whom  the  extract  was  made.  If  the  public  papers  of  the  city  were  before 
him,  the  affidavit  itself  was  under  his  eye.  If  in  short  the  denial,  the 
word  of  honor  of  Genet  was  before  him,  then  he  was  referred  to  the 
affidavit,  and  then  all  pretense  of  not  referring  to  the  general's  affidavit, 
while  he  cites  its  language  with  such  scrupulous  exactness,  must  appear 
a  hollow  pretense  and  a  puerile  evasion.  I  disdain  to  spend  another 
moment  in  exposing  this  weak  subterfuge  of  conscious  guilt.  What  grounds 
then,  gentlemen,  had  Jenkins  to  publish  to  the  world  a  charge  of  perjury 
against  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  ?  Is  his  'veracity  questionable  ?  Is  the 
story  improbable  ?  Is  there  any  opposite  testimony  ?  On  the  contrary, 
he  is  fully  supported  by  three  witnesses  of  unimpeachable  veracity.  Yet, 
says  Mr.  Jenkins,  I  believe  these  gentlemen  guilty  of  perjury,  because 
Mr.  Genet  denies  the  charge.  I  believe  his  naked  assertion  though  op 
posed  to  the  oaths  of  four  American  citizens,  characters  above  suspicion. 
But  why  believe  Genet  ?  Because  '  this  meeting  have  iucontestible  evi 
dence  of  his  attachment  to  this  country.'  And  where  is  that  evidence  ? 
Is  it  to  be  fcfund  in  the  calumnies  which  he  heaped  upon  the  immortal 
Washington  ?  Is  it  to  be  found  in  his  early  attempts  to  drag  this  country 
into  the  wars  of  Europe  ;  in  his  efforts  to  involve  us  in  all  the  horrors  of 
the  French  revolution  ?  In  the  insults  which  he  profusely  dealt  out  to 
our  firmest  patriots  ?  Or  is  it  to  be  found  in  those  wretched  remnants  of 
jacobin  clubs  which  a  la  mode  de  Paris  he  scattered  through  the  con 
tinent  ?  Where  is  it  to  be  found  ?  What  exploit  for  American  inde 
pendence  exists  of  which  he  is  the  author  ?  What  monument  of  patriotism, 
of  bravery  or  of  wisdom  will  remain  to  tell  posterity  even  that  he  ever 
existed  ?  You  search  in  vain  !  Not  so  my  honorable  client  and  his 
venerable  father !  The  one  even  in  youth  a  veteran.  The  other  long  a 
faithful  servant  of  his  country  both  in  the  cabinet,  and  in  the  field.  Let 
them  bare  their  scars,  those  honorable  testimonials  of  their  long  and  faith 
ful  services  to  their  native  country  j  and  to  them  let  this  adopted  citizen 
boast  of  his  warm  attachment  to  our  republic. 

"  But  the  meeting  further  say  Genet  had  married  into  a  respectable 
family,  that  he  has  several  children,  that  he  had  been  naturalized  and, 
was  the  purchaser  of  real  estate.  I  dispute  not  the  respectability  of  the 
family  with  which  he  is  connected.  But  if  this  consideration  is  to  affect 
the  question,  I  ask,  from  what  family  has  my  client  descended  ?  Search 
the  annals  of  the  state,  and  you  will  find  from  its  earliest  settlement  that 
family  has  never  ceased  to  be  honorable.  The  children  of  Mr.  Genet,  I 
grant,  are  conclusive  evidence  of  the  soundness  of  his  constitution  ;  but 
by  what  species  of  necromancy  the  secretary  could  drag  them  in  to  bolster 
the  veracity  of  their  father,  is  wholly  unknown  to  me;  nor  can  I  perceive 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  175 

in  what  manner  his  naturalization  and  property  can  be  applied,  either  to 
confirm  the  denial  of  Genet,  or  to  prove  the  perjury  of  Van  Rensselaer. 

"  If  Mr.  Genet  was  naturalized,  I  admit  he  was  entitled  to  all  the  politi 
cal  privileges  which  the  directors  of  this  '  asylum  of  oppressed  humanity7 
have  determined  to  extend  to  emigrants  from  Europe.  But  I  would 
humbly  submit,  whether  the  citizen,  or  any  other  emigrant,  has  any 
claim  to  a  credit  superior  to  that  of  the  native  citizens  of  our  republic. 
Gentlemen,  all  these  pretenses  are  straws  at  which  counsel  will  ever 
grasp,  when  sinking  in  a  flood  of  absurdity,  and  behold  no  chance  of 
escape.  Had  they  not  been  dwelt  upon  in  the  resolutions,  and  supported 
by  the  very  respectable  counselor,  in  opposition,  I  should  have  deemed 
them  scarcely  worth  a  comment. 

"  Gentlemen,  you  will  perceive  that  I  have  treated  the  resolutions  of  the 
democratic  meeting  implicating  Gen.  Van  Ilensselaer's  character,  as  the 
act  of  Mr.  Jenkins.  We  do  not  deny  to  any  man  or  number  of  men  the 
privilege  of  canvassing  on  the  eve  of  an  election. '  But  we  deny  that  any 
political  club  is  justified  in  greater  liberties  with  individual  character, 
than  is  permitted  to  individuals  of  that  club.  We  deny  that  any  indi 
vidual  of  the  meeting  who  promoted  the  circulation  of  the  slander,  is  to 
be  at  all  protected  because  others  joined  with  him  in  perpetrating  the 
outrage.  And,  above  all,  we  deny,  that  a  man  who  gives  his  name  to  the 
public  in  support  of  a  calumny,  who,  thereby,  gives  it  force,  and  form, 
and  durability,  can  skulk  from  the  responsibility,  behind  that  portion  of 
the  populace,  whom  he  might  prevail  upon  to  sanction  the  transaction. 
Wherever,  then,  the  vile  tale  originated,  whether  in  the  wily  brain  of  a 
foreigner,  or  whether  in  a  motley  concourse  of  electioneering  dependents, 
Jenkins  adopted  it  as  his  own.  He  placed  it  on  a  lasting  record.  He 
attempted  to  hand  the  name  of  my  client  and  his  aged  father  down  to 
their  posterity,  covered  with  the  deepest  infamy.  Is  he  not  then  answer 
able  for  his  conduct  ?  As  a  gentleman,  can  he  wish  to  avoid  responsi 
bility  ?  Does  he  attempt  to  shield  himself  from  responsibility  behind  the 
political  puppets,  whom  he  collected  and  danced  before  the  public  in 
Albany  ?  For  his  own  honor,  gentlemen,  let  him  disavow  attempts,  so 
weak,  so  degrading.  Let  him  step  boldly  forth,  and  in  the  character  of 
a  man,  tell  you,  '  If  I  have  injured  General  Van  Rensselaer,  here  I  am  to 
answer  him.'  Let  him  disdain  longer  to  keep  a  position  so  humble,  so 
disgraceful,  as  is  that  in  which  his  counsel  have  placed  him.  It  is  strongly 
insinuated,  however,  that,  as  a  soldier,  General  Van  Reusselaer  was 
bound  by  the  code  of  honor  to  call  his  antagonist  into  the  field,  and  wash 
away  the  injury  with  blood.  Gentlemen,  he  might  have  called  him  ;  and 
so  might  he  have  '  called  spirits  from  the  vasty  deep/  Not  that  I  would 
insinuate  aught  against  the  personal  bravery  of  Mr.  Jenkins.  But  this 
is  certainly  true,  that  Van  Rensselaer,  who  had  sought  a  personal  inter 
view  the  preceding  day,  could  hardly  expect  that  this  gentleman,  who 
had  promised  to  see  him,  and  had  falsified  his  promise,  would  now  re 
proach  him  with  any  violations  of  the  rules  of  honor.  And  here,  gentle 
men,  permit  me  to  correct  the  opposing  counsel,  who  seems  to  suppose 
that  Schermerhorn  was  directed  by  Van  Rensselaer  to  conceal  his  name 
from  Jenkins.  He  did  not.  The  measure  was  adopted  by  Schermerhorn, 
as  he  says,  because  he  believed  it  the  only  course  to  procure  a  personal 
interview  between  the  parties.  That  Jenkins  knew  the  person  who 
sought  the  interview  was  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer,  is  perfectly  obvious,  by 
the  testimony  of  Mr.  John  C.  Spencer.  Why  then  did  not  Jenkins  com- 


176  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

ply  with  his  promise  to  Schermerhorn.  This  he  might  have  done  in  the 
presence  of  his  friends.  And  if  he  was  unconscious  of  having  inflicted 
intentional  injury,  he  could  have  feared  no  personal  violence.  Gentlemen, 
if  Jenkins  could  have  uttered  the  language  which  his  counsel  now  utter 
for  him,  would  he  not  have  met  the  general  and  have  said  to  him,  '  It 
was  not  my  intention  to  question  your  veracity,  I  did  not  allude  at  all  to 
your  affidavit.  I  only  referred  to  the  proceedings  of  the  federal  meeting/ 
Such  an  explanation  (if  founded  in  truth),  would  as  readily  have  been 
offered  as  accepted  as  satisfactory  by  any  man  of  honor.  This,  gentlemen, 
Jenkins  did  not  do.  With  truth  he  could  not  do  it.  No,  he  well  knew 
that  he  had  inflicted  upon  Van  Rensselaer  a  wound  which  apologies  could 
not  heal.  He  had  declared  to  the  world  that  the  general  and  his  father 
had  incurred  the  moral  guilt  of  perjury,  that  they  had  severed  the  chain, 
which  bound  their  consciences  to  truth  and  to  heaven,  and  had  become 
richly  entitled  to  temporal  and  eternal  infamy  and  wretchedness.  What, 
then,  could  General  Van  Rensselaer  do  ?  Insulted  in  the  grossest  manner, 
wounded  in  the  tenderest  point,  and  doubly  wounded  by  the  attack  upon 
his  aged  and  defenseless  father ;  denied  the  possibility  of  access  to  Jen 
kins  ;  goaded  almost  to  madness  by  the  conduct  of  his  adversary,  he  de 
termined  to  chastise  and  disgrace  the  man  who  had  wantonly  and  in  cool 
blood  aimed  the  dagger  at  his  reputation  ;  and  who  when  called  on  for  a 
personal  interview  had  promised  it,  but  had  basely  forfeited  his  promise. 
"  This  he  did.  And  now  gentlemen  let  me  ask,  was  the  chastisement  dis 
proportionate  to  the  offense  ?  I  do  not  contend  that  the  provocation,  high 
and  aggravated  as  it  is,  furnishes  a  legal  justification  of  the  assault  and 
battery.  But  it  must  reduce  the  damages  to  a  point,  merely  nominal. 

"That  Jenkins  expected  (as  he  knew  he  merited)  the  chastisement  he 
received,  is  evident  from  his  language  to  Spencer,  that  he  knew  of  the 
attack,  is  evident  from  the  testimony  of  Miss  Steele,  of  Eaton,  and  of 
several  other  witnesses  ;  for  when  he  beheld  the  man  he  had  injured  in 
pursuit  of  him,  could  he  doubt  his  object  ?  It  is  also  evident  from  the  con 
versation  that  succeeded  the  affray.  When  Van  Rensselaer  declared  that 
he  had  given  him  notice  prior  to  the  blow,  he  did  not  at  all  deny  the  truth 
of  the  assertion.  But  above  all  it  is  evident  from  the  character  of  the  as 
sailant.  Strong  and  conclusive,  gentlemen,  must  be  the  evidence  to  con 
vince  any  one,  that  a  man  of  acknowledged  honor,  bravery  and  humanity, 
like  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer,  could  act  so  contrary  to  all  his  principles  and 
his  habits. 

"  There  cannot  be  a  doubt  then,  gentlemen,  that  Jenkins  beheld  Van 
Rensselaer  in  pursuit  of  him,  heard  his  call,  and  expected  the  attack. 
That  Van  Rensselaer  was  his  superior,  both  in  activity  and  resolution, 
and  that  he  easily  inflicted  the  chastisement  he  intended,  we  admit.  And 
if  we  are  to  give  any  credit  to  the  towering  flights  of  the  counsel,  a  scene 
followed  in  which  more  blood  was  spilt  than  flowed  at  the  battle  of  Tra 
falgar.  If  the  counsel  are  correct,  poor  Mr.  Jenkins  was  beaten  to  a 
very  mummy,  his  joints  were  dislocated,  his  bones  broken,  his  features 
all  disfigured,  and  he  exhibited  to  the  astonished  citizens  a  spectacle  to 
dissolve  the  marble  heart  of  the  veriest  savage.  This,  gentlemen,  is  a 
doleful  picture  ;  but  unfortunately  it  has  no  original.  What  is  the  evi 
dence  ?  While  Jenkins  was  down  and  in  Van  Rensselaer's  power,  he  did 
to  be  sure  inflict  several  blows  ;  but  in  a  part  where  most  it  wound  his 
honor  and  least  endangered  his  life  or  limbs.  He  then  voluntarily  re 
treated,  and  Jenkins  rose  and  retired.  Van  Rensselaer  did  not  pursue 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  177 

him.  He  chose  the  manner  best  calculated  to  disgrace  him,  to  punish 
him  for  his  insulting  and  injurious  conduct  to  himself  and  his  father. 
You,  gentlemen,  as  men  of  honor,  who  know  and  duly  estimate  the  value 
of  reputation,  who  can  feel  the  situation  of  a  man  unjustly  and  vilely 
calumniated,  you  will  fully  examine  the  offense  and  the  provocation,  and 
you  will  say,  whether  Jenkins  did  not  merit  the  slight  chastisement  he 
received  from  the  man  he  had  wantonly  injured. 

"  I  come  now  to  the  causes  in  which  General  Van  Rensselaer  is  plaintiff. 
And,  gentlemen,  in  the  very  threshold  we  are  met  by  a  sort  of  justifica 
tion  interposed  by  the  defendants,  generally,  not  a  little  singular. 

"  The  argument  of  the  opposing  counsel  is  in  substance  this.  To  my 
client  they  say,  '  you,  sir,  in  the  morning,  broke  in  pieces  the  shield  of 
the  law.  You  therefore  demolished  all  legal  protection,  and  became  an 
outlaw  through  the  day.  Upon  you  as  upon  Cain  of  old,  was  fixed  a  mark, 
and  any  that  found  you  might  kill  you/  Really,  gentlemen,  I  am  dis 
posed  to  allow  much  for  the  difficulties  with  which  the  counsel  are  forced 
to  struggle.  And  much  for  that  peculiar  horror  which  their  ingenious 
minds  must  have  experienced  when  they  were  forced  to  enter  upon  the 
justification  of  a  transaction  so  savage  and  flagitious.  But  this  is  a  stroke 
so  bold,  so  utterly  at  random,  as  to  surpass  the  bounds  of  charity  itself. 

"  If  General  Van  Rensselaer  had  committed  a  breach  of  the  peace  in  the 
morning,  it  might  well  operate  as  a  warning  against  all  similar  excesses 
for  the  day.  But  by  what  principle  of  common  sense,  reason  or  law  it 
could  justify  or  extenuate  subsequent  outrages,  outrages,  too,  so  enormous 
and  bloody,  is  wholly  beyond  my  power  to  conceive.  Nor  can  I  devise 
any  legal  or  rational  connection  between  the  morning  chastisement  and  the 
savage  excesses  in  the  afternoon. 

"  But  by  what  authority  did  these  defendants  become  the  avengers  of 
Mr.  Jenkins's  wrongs  ?  What  connection  exists  between  them  and  Jen 
kins  ?  Not  that  consanguinity  which,  among  savages,  entitles  to  vengeance. 
None  but  a  political  connection  has  been  disclosed.  And  has  it  come  to 
this.?  If,  insulted  and  injured  in  the  grossest  manner  by  a  man  who  refuses 
me  every  other  satisfaction,  I  chastise  and  disgrace  the  insolent  poltroon  ; 
and  if  he  .happens  to  be  a  republican,  has  every  member  of  that  fraternity 
a  license  to  grasp  the  cudgel,  feel  himself  injured,  and  offer  me  personal 
insult  and  violence  in  the  street.  Gentlemen  seem  to  suppose  that  when 
Van  Rensselaer  presumed  justly  to  punish  a  man  bearing  the  sacred  name 
of  republican,  it  was  war  de  jure  with  the  whole  tribe  of  democracy.  Nay, 
not  content  with  this,  they  declare  it  a  war  of  extermination,  a  war  which 
would  justify  the  tribe  even  in  the  vilest  attempts  at  assassination.  If, 
gentlemen,  this  triumphant  tribe  have  arisen  superior  to  the  law  as  well  as 
the  constitution  ;  if  to  gratify  their  passions,  all  the  sacred  principles  of 
justice,  equity  and  law,  esteemed  so  sacred  and  inviolable  by  our  ancestors, 
are  to  be  trampled  under  foot,  then  this  high  claim  may  have  some  founda 
tion.  But  if  we  are  '  brethren  of  the  same  family/  and  law  and  justice 
rise  superior  to  the  political  squabbles  iand  clubs  of  the  day,  then  a  weaker 
or  more  ridiculous  extenuation  of -an  outrage,  never  was  attempted. 

"  Permit  me,  gentlemen,  to  call  your  attention  to  the  case  of  Tayler 
alone.  We  are  here  charged  with  several  offenses.  First,  after  the  affray 
with  Jenkins,  Van  Rensselaer  insolently  walked  the  streets ;  went  to  the 
tavern  where  his  horse  was;  and  to  the  post-office  for  his  letters.  And 
pray,  why  should  he  not  walk  the  streets  ?  After  caning  a  man  who 

23 


* 
178  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

richly  merited  it  who  but  a  tyrant  would  attempt  to  prevent  it,  and  who 
but  a  madman  would  question  his  right. 

"  Again,  it  is  said  he  sought  Tayler.  This  is  not  true  ;  for,  had  he  sought 
him ;  when  in  full  view  of  Lewis's  Tavern  he  stood  upon  the  side  walk  on 
the  direct  course  to  the  post  office,  would  Van  Rensselaer  have  passed  to 
the  opposite  side  of  the  street,  and  on  his  return  have  entered  upon  the 
south  side  walk  below  him  ?  'Tis  incredible.  But  he  did  not  run,  when 

Tayler  called  him  d d  rascal  and  assassin.     No,   he  did  not  run  from 

Tayler.  He  never  did  turn  his  back  upon  an  adversary,  and  I  trust  in 
God  he  never  will.  These,  gentlemen,  are  not  the  general's  habits. 
His  conscience  and  his  feelings  never  taught  him  this  resort  of  cowardice. 
"  This  Judge  Tayler  is  a  grave,  wealthy,  senatorial  father  of  the  city, 
whose  presence  might  arrest  the  arm  of  the  pugilist,  quell  a  mob,  or  hush 
a  riot ;  whose  staff,  like  the  trident  of  Neptune,  could  in  an  instant  settle  all 
the  waves  of  commotion,  and  preserve  order  even  among  the  elements  of  an 
archy.  Mr.  Button,  in  the  true  character  of  a  Christian,  which  he  ever 
sustains,  exhorted  Judge  Tayler  to  use  his  influence  to  prevent  any  further 
excess.  This  gravely  and  repeatedly  he  promised.  While  yet  these 
promises  are  upon  his  lips,  a  messenger  arrives  at  his  door.  The  judge 
is  no  rude  man  ;  yet,  sans  ciremonie^  he  leaves  his  friends.  VVhat  powerful 
motive  impelled  him  ?  Possibly  he  heard  that  General  Van  Rensselaer 
was  insolently  walking  the  street.  Vengeance  ran  rasping  through  every 
vein.  The  grave  mentor,  the  venerable  father  of  the  city,  grasping  a 
bludgeon  in  his  hand,  while  his  eyes  beamed  meekness  and  complacency 
on  his  friends  remaining  within  his  own  walls,  rushed  forth  to  gratify  his 
malice,  and  to  wallow  in  revenge. 

"  The  age  of  Tayler  may  have  dimmed  his  sight ;  but,  when  the  name  of 
Van  Rensselaer  is  pronounced  by  Mr.  Rodgers,  he  instantly  drops  the  arm 
of  his  friend.  Even  the  frozen  blood  of  the  grave  old  senator  boiled 
like  ^Etna's  crater ;  and  the  first  words  that  issued  from  those  lips  that 
so  lately,  sweetly  promised  peace,  were  '  you  d — d  rascal  w rhy  did  you, 
like  an  assassin,  attack  Jenkins  ?  '  In  what  '  code  of  politeness '  do  the 
opposite  counsel  find  a  warrant  for  the  venerable  judge  for  the  use  of  this 
language  ?  Tayler,  with  cane  uplifted,  rushed  to  the  conflict,  and  my 
client  did  not  run.  '  Ergo  (say  the  gentlemen),  they  fought  by  mutual 
consent.'  Let  me  not  disturb  this  logical  conclusion,  but  fran'kly  admit, 
that  my  client  never  would  have  troubled  you  with  this  suit  against 
Tayler,  had  he  not  reason  to  believe  that  by  his  procurement,  the  mob 
was  drawn  to  the  scene  of  action,  with  intention  to  permit  the  adjutant 
general  to  depart  with  his  life,  and  with  that  only. 

"  What  is  the  evidence  of  preconcert  ?  Tayler's  house  happens  to  be  the 
rendezvous  of  many  of  his  friends.  Tayler  repairs  to  the  market  to  pur 
chase  provisions,  which  he  happened  to  forget  to  bring  or  order  home. 
He  whispered  to  the  Cassidys.  One  of  them  immediately  after  Tayler 
left  the  market,  with  a  club  drawn,  from  some  republican  arsenal, 
happened  to  appear  at  the  scene  of  action.  The  younger  Cassidy  invites 
his  companion  to  go  up  to  State  street  to  '  see  the  scrape.'  How  did  it 
happen  that  these  Cassidys  were  so  wonderfully  correct  if  not  previously 
informed  ?  When  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  passed  up  to  Lewis's,  Cassidy 
said,  'now  the  d — d  rascal  (the  watchword  of  their  chieftain)  will  pay  for 
it.'  At  the  moment  of  the  conflict,  it  happened  that  Cooper,  Bloodgood, 
the  Cassidys,  Tayler's  tenant,  and  about  seventy  of  his  political  friends,  all 
appeared.  This  may  indeed  be  accident ;  but  much  it  savors  of  pre- 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  (CLEANINGS.  179 

concert  and  of  deep  design.  The  battle  soon  commences;  and  while 
victory  is  suspended  in  equal  balance,  Cooper  appears,  not  to  rescue  his 
wife  from  danger ;  she  was  of  minor  consequence,  and  committed  to  the 
protection  of  another.  [Mrs.  Cooper  ran  out  of  the  house  and  took  hold 
of  Tayler,  her  father].  Not  to  defend  Tayler  from  imminent  danger,  for 
his  friends  think  he  had  the  better  of  the  battle,  and  stood  in  no  need  of 
assistance  ;  but  Cooper  appears,  crying  '  knock  the  d — d  rascal  down.' 
He  passed  Van  Rensselaer  and  took  hold  of  him  or  his  cane,  probably 
the  latter;  for  the  small  end  of  his  cane  being  arrested  behind  would 
bring  the  large  end  forward  against.  Taylor's  breast,  as  described  by  the 
witnesses,  and  the  force  of  the  blow  being  spent,  the  cane  easily  be 
arrested  from  Mr.  Van  Rensselaer's  hand.  Cooper  not  only  thus  assisted 
to  disarm.  Van  Rensselaer,  but,  as  one  witness  declares,  struck  him.  And, 
when  bleeding  and  defenseless,  he  lay  prostrate  upon  the  earth,  hejdcked 
him  on  the  side ;  that  side,  in  which  great  and  continued  pain  long  re 
mained,  without  any  other  cause  that  has  or  can  appear.  This  conduct, 
cruel  and  savage  as  it  is,  does  not  prevent  his  counsel  from  attempting  to 
present  him  to  you  in  the  character  of  a  peace-maker.  A  peace-maker  ! 
What,  that  man  who,  when  the  battle  was  raging,  mingled  in  the  conflict, 
who  disarmed  and  presented  my  client  as  a  defenseless  victim  to  the 
bludgeon  of  his  adversary,  who,  constantly  cried  havoc,  and  gave  his  full 
assistance  to  the  production  of  the  catastrophe,  he  a  peace-maker  !  Gentle 
men,  if  this  be  the  conduct  of  peace-makers,  let  the  blessing  pronounced 
upon  them  be  blotted  from  the  holy  record. 

"  It  is  worthy  of  remark,  that  while  Tayler  was  surrounded  by  about 
seventy  of  his  personal  and  political  friends.  Van  Rensselaer  contended 
with  a  host  alone.  But.  'tis  said  '  Schermerhorn  was  there.'  Yes,  Scher- 
merhorn,  who,  as  one  of  the  witnesses  swears,  commanded  almost  the  ele 
ments  ;  he  that  day  was  there.  This  giant,  this  Hercules,  this  Orlando 
Furioso,  was  there.  But  that  he  raised  his  hand  against  any  one,  until 
Van  Rensselaer  was  nearly  murdered  by  the  joint  attacks  of  Tayler,  Blood- 
good,  and  Cooper,  is  not  pretended  by  any  mortal. 

"  These,  gentlemen,  are  the  facts  applicable  to  the  cases  of  Tayler  and 
Cooper.  That  they  participated  in  the  outrage,  that  they  gave  their  full 
assistance  to  the  destruction  of  my  client,  is  beyond  a  doubt.  That  by 
their  instrumentality,  the  mob  was  collected  and  the  catastrophe  produced, 
is  also  clear.  H  remains  with  you  to  say  what  punishment  their  conduct 
merits. 

"  Passing  over  the  causes  of  Tayler  and  Cooper,  aggravating,  and  dis 
gusting  as  they  are,  I  approach  one  of  a  very  different  complexion  ;  one 
which  neither  friend  or  foe  can  examine  without  extreme  pain.  Such  a 
case  I  have  never  witnessed,  of  such  an  one  I  have  never  read,  and  for 
the  honor  of  human  nature,  I  trust  such  a  case  will  never  again  appear 
for  judicial  investigation.  I  am  not  an  enemy  of  Mr.  Bloodgood;  £but  I 
have,  gentlemen,  a  sacred  duty  to  perform  ;  and  if  in  the  discharge  of 
that  duty,  I  lay  him  naked  before  himself,  if  I  paint  his  conduct  loathsome 
and  shocking  to  humanity,  he  and  his  friends  will  be  pleased  to  remember, 
that  he  furnished  the  detestable  original.  He  has  permitted  this  cause  to 
come  to  this  situation,  where  the  silence  of  counsel  would  be  treason  to 
the  client.  In  examining  this  cause  I  must,  and  I  will,  as  far  as  in  me 
lies,  discharge  the  duty  I  owe  to  a  worthy  client  and  a  suffering  friend. 

"  Permit  me,  first,  to  examine  the  apology  or  defense  set  up  for  this  man's 
conduct.  It  is  comprised  in  this  :  '  He  was  in  a  frenzy  of  passion ;  and 


180  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

thought  his  friend,  Judge  Tayler,  in  imminent  danger/  Judge  Tayler, 
who  had  grown  gray  in  the  study  of  the  pugilistic  art;  whose  dexterity 
and  experience  in  the  use  of  the  cane,  could  not  be  unknown  to  those  who 
were  bound  to  him  by  a  '  triple  cord  ;'  Judge  Tayler,  whose  herculean 
stature  speaks  his  prowess  ;  who,  with  the  assistance  of  his  hopeful  son- 
in-law,  had  disarmed  his  adversary,  and  who,  surrounded  by  seventy  de 
pendents  armed  with  bludgeons,  was  in  contest  with  a  single  man ;  this 
same  Judge  Tayler,  thus  situated,  was  in  such  imminent  danger,  as  to 
justify  Bloodgood  in  the  murder  of  his  adversary  !  That  Mr.  Blood- 
good  was  frantic  with  rage,  is  certainly  undeniable.  But  why  was  he  so  ? 
Had  General  Van  Rensselaer  ever,  from  his  infancy,  performed  one  act, 
or  uttered  qne  syllable  that  could  justly  kindle  all  his  malignant  passions 
into  a  conflagration  so  uncontrollable?  Had  he  injured  Bloodgood  ?  On 
the  contrary  was  not  this  man  one  of  that  very  meeting  which  originated 
the  vile  slander  against  the  general  ?  Had  he  been  in  any  way  attacked 
for  his  participation  in  this  outrage  ?  Not  at  all.  What  then  is  the  force 
of  this  paltry  attempt  in  his  justification  ?  Without  the  slightest  provo 
cation,  he  tramples  on  justice,  discharges  his  reason  and  his  judgment, 
gives  himself  up  to  the  control  of  his  malice  and  his  passion,  and  then 
pleads  that  very  passion  in  excuse  for  the  consequences  of  its  violence. 
Now,  gentlemen,  examine  the  conduct  of  this  man.  While  the  contest 
continued  between  the  general  and  Tayler,  and  none  of  the  spectators 
thought  proper  to  interfere,  Bloodgood,  whether  from  Robison's  corner, 
or  from  the  site  of  the  old  church,  or  from  Tayler's  house,  is  wholly  im 
material,  rushes  into  the  street,  crying  "  kill  the  damned  rascal ;"  an  ex 
pression  used  as  a  watchword  by  every  member  of  the  party,  from  Tayler 
to  Cassidy.  He  then  rushed  behind  Van  Rensselaer,  and  with  the  butt 
of  his  bludgeon  (the  smaller  end  being  grasped  by  both  his  hands)  he 
aimed  a  blow  which  brought  his  victim  to  the  ground.  Gentlemen,  what 
language  can  be  found  to  express  the  deep  infamy  of  this  act  ?  While 
engaged  with  Tayler  in  front,  Bloodgood,  like  a  man  abandoned  by  every 
feeling  of  honor,  of  courage,  and  even  of  manhood,  strikes  a  blow  from 
behind  with  a  violence  which  nothing  could  withstand.  Attacked  in  this 
assassin-like  manner,  Van  Rensselaer  falls.  At  this,  Tayler  gave 'way, 
and,  as  though  indignant  at  the  infamous  conduct  of  his  coadjutor,  left 
the  ground.  And  even  Cooper,  having  kicked  his  victim  while  wallowing 
in  his  gore,  also  retired  and  left  the  scene  clear  to  the  "humane  assassin 
who  had  brought  him  to  the  ground.  Partially  recovering  from  the  effects 
of  the  blow,  Van  Rensselaer  attempts  to  rise.  But  before  he  can  recover, 
another  blow  from  Bloodgood  again  brings  him  nearly  to  the  ground.  At 
this  moment  the  crowd  rush  forward.  Pale,  bleeding,  feeble,  Van  Rens 
selaer  now  totters  from  the  fatal  spot.  Still  frantic  with  rage,  Bloodgood, 
as  though  nothing  but  the  expiring  groans  of  his  defenseless  victim  could 
satisfy  his  mighty  malice,  still  rushes  upon  him.  Yes,  gentlemen,  a  de 
fenseless  victim  he  truly  was.  His  wandering  eyes,  his  death  like  visage, 
spoke  his  disordered  senses.  Instinct  taught  him  to  strive  for  the  pre 
servation  of  his  life ;  and,  therefore,  he  raised  his  feeble  guard  agamst, 
he  knew  not  what  or  whom.  Bloodgood,  still  unsatisfied,  still  thirsting 
for  blood,  unmoved  by  this  spectacle  of  weakness  and  wounds,  beats  down 
his  guard,  and  continues  the  savage  attack.  Blow  succeeds  blow,  and 
wound  succeeds  wound,  until  the  indignant  spirit  of  the  soldier,  tempered 
with  the  faith  of  an  expiring  Christian,  exclaims  in  agony,  *  Oh  my 
Jesus  !'  At  this  moment,  as  if  forsaken  by  his  God,  as  if  given  up  to  the 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  181 

perpetration  of  a  crime  at  which  his  soul  must  still  shudder ;  at  this 
moment,  when  his  mutilated  victim  could  findprotection  from  no  human  arm, 
and  when,  seemingly  in  vain,  he  cried  to  the  God  of  mercy,  this  frantic 
man  again  drew  his  fell  weapon  in  both  his  hands,  raised  himself  as  if  to 
superadd  the  weight  of  his  body  to  the  strength  of  his  arm,  and  seemed 
to  aim  the  final  blow  at  his  feeble,  bloody,  and  almost  expiring  adversary. 
Instantly  Mr.  William  James,  as  a  rescuing  angel,  rushed  forward  and 
arrested  the  arm  of  this  infuriated,  this  forsaken  man.  To  him  alone  is 
it  owing  that  this  trial  is  permitted  to  be  had.  But  for  his  instantaneous 
presence  the  fatal  blow  would  have  fallen  ;  a  blow  which  would  have 
widowed  two  families  and  left  their  children  orphans ;  a  blow,  which 
must  have  sent  to  its' long  account  the  soul  of  a  patriot  and  a  soldier,  and 
have  drawn  down  the  vengeance  of  justice  and  of  heaven  upon  its  bloody 
author.  Let  that  unhappy  man  join  in  devoutly  thanking  the  great  dis 
poser  of  events,  that  this  was  not  permitted. 

"  This,  gentlemen,  is  a  correct  portrait  of  this  bloody  scene.  That  it  is 
a  picture  compounded  by  the  blackest  shades,  without  one  tint  of  bright 
ness  j  that  it  exhibits  a  creature  of  earth  in  all  the  naked  deformity  of 
corrupted  human  nature;  that  it  displays  all  the  vile  passions  and  quali 
ties  which  can  reduce  '  social  man  to  a  civilized  savage/  is  unhappily, 
wholly  undeniable.  And  upon  a  full  view  of  this  infernal  transaction,  it 
is  now  your  duty  to  mete  out  to  General  Van  Rensselaer,  the  damages 
which  his  sufferings  and  his  present  ruined  situation  require  at  your  hands. 
From  whom  are  these  damages  to  be  taken  ?  From  men,  wallowing  in 
wealth ;  basking  in  the  sunshine  of  political  favor;  monopolizing  all  the 
emoluments  of  the  treasury,  and  enjoying  the  most  lucrative  offices  in  the 
state.  As  to  one  of  them,  it  is,  beyond  all  doubt,  the  first  in  point  of  emol 
ument,  of  any  in  this  state.  No  small  sum  will  reach  their  feelings.  Award 
against  them  but  a  few  thousand  dollars,  and  they  will,  laughingly,  assign 
a  portion  of  their  income,  for  a  few  months,  to  pay  the  award. 

"  And,  to  whom  are  these  damages  to  be  given  ?  To  a  soldier,  who,  in 
the  field  of  battle,  has  proved  his  patriotism  and  his  bravery,  and  has, 
emphatically,  learned  that  mutual  dependence  is  the  strong  cord  which 
binds  ingenuous  souls  together;  that  the  only  proper  use  of  wealth  is  to 
render  ourselves  and  friends  happy.  To  a  soldier,  who  is  a  brother  to  the 
whole  human  race ;  whose  heart  pants  to  find  the  object  of  charity,  and 
whose  hand  has  never  withheld  from  a  friend  in  want  even  the  price  of 
his  blood  and  his  wounds.  To  a  soldier,  in  whom,  even  while  a  youth, 
his  country  reposed  the  most  unbounded  confidence,  and  towards  whom 
the  veterans  of  our  land  cast  a  partial  eye,  and  destined  him  for  high 
military  glory.  To  a  soldier,  who,  by  this  cruel,  this  dastardly,  this 
barbarous  outrage,  is  compelled  to  drag  out  a  life  of  pain  and  wretched 
ness.  Should  he  be  permitted  to  retain  his  present  office,  while  there 
are  few  or  no  active  duties  to  be  discharged  ;  yet  his  activity  is  gone,  and 
the  pride  of  his  office  and  fame  is  vanished  for  ever.  But  should  war, 
with  which  we  are  so  loudly  threatened,  actually  visit  us,  conscious  of  the 
want  of  health  to  discharge  the  arduous  duties  of  his  office,  he  must 
abandon  his  profession,  and  cast  himself  and  his  family  upon  the  tender 
mercies  of  a  republic. 

"  What  portion  of  pain  has  he  now  already  endured.  What  agony  has 
been  thrown  upon  his  family.  Behold  him  returned  to  the  arms  of  a 
disconsolate  wife,  covered  with  wounds,  and  in  a  situation  but  a  little 
above  death.  Scarce  one  ray  of  hope  is  afforded  by  the  physicians. 


182  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Behold  his  wretched  days  and  sleepless  nights.  Of  his  senses  occasion 
ally  bereft  and  tottering  to  his  grave  in  pain  and  misery. 

"  Gentlemen,  observe  him  well,  and  say,  what  ought  those  monsters  who 
have  produced  this  ruin,  to  suffer  for  their  savage  conduct.  With  what 
sum  can  they,  who  are  the  guilty  cause  of  all  these  sufferings,  satisfy  jus 
tice  and  remunerate  the  sufferer.  This  is  the  past.  What  are  his  future 
prospects?  Forever  blasted  by  this  fatal  blow;  disqualified  to  pursue 
the  culture  of  his  farm,  the  occupation  in  which  he  delights,  and  chained 
to  that  narrow  round,  which  his  feeble  limbs  are  able  to  bear  him ;  torn 
from  the  fond  embrace  of  his  country  which  had  lavished  upon  him  her 
esteem,  only,  in  proportion  to  the  pledges  he  had  given  of  future  great 
ness  ;  and  finally  barred  from  the  possibility  of  rising  to  that  bright  emi 
nence  which  was  the  darling  object  of  his  youth,  the  delight  of  his  riper 
years. 

"  Gentlemen,  view  him  well,  and  then  tell  me,  shall  not  the  ruffians  who 
have  destroyed  him  forever,  repair,  to  the  full  extent  of  their  ability,  the 
ruin  they  have  caused?  Shall  they  not,  with  their  fortunes,  assist  to  initi 
ate  his  pains,  and  smooth  his  passage  to  the  tomb  ?  u  -p  w  » 

"  Awards  in  the  several  causes  —  with  costs  to  be  taxed  agai:ist  the  defend 
ants  in  each  cause.  Jenkins  vs.  Van  Rensselaer,  $2,500;  Van  Rensselaer 
vs.  Tayler,  $300 ;  The  same  vs.  Cooper,  $500 ;  The  same  vs.  Bloodgood, 
$3,  700."  ' 

"  The  truly  noble,  warmhearted  Honorable  ELISIIA  WILLIAMS,  of 
Hudson,  New  York,  was  born  August  29,  1773.  and  died  in  the  city  of 
New  York,  at  the  residence  of  his  early  guardian,  Captain  Seth  Grosvenor, 
June  29,  1833.  He  was  the  once  famous  barrister  justly  styled  the 
Curran  of  America,  the  charm  of  whose  eloquence  still  lingers  about  the 
Court  House  in  Hudson,  and  the  memory  of  whose  remarkable  powers  as 
on  advocate  still  serves  as  an  incentive  to  many  a  poor  student,  as  he  pores 
over  the  legal  lore  of  Blackstone  and  Chitty.  He  possessed  a  mind  of 
superior  mould,  and  he  combined  in  his  character  a  rare  assemblage  of  great 
and  splendid  qualities;  he  was  a  man  of  rapid  and  quick  perceptions,  and 
was  remarkable  for  his  imitative,  imaginative  and  descriptive  power,  for 
his  brilliant  wit,  and  his  suppassing  eloquence.  He  was  exceedingly 
interesting  in  conversation,  warm  hearted  and  ardent  in  his  attachments  ; 
and  he  was  liberal,  generous  and  charitable.  He  was  as  greatly  distin 
guished  for  his  personal  appearance,  as  he  was  for  his  superior  intellectual 
powers  ;  he  was  above  medium  size  and  height,  and  perfectly  erect  and 
corpulent.  His  countenance  was  indescribably  animated  and  expressive, 
and  his  general  aspect  denoted  great  superiority  ;  a  stranger  would  be 
forcibly  struck  with  his  majestic  and  dignified  appearance,  and  without 
hearing  him  speak,  would  be  conscious  that  he  was  in  the  presence  of  an 
extraordinary  man.  Mr.  Williams  had  a  very  extensive  practice.  He 
possessed  a  deep,  varied  and  profound  knowledge  of  human  nature,  which 
enabled  him  to  exert  an  unbounded  influence  over  a  jury;  he  always 
studied  the  character  of  the  juries  whom  he  addressed  and  swayed  them 
by  his  powerful  intellect,  brilliant  wit  and  matchless  eloquence.  He  com 
menced  the  practice  of  law  at  an  early  age,  and  rose  rapidly  to  eminence 
in  his  profession;  and  as  a  jury  lawyer,  he  has  never  had  a  superior  in 
this  or  any  other  country." 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  183 

Judge  Van  Ness  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Hudson  21st  July,  1807. 

On  Thursday  next  Mr  Schermerhorn's  note  at  our  bank  falls  due,  of 
which  I  have  just  received  notice,  will  you  inform  him  of  this,  so  that  he 
may  prepare  accordingly  ? 

I  have  not  heard  from  or  about  you  since  I  was  at  your  house.  I  see 
you  and  the  Governor,  however,  are  in  great  majesty  busy  organizing  our 
military  poet. 

Already  the  British  Lion  humbles  himself  before  the  Eayle.  you  and 
the  Governor  have  unfurled,  and  one  more  general  order  expressing  two 
or  three  more  "  lively  hopes"  will  make  the  poor  Lion  run  and  yelp  like  a 
wounded  puppy. 

Take  good  care  your  Eagle  does  not  turn  out  to  be  an  Owl.  But  to  be 
serious,  I  want  to  know  whether  you  are  well  or  not  (from  that  attack  in 
April)  when  may  I  expect  you  and  your  wife,  whom  I  love  almost  as  much 
as  I  do  my  own,  here  ? 

Pray  your  Excellency  just  drop  a  body  a  line  or  two  in  answer  hereto. 
If  you  and  the  Governor,  however,  are  so  much  engaged  in  the  defence 
of  the  Nation  that  you  have  no  time  to  write,  Mrs  Van  Rensselaer  will 
probably  be  good  enough  to  favor  us  with  an  answer.  My  wife  and  little 
ones  are  well.  Yours  affectionately  &  sincerely 


Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  Esq. 

In  1807  Governor  Lewis  was  succeeded  by  Daniel  D.  Toinpkins ;  and 
the  same  year  Albany  was  made  the  capital  of  the  state.  Late  in  the 
autumn,  at  the  particular  request  of  Governor  Tompkins,  Solomon  Van 
Rensselaer  was  in  New  York  city,  a  member  of  his  own  family,  to  aid 
him  in  arranging  for  the  defense  of  the  city,  but  he  was  still  suffering 
from  his  wounds. 

In  August  1807  the  first  steamboat  made  its  appearance ;  it  was  an  ob 
ject  of  anxiety  and  wonder.  As  the  Clermont  under  the  immediate 
supervision  of  Robert  Fulton  (the  eminent  inventor  of  steamboats),  was 
slowly  coming  up  the  Hudson  river  from  New  York  on  its  first  success 
ful  trip,  a  farmer  living  on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson,  hastened  home  to 
apprise  his  wife  and  neighbors  that  he  had  seen  the  devil  going  up  the 
river  in  a  saw-mill.  This  apparition  of  the  first  steamboat  was  a  marvelous 
phenomenon.  When  the  Indians  assembled  in  groups  along  the  river's 
bank,  they  looked  at  the  "  monster  as  it  moved  on  the  water,  defying  the 
winds  and  tide,  and  breathing  flames  and  smoke,  as  a  fire  spirit,  which  was 
lightning  its  path  by  the  fires  which  it  -vomited.  The  first  steamboat, 
as  others  yet  do,  used  dry  pine  wood  for  fuel,  which  sends  forth  a  column 
of  ignited  vapor,  many  feet  above  the  flue,  and  whenever  the  fire  is  stirred, 
a  galaxy  of  sparks  fly  off,  which  in  the  night  have  an  airy,  brilliant,  and 
beautiful  appearance.  The  uncommon  light  first  attracted  the  attention 
of  the  crews  oft)ther  vessels  and  from  them  she  had  a  most  terrific  appear 
ance.  Notwithstanding  the  wind  and  tide  were  adverse  to  its  approach, 


184  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

they  saw  with  astonishment  that  it  was  rapidly  coming  towards  them  ;  and 
when  it  came  so  near,  that  they  heard  the  noise  of  the  machinery  and  pad 
dles,  the  crews,  in  some  instances,  shrunk  beneath  their  decks  from  the 
terrible  sight ;  others  prostrated  themselves,  and  besought  Providence  to 
protect  them  from  the  approach  of  the  horrible  monster.  She  excited  the 
astonishment  of  the  venerable  Dutch  burgomaster  who  almost  dropped  his 
precious  pipe  as  with  strained  eyes  he  exclaimed  Dunder  en  blicksem." 

Judge  Van  Ness  to  Solomon  Van  Eensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Hudson,  29th  August,  1807. 

1  do  not  believe  it  is  your  fault,  so  I  have  nothing  more  to  say  than  I 
wish  you  the  richest  blessings  which  are  bestowed  on  man. 

Yours  &c.5  W.  W.  VAN  NESS. 

But  Madam,  to  you  I  have  much  to  say,  you  promised  rne  and  my  wife 
to  be  here  last  week.  Day  after  day  have  we  strained  our  eyes  east,  west 
&  north  in  expectation  of  seeing  you  approach  our  humble  mansion. 
Disappointment  saddened  us  for  sometime,  until  reiterated  again  &  again 
we  are  roused  into  passion  &  mortification.  Your  husband  I  know  is 
willing  to  spend  a  few  days  with  us.  If  even  you  do  not  wish  to  favor  us 
with,  a  visit,  why  not  indulge  him  in  doiug  so  ?  But  come  my  friends, 
let  us  forget  the  past  and  start  anew,  you  are  largely  in  our  debt.  But  I 
release  the  whole  provided,  that  sometime  next  week  you,  and  little  Van 
Vechten,  and  as  many  more  of  the  children  as  you  please  are  with  us. 
Thank  God  we  have  room  enough  &  altho'  we  abound  not  in  wealth,  & 
roll  not  in  splendor,  we  have  peace  &  plenty.  To  be  serious,  both  Jenny 
&  myself  are  not  a  little  hurt.  If  there  are  any  persons  on  earth  whose 
friendship  we  want,  whose  society  we  wish  to  court.  &  whose  good  opinion 
to  preserve,  it  is  yours.  I  have  reason  to  believe  this  disposition  to  be 
mutual,  let  us  cherish  &  perpetuate  it.  It  is  possible  I  shall  be  obliged 
to  go  to  New  York  to-morrow.  If  so  you  shall  hear  from  me  by  Tues 
day's  mail.  If  you  do  not  hear  from  me  then,  you  of  course  will  conclude 
I  am  at  home.  I  began  the  latter  part  of  this  scrawl  to  Mrs.  Van.  I  see 
however  it  will  answer  to  be  directed  to  the  firm. 

Yours  affectionately,  W.  W.  VAN  NESS. 

The  foregoing  memorial  of  his  Majesty  my  Lord  and  Master  is  sanc 
tioned  by  your  friend.  JANE  VAN  NESS. 
Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Esqr.,  Adjutant  General,  Albany. 

Judge  Van  Ness  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Claverack  J  30th  April  1868. 

FEDERALISM  has  triumphed  most  gloriously  in  this  Country.  We 
have  at  least  600  majority  200  more  than  ever  we  had.  If  Rensselaer 
County  is  faithful  we  shall  carry  both  our  members  of  Congress.  Hasten 
to  communicate  this  to  our  friend  Abraham  Van  Vechten  [Recorder]. 
Let  somebody  write  us  about  members  of  Congress  &c.  &c.,  in  Rensselaer 
and  Washington  Counties  as  soon  as  possible.  1  shall  soon  again  be  ab 
sent  from  my  family,  it  is  upon  the  whole  an  unpleasant  life  which  my 
office  obliges  me  to  lead,  but  I  must  endeavour  to  reconcile  myself  to  it 
as  well  as  I  can.  WThy  can't  you  and  your  wife  take  a  ride  to  Claverack 

1  Claverack,  literally  signified  Clover-reach,  so  called  in  its  settlement  from  the 
immense  fields  of  clover  which  abounded  at  this  place. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  185 

and  see  us  ?  We  are  snugly  situated,  would  be  happy  to  see  you  and  I 
want  to  see  you  about  a  thousand  things.  Do  try  ;  it'  you  stay  but  one 
day  suppose  you  start  on  Saturday.  You  can  spend  Sunday  with  us  and 
return  if  your  business  drives  you  on  Monday  again.  Mention  this  to 
your  wife  &  corne  down  if  possible.  It  just  occurs  to  me  that  our  friend 
the  Recorder  [Abraham  Van  Vechten]  and  his  wife  would  perhaps  accom 
pany  you.  Speak  to  him  about  it  and  try  to  make  up  a  party  at  all  events 
mention  me  to  him  with  that  friendship  and  esteem  which  I  have  for  him 
and  which  I  cherish  as  a  great  blessing.  Make  my  respects  to  your  wife, 
and  please  to  tell  her  that  I  think  of  her  as  often  as  she  can  wish  &  that 
I  ardently  wish  her  happy  &  prosperous. 

Yours  as  I  ever  shall  be,  affectionately,         W.  W.  VAN  NESS. 
Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Esq.,  Albany,  N.  Y. 

Gov.  Morgan  Lewis  to  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Staatsburgh  2d  May  1808. 

I  should  with  pleasure  have  attended  the  Trial  of  your  Causes  agreeable 
to  your  wishes,  had  your  Letter  reached  me  in  Time  to  have  rendered  it 
practicable.  I  presume  however  that  the  abundance  of  Testimony  you 
must  have  been  furnished  with,  rendered  any  Thing  I  could  have  said 
of  little  Consequence  to  you.  I  have  not  as  yet  heard  of  the  Result.  If 
they  have  been  tried  before  an  honest  Jury,  I  cannot  doubt  but  you  have 
recovered  handsome  Damages.  I  am  much  obliged  to  you  for  your 
friendly  offers  of  writing  to  promote  the  object  hinted  at  in  my  former 
letter.  But  the  Idea  I  have  (whether  right  or  wrong  is  immaterial)  of 
my  Standing  in  Society,  forbids  my  being  an  Applicant  for  any  public 
Situation.  Should  my  future  Services  be  deemed  necessary  on  any  Oc 
casion,  the  demand  of  them  must  be  made  free  from  even  the  Shadow  of 
Solicitation  or  the  most  distant  Hint  of  a  wish  on  my  part. 

How  has  the  Election  gone  in  your  Quarter  &  the  Counties  adjoining 
you  ?  In  Ulster  &  Green,  Gardinier  is  probably  again  elected  to  Congress  j 
&  in  this  County,  Emmott's  prospects  are  better  than  those  of  that  old 
sinner  Johnson.  Ulster  &  Dutchess  will  return  to  the  Assembly  a  mixture 
of  Quids,  Feds  and  Clintonians.  In  this  County,  Robert  Williams  who 
has  turned  Tail,  made  up  the  Hash,  and  the  Quids  literally  suffered  him 
to  gull  them.  It  is  asserted  among  the  Clintonians  here,  that  Selden  of 
Troy  is  to  be  your  Successor  and  is  to  attend  Daniel  D.  on  the  fourth  of 
July  when  he  is  to  appear  in  all  the  pomp  of  Military  splendour.  How 
does  the  Attorney  General  (John  Woodworth)  relish  his  removal,  and 
what  says  his  Papa  to  this  Reward  of  his  past  Services  ?  Does  the  old 
Man  with  Roman  Virtue  subscribe  to  the  propriety  of  such  conduct,  or 
does  he  bounce  &  swear  a  little?  Southwick's  Appointment  (as  Sheriff) 
instead  of  Dennison,  has  I  presume  procured  the  Clerkship  for  Cooper,  by 
way  of  Amends  for  old  Tayler's  pretended  Disappointment;  and  Isaac 
Dennison  I  suppose  has  a  firm  belief  that  his  Uncle  played  him  fair,  and 
that  there  was  no  Contrivance  at  all  on  his  part. 

Adieu,  I  hope  soon  to  take  you  by  the  Hand,  tho'  I  doubt  whether  it 
will  be  before  you  have  regained  the  Post  of  Honor,  by  a  reduction  to  the 
rank  of  a  private  Citizen.  Mrs.  Lewis  desires  to  be  affectionately  remem 
bered  by  all  the  Inhabitants  of  Cherry  Hill.  Your  friend  &  geryt 

M.  LEWIS. 

Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Esqr.,  Adjt.  General,  Albany,  N.  Y. 
24 


186  LEGACY  or  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Major  General  Morgan  Lewis  was  a  true  patriot  and  labored  earnestly 
to  advance  the  best  interests  of  his  country.  In  1777  he  was  deputy 
quarter  master  general,  was  present  at  the  battle  of  Stillwater  on  Septem 
ber  19th.  When  he  returned  from  the  field,  being  questioned  by  General 
Gates,  he  reported  the  undecisive  progress  of  the  action  ;  at  which  Gen. 
Arnold,  who  was  standing  near,  exclaimed,  "  1  will  soon  put  an  end  to  it," 
and  clapping  spurs  to  his  horse,  galloped  off  at  full  speed  ;  Colonel  Lewis 
immediately  observed  to  General  Gates  :  "  You  had  better  order  him  back, 
the  action  is  going  well,  he  may  by  some  rash  act  do  mischief." 

Governor  Lewis  to  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Staatsburgh,  4th  Sept.,  1808. 

I  should  have  given  an  earlier  Answer  to  your  polite  favor  of  the  31st 
Ult°.  had,  I  not  been  absent  from  Home  when  it  reached  my  House. 

The  Decision  of  the  Arbitrators  does  not  Surprise  me.  It  requires 
Men  of  great  firmness  of  Mind  to  do  complete  Justice  on  Sucjjf.  an  Oc 
casion. 

They  certainly  have  been  guided  by  no  Rule,  and  must  have  forgotten 
that  Tayler  was  an  original  offender,  and  attacked  with  a  Club,  while 
Cooper  only  acted  as  an  Aid,  and  used  the  weapons  which  Nature  gave  him. 

I  should  be  sorry  to  think  that  Tayler's  being  President  of  the  Bank 
produced  any  Effect,  and  yet  I  Suspect  it  will  be  thought  so  by  many. 
When  shall  we  have  the  Pleasure  of  seeing  you  and  Mrs.  Rensselaer  at 
this  Place  ?  Your  friend  &  Servant. 

Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Adjut.  General,  Albany,  MORGAN  ^wis. 

In  those  good,  palmy  old  days,  sixty-seven  years  ago,  many  persons  were 
then  "  lachrymosely  bewailing  the  existing  state  of  things." 

"  If  we  all  could  unite  with  the  Puritan  mystic  (Peter  Sterry)  doctrines  : 
Let  all  that  differ  in  principles,  professions  or  opinions,  and  forms,  join  to 
see  that  good  which  is  in  each  other,  and  the  evil  in  themselves,"  there 
would  be  a  steady  improvement,  and  a  better  slate  of  things.  We  then 
might  hope  with  a  certainty  that  the  very  times  on  which  we  have  fallen, 
*  old  times'  to  those  who  come  after,  will  be  even  clothed  with  the  mar- 
velously  roseate  hues  we  love  to  invest  our  by-gone  years. 

Gen.  Wilkinson  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 
My  dear  Sir,  Washington,  Sept.  14th,  1808. 

I  have  this  moment  received  your  lettter  of  the  6th  Jany.  &  will  reply 
by  a  single  line.  I  had  anticipated  your  wishes  &  had  also  nominated 
Visscher.  If  we  have  an  army  &  I  have  influence  he  shall  have  a 
Majority.  But  at  this  moment,  I  ana  struggling  against  a  torrent 
of  Slander  &  Calumny,  exceeding  everything  which  has  past,  having  dis 
graced  John  Randolph  for  a  Coward  &  being  about  to  report  Daniel 
Clark  as  an  accomplice  of  Aaron  Burr,  the  one  to  gratify  his  resentment 
&  the  other  to  avenge  the  disappointment  of  the  Conspirators,  have  as 
sailed  my  Honor  with  made  up  documents,  perjuries,  &  forgeries,  and  on 
the  floor  of  Congress  where  privilege  sometimes  sanctions  the  most  vil 
lainous  abuse,  they  have  worried  &  torn  &  mangled  my  Honor,  without 
feeling  or  conscience.  Yet  let  not  my  friends  be  appalled.  I  thank  high 
Heaven  I  shall  be  able  to  vindicate  my  Fame,  &  save  my  Brethren  in 
Arms  from  Blushing  for  my  shame.  In  the  first  moment  of  Randolph's 
Anathema  I  demanded  a  Court  of  Inquiry  into  my  Conduct,  which  was 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  187 

ordered  for  the  10th  Inst,  &  will  actually  convene  to-morrow,  when  I 
shall  offer  a  preliminary  address  which  will  make  my  Enemies  stare,  in 
the  meantime  say  from  me  that  Clark  is  the  author  of  this  attack,  which 
was  digested  in  New  Orleans  last  Summer,  by  the  Associates  of  Burr  & 
the  Mexican  combination,  who  will  seek  my  ruin  as  long  as  they  are  per 
mitted  to  hang  together.  He  came  round  &  brought  with  Him  the 
villainous  power  to  Swear  for  Burr  at  Richmond,  they  arrived  there  got 
alarmed  &  after  several  conferences  with  Burr,  Clark  went  off  without 
appearing  before  the  Court.  I  will  prove  Him  an  accomplice  of  Burr 
that  He  tampered  with  an  officer  of  the  army  to  induce  Him  to  attack  & 
take  Baton  Rouge  in  the  summer  1806,  which  by  producing  hostilities 
would  have  effected  Burr's  plans.  This  villain  has  perjured  himself  to 
destroy  me,  but  it  will  not  do.  I  am  sorry  that  your  relative  here 
[Killian  K.  Van  Rensselaer,  M.  C.]  &  Mr.  Barent  Gardenier  should  have 
espoused  the  part  of  Randolph  &  this  Scoundrel  Clark  before  they  knew 
what  I  had  to  say.  My  best  regards  to  Visscher. 
Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Esqr,  Your  ^end  most  truly, 

Adjt.  General  State  of  New  YoA,  Albany. 

Governor  Lewis  to  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Staatsburgh  March  2,  1809. 

I  shall  have  some  Pear  grafts  put  up  for  you  and  will  send  them  by  the 
first  safe  conveyance  that  offers.  I  hope  they  will  succeed  better  with 
you  than  they  do  with  me.  A  disease,  which  I  cannot  find  a  remedy  for, 
is  destroying  them  as  fast  as  I  can  replace  them,  and  I  fear  will  oblige  me 
eventually  to  give  them  up. 

It  certainly  would  give  me  great  pleasure  to  be  instrumental  in  the 
gratification  of  your  wishes  as  to  the  regiment  of  Cavalry ;  and  nothing 
shall  be  wanting  on  my  part  to  effect  that  object,  which  can  be  done  with 
the  least  prospect  of  success.  I  have  already  adopted  the  Measure  which 
appears  to  me  the  most  likely  to  succeed,  but  I  cannot  for  certain  reasons, 
acquaint  you  with  it,  until  the  issue  shall  be  known.  From  what  quarter 
Mayor  Backus'  recommendations  proceed  I  am  ignorant,  but  I  under 
stand  he  is  considered  at  Washington  as  an  able  officer.  Has  he  ever 
been  in  Service?  I  do  not  believe  you  will  be  gratified  in  seeing  me  in 
the  Situation  you  wish,  there  are  many  Circumstances  which  will  operate 
as  a  Bar  to  it.  If  I  mistake  not,  an  arrangement  is  about  to  take  place, 
which  is  not  suspected  by  many,  and  which  will  leave  little  room  for 
those  who  are  not  already  in  Employment.  We  shall  not  be  able  to  com 
ply  with  our  Engagement  of  paying  a  Visit  this  winter  to  our  friends  in 
Albany.  We  have  with  us  our  two  eldest  Boys,  whose  education  employs 
all  our  time  and  furnishes  sufficient  inducements  for  us  to  stay  at  home. 
Our  friends  therefore  must  excuse  us,  and  accept  in  lieu  of  a  personal 
Attendance  our  best  respects,  with  which  are  united  our  best  Wishes  for 
the  happiness  of  you  and  yours.  Federal  Majorities  will  probably  be  ob 
tained  at  next  election  in  Dutchess  &  Ulster,  all  due  to  De  Witt  Clinton. 
With  Sincerity  I  am  your  friend  and  Servt. 

Sol.  VanjRensselaer,  Esq.,  Adjt.  General.  MORGAN  LEWIS. 

General  Van  Rensselaer  to  the  Public. 

"  Albany,  Tuesday,  March  28,  1809. 

"  My  recent  removal  from  the  honorable  office  of  Adjutant  General  of 
this  state,  constrains  me,  in  justice  to  myself,  my  family,  and  friends, 


188  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

to  publish  a  concise  and  plain  statement  of  facts:  After  having  been  for 
seventeen  years  in  the  military  service  of  the  United  States  and  of  this 
state,  and,  as  I  trust,  having  discharged  my  duty  with  fidelity,  it  has  been 
the  pleasure  of  his  Excellency  Governor  Tompkins  and  the  Council  of 
Appointment,  to  remove  me  from  office,  notwithstanding  his  repeated 
declarations  of  unqualified  approbation  of  my  official  conduct.  At  the 
age  of  eighteen  years,  I  was  appointed  a  Cornet  in  the  squadron  of  cavalry 
in  the  army  commanded  by  Major  General  Anthony  Wayne.  At  twenty, 
I  was  promoted  to  the  command  of  a  troop.  In  the  action  of  20th  August, 
1794,'after  the  commanding  officer  of  that  corps  fell,  the  command  de 
volved  on  me.  How  I  acquitted  myself,  the  dispatches  from  Gen.  Wayne 
to  the  war  department  bear  ample  testimony.  ["  The  wounds  received  by 
Captain  Van  Rensselaer  of  the  dragoons  and  others  of  the  mounted  vol 
unteers  bear  honorable  testimony  of  their  bravery  and  conduct.  But 
whilst  I  pay  just  tribute  to  the  living,  I  mnst  not  neglect  the  gallant 
dead,  among  whom  we  have  to  lament  the  early  death  of  those'worthy 
and  brave  officers  Capt.  Robert  Ms.  Campbell  of  the  dragoons  and  Lieut. 
Towels  of  the  Infantry  of  the  legion|who  fell  in  the  first  charge."]  On 
that  occasion,  I  received  a  wound  through  my  lungs,  which  was  con 
sidered,  at  first,  by  the  surgeons  of  the  army,  to  be  mortal,  but  which  my 
youth  and  strong  constitution  surmounted.  When  the  conduct  of  France 
towards  this  country  made  it  necessary  for  the  general  government  to 
augment  the  army,  and  when  the  Father  of  his  country, 'the  immortal 
WASHINGTON,  was  again  called  upon  to  place  himself  at  its  head,  he  sent 
for  me,  and,  in  the  presence  of  Generals  Hamilton  and  Pinckney,  ques 
tioned  me  about  the  state  of  my  wound,  and  soon  after  I  was  appointed  a 
Major  of  Cavalry.  When  the  army  was  reduced,  I  received,  under  the 
administration  of  that  great  and  good  man  Governor  Jay,  the  appoint 
ment  of  Adjutant-General  of  the  militia  of  this  state.  When  Mr.  Jay 
was  succeeded  by  Governor  George  Clinton,  and  when  almost  every  fede 
ralist  was  swept  from  office  by  that  council,  of  which  DeWitt  Clinton,  and 
the  Honorable  Judge  Ambrose  Spencer  were  members,  I  was  left  undis 
turbed.  This  did  not  arise  from  any  solicitation  on  my  part,  but  from 
the  honorable  resistance  of  Governor  Clinton  against  my  removal,  who 
informed  me  that  a  petition  for  that  purpose  had  been  put  into  the  hands 
of  John  C.  Hogeboom,  then  a  member  of  the  council.  I  called  on  Mr. 
Hogeboom,  and  after  communicating  to  him  the  information  I  had  re 
ceived,  and  the  channel  through  which  it  came,  he  unhesitatingly  shewed 
me  the  petition.  The  charge  against  me  was,  the  heinous  crime  of  fede 
ralism.  I  am  thus  explicit  in  mentioning  names,  that  my  enemies  may 
have  an  opportunity  of  contradicting  my  statement,  if  it  is  incorrect. 
When  Governor  Clinton  retired  from  office,  he  recommended  me  in  strong 
terms  to  his  successor,  as  he  told  me  at  the  time,  and  which  Governor 
Lewis  afterwards  confirmed.  How  I  stood  with  the  latter  gentleman,  it 
is  unnecessary  for  me  to  state.  I  have  only  to  regret,  that  his  honorable 
and  impartial  conduct  as  the  governor  of  the  state  and  not  of  a  party, 
was  one  cause  of  his  failing  of  a  re-election.  He  would  not  submit  to 
be  made  the  supple  tool  of  DeWitt  Clinton  and  Ambrose  Spencer,  and 
they  therefore  selected  his  successor  [Daniel  D.  Tompkins],  hoping  that 
he  would  be  a  fitter  instrument  to  promote  their  unhallowed  ambition. 
How  far  that  hope  has  been  realized,  the  community  can  determine. 
Last  winter,  when  it  was  notorious  that  there  were  many  applications  for 
my  office,  and  when  it  was  generally  supposed  that  my  removal  was  cer- 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  189 

tain,  I  called  on  Governor  Tompkins,  to  know  whether  it  was  the  inten 
tion  of  the  council  to  remove  me,  and  I  informed  him  that  the  reason  of 
my  inquiry  was,  because  my  private  arrangements  depended  on  a 
knowledge  of  that  fact.  His  reply  was,  that  he  had  no  wish  to  make  a 
change,  for  he  was  perfectly  satisfied  with  my  conduct,  and  had  expressed 
himself  so  to  some  of  my  friends  ;  but  that  I  had  better  speak  to  some  of 
the  members  of  the  council.'  My  answer  was,  that  I  had  never  asked  any 
member  of  the  council  to  continue  me  in  office,  and  that  I  never  would  — 
that  if  he  did  not  wish  for  a  change,  the  council  had  no  right  to  inter 
fere  —  that  the  business  of  my  office  was  not  with  them,  but  with  him. 
He  then  observed,  that  if  that  unfortunate  affray  (meaning  my  suits 
against  three  cowardly  wretches)  was  settled,  there  would  be  no  difficulty. 
My  reply  was,  that  if  my  continuance  in  office  depended  on  a  compromise 
of  these  suits,  it  would  be  better  to  remove  me  at  once,  for  that  I  was  de 
termined  to  bring  the  circumstances  of  that  affray  fairly  before  the 
public;  and  I  pressed  him  to  know  the  determination  of  the  Council. 
This  application  I  repeated  on  a  subsequent  day,  as  I  apprehended  my 
removal  might  lay  over  until  after  the  determination  of  the  suits  before 
mentioned.  He  told  me  that  if  I  requested  it,  he  would  urge  the  deci 
sion  of  the  Council.  A  day  or  two  afterwards  I  called  on  him  again,  and 
he  then  informed  me,  that  the  Council  had  no  intention  of  removing  me 
at  their  then  session,  but  what  they  would  do  at  their  meeting  in  June, 
they  declined  saying.  I  mentioned  to  Governor  Tompkins  that  I  under 
stood  the  thing  perfectly,  and  that  under  such  circumstances,  I  should 
not  let  my  farm,  which  I  intended  to  do,  if  I  remained  in  office.  He 
observed  in  answer,  '  I  don't  know  but  it  is  best.' 

"  On  Tuesday  of  last  week  I  called  on  the  Governor  upon  business ;  after 
finishing  it,  and  as  I  was  about  to  leave  the  room,  he  called  me  back,  and 
told  me  that  my  removal  had  been  agitated  in  the  Council  the  day  before, 
that  he  had  put  it  off  until  he  could  see  me,  on  account  of  the  promise  he 
made  me  last  winter,  to  give  me  notice  whenever  such  an  event  was  re 
solved  upon  ;  and  that  he  believed  it  would  now  be  accomplished,  as  a 
member  of  the  Council  had  pressed  it.  I  observed  to  the  Governor,  that  I 
was  much  obliged  to  him  for  his  information,  but  that  I  had  nothing  to  say 
on  the  subject,  except  I  requested  of  him,  that  if  there  were  any  charges 
against  me,  he  would  give  me  an  opportunity  of  meeting  and  repelling 
them  ;  to  which  he  answered,  that  there  were  no  charges  against  me,  and 
that  he  was  satisfied  that  none  could  be  brought  against  my  official  conduct ; 
that  my  removal  would  be  on  account  of  my  politics  and  the  affray.  I 
have  now  a  word  or  two  to  say  about  a  trio  of  precious  spirits,  to  whose 
dastardly  malice  and  persecuting  villainy,  I  have,  in  all  probability,  fallen 
a  sacrifice. 

"The  first  in  order,  as  in  the  attack  on  me,  is  John  Tayler,  a  grave 
Senator  of  this  state.  I  had  supposed  that  his  vindictive  spirit  had  been 
fully  glutted,  by  seeing  me  at  death's  door,  in  consequence  of  the  joint 
and  cowardly  attack  made  upon  me  by  himself  and  his  assassin-like  asso 
ciates,  Bloodgood  and  Cooper,  in  the  ruin  of  my  health,  and,  perhaps  my 
future  prospects  in  life ;  and  that  he  would  not,  still  further  to  gratify  his 
malice,  have  connived  at,  and  encouraged  the  taking  of  bread  from  a  much 
injured  and  unoffending  family.  If  he  panted  to  revenge  to  a  still  more 
savage  extent  the  merited  chastisement  which  I  inflicted  on  Mr.  Jenkins 
(and  of  which  the  same  John  Tayler  was  the  cause,  by  urging  and  advo 
cating  the  base  slander  against  me  which  produced  it,  and  which  he  knew 


190  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

at  the  time  to  be  false)  why  did  he  not  call  on  me  like  a  man  of  honor? 
I  had  hoped,  that  the  alarm  which  he  felt  during  my  hopeless  illness,  oc 
casioned  by  the  wounds  and  bruises  which  he  and  his  coadjutors  had  in 
flicted  upon  me  that  the  remorse  he  felt,  (if  he  is  capable  of  feeling)  for 
the  death  of  the  most  enlightened  citizen  of  this  state,  [Gen.  Alexander 
Hamilton]  of  which  he,  as  I  verily  believe,  was  the  occasion,  by  a  base 
disclosure  of  a  confidential  conversation,  would  have  secured  me  against 
the  further  effects  of  his  boundless  malignity. 

"  As  for  Francis  Bloodgood,  the  clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court,  no  lan 
guage  is  strong  enough  to  express  my  abhorrence  of  him,  or  convey  an 
adequate  idea  of  his  dark,  malignant,  cowardly,  assassin-like  villainy. 
His  very  looks  are  an  index  of  the  malignity  of  his  heart;  he  is  a  disgrace 
to  human  nature  ;  and  I  derive  some  consolation  from  the  reflection,  that 
he  has  incurred  what  he  deserves,  the  detestation  of  every  liberal  and 
honorable  man. 

"  My  resentment  against  Charles  D.  Cooper,  is  not  great.  He  is  too  con 
temptible  to  excite  my  indignation.  From  this  humble  dependent  on 
Tayler's  bounty,  who  is  looking  with  anxious  eyes  for  the  period  when 
he  will  succeed  to  the  greatest  share  of  his  property,  little  else  than  what 
has  happened  could  be  expected. 

"  If  this  language  is  deemed  harsh  and  grating,  let  it  be  recollected,  that 
the  persons  to  whom  it  relates  cannot  be  justly  represented  in  any  other. 
It  is  not  in  my  nature  to  glory  oVer  a  fallen  and  disgraced  enemy.  I  can 
therefore  say  nothing  more  about  Mr.  Jenkins,  the  Secretary  of  State, 
than  that  I  equally  pity  and  despise  him.  u  ^.  VAN  RENSSELAER." 


"  In  one  respect  he  was  even.victorious,  for  he  challenged  his  opponents 
upon  an  issue  which  they  could  only  meet  by  evasion  and  artifice.  If 
either  of  the  political  parties  would  claim  no  more  for  themselves  than  they 
are  willing  to  give,  the  right  of  being  free  and  independent,  and  not  be 
enslaved  by  a  majority,  it  would  be  far  better  for  the  nation."  We  love 
to  study  the  letters  of  ancient  times  ;  we  see  men  and  things  at  their  full 
length,  and  we  generally  see  them  through  a  medium  which  is  less  partial, 
when  presented  in  history,  than  that  of  experience.  We  see  the  system 
of  politics  on  the  sure  and  false  foundations  and  human  nature  in  many 
garbs,  but  we  collect  general  principles  and  view  certain  rules  of  conduct 
with  an  unbiased  judgu*eut. 

Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  to  William  Simmons. 
Dear  Sir,  Albany,  January  28th,  1811. 

The  Attorney  of  the  United  S  tates  for  this  District  of  New  York, 
having  presented  an  account  against  me  for  money  due  to  the  United 
States,  it  becomes  necessary  that  I  should  know  what  balance,  if  any,  is 
found  against  me,  and  with  that  view  I  transmit  my  account  and  beg  you 
to  fill  up  the  blanks,  which  can  be  ascertained  from  the  Books  in  your 
office.  If  I  mistake  not,  in  that  Examination  it  will  be  found,  that  there 
is  pay,  forage  and  subsistence  due  me  as  Major  of  Cavalry,  besides  two 
months  Pay,  &c.,  allowed  by  Law  as  a  gratuity  to  the  disbanded  officers 
of  the  Army.  The  vouchers  for  the  expense  of  moving  my  Troop  from 
Fort  Washington  to  Knoxville,  I  left  with  Col.  Hodgedeu  on  my  return 
from  the  latter  place  in  October,  1797. 

The  reason  why  I  did  not  settle  with  him  then  was,  that  the  army  papers 
for  that  year  had  not  come  on.  The  papers  marked  No.  1  &  2  are  copies 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  191 

of  those  receipts,  taken  by  one  of  his  clerks,  duplicates  of  which  I  have 
in  .my  possession  &  will  forward  them  if  necessary,  whenever  a  private 
occasion  offers,  which  cannot  be  done  conveniently  by  the  mail,  as  well 
as  those  of  my  Expenditures  for  the  Recruiting  service,  agreeable  to 
Statement  No.  3.  I  regret  sincerely  that  the  distance  is  too  great  for  me 
to  attend  in  person  to  this  business,  and  that  the  same  reason  has  pre 
vented  me  heretofore,  but  I  am  induced  to  believe  from  your  former 
friendly  conduct  and  the  Statement  of  my  accounts,  that  there  will  be  no 
difficulty  in  striking  the  Balance.  As  Mr.  Sanfordthe  District  Attorney 
is  now  here,  [Nathan  Sanford,]  a  member  of  the  Legislature,  a  convenient 
opportunity  of  settling  with  him,  I  must  beg  the  favor  of  an  early  answer 
from  you.  I  am  very  Respectfully  your  Obt.  Sert., 

William  Simmons,  Esqr.  SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Accountant  of  the  War  Department,  Washington. 

Hon.  John  P.  Van  Ness  to  Judge  Van  Ness. 
Dear  Sir,  Washington,  Feb.  16,  1811. 

Yours  of  the  28th  Ult.  accompanying  the  papers  in  the  case  of  Adjt. 
Genl.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  were  all  handed  to  me  by  Mr.  Knicker- 
backer  [Herman  Knickerbacker]  some  days  ago.  I  immediately  called 
on  the  Accountant  of  the  War  Department,  with  them,  for  the  purpose 
of  an  investigation  &c.  He  proposed  that  the  papers  should  be  left  with 
him  fof  a  few  days  for  examination  &c.  I  replied  that  as  the  case  appeared 
a  simple  one,  perhaps  we  might  conveniently  dispatch  it  immediately; 
but  being  informed,  by  him,  that  the  other  was  the  usual  course;  and 
that,  in  addition,  he  was  then  engaged  in  other  business,  I  left  him  in  pos 
session  of  the  papers,  under  a  promise  that  he  would  soon  communicate 
with  me.  He  appeared  friendly  ;  and  at  the  same  time  expressed  a  regret 
that  Mr.  V.  R.  had  not  taken  the  advice  which  he  (the  Accountant)  had 
repeatedly  given  him  heretofore,  to  have  his  account  settled  &c.  A  few 
days  afterwards  the  papers  were  sent  by  him  to  my  house,  with  informa 
tion  referring  me  to  the  Controller's  office.  I  called  there  with  Mr. 
Knickerbacker  yesterday,  The  Controller  referred  them  back  again  to 
the  Accountant's  office.  We  left  them  there.  Last  Evening  Mr.  Sim 
mons  informed  me  generally  that  he  had  examined  the  account  &c. ;  and 
that  if  he  received  the  papers  which  it  appeared  Mr.  V.  R.  has  in  his 
possession  (and  for  which  he  had  yesterday  written  to  him)  there 
would  be  a  mere  trifle,  say  20  or  $30  only  due  from  him  instead 
of  the  present  stated  amount.  He  promises  me  to  pay  every  attention  to 
the  subject,  and  I  shall  not  fail  to  remind  him  of  it,  if  it  should  be  ne 
cessary.  I  think  the  business  in  a  good  train.  It  has  given  me  pleasure 
to  have  an  opportunity  of  co-operating  with  yourself  and  the  Adjutant 
General  in  endeavoring  to  arrange  satisfactorily  an  affair  which  if  not 
attended  to,  may  become  troublesome  and  injurious  to  him.  And  be 
assured  I  shall  attend  to  any  further  commands  you  may  favor  me  with, 
in  the  same  temper.  I  thank  you  kindly  for  the  offer  you  make  me,  which 
I  only  reciprocate. 

The  present  is  a  very  interesting  crisis  in  our  political  affairs,  and  it  is 
becoming  more  so;  as  the  Session  of  Congress  is  drawing  to  a  close.  The 
present  state  of  foreign  news  is  by  no  means  satisfactory  and  it  is  not  be 
lieved  that  our  government  has,  as  yet,  sufficient  authentic  data  of  that 
kind  on  which  to  form  any  system  in  relation  to  foreign  affairs.  The  Idea 
of  an  extra  session  is  gaining  ground.  The  Bank  question  is  laboring 


192  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

very  hard  in  the  Senate.  Its  fate  there  is  admitted,  on  all  hands,  to  be 
very  doubtful.  There  are  one  or  two  Mutes  in  that  house,  on  the  subject, 
whose  noses  (strange  as  it  may  seem)  cannot  be  found  by  the  calculators, 
in  consequence  of  the  loss  of  their  tongues.  Upon  the  whole  taking  into 
view  both  houses,  the  advanced  period  of  the  session,  and  the  accumulated 
mass  of  business,  I  think  two  to  one,  against  the  Bank,  a  fair  calculation. 

I  had  no  idea  that  my  brother  [William  P.  Van  Ness]  had  the  Secre 
tary's  office  in  view,  if  indeed  he  had  any.  I  have  not  had  a  line  from 
him  since  he  left  New  York.  There  appears  to  be  a  flood  tide  again  in 
the  political  affairs  of  a  part  of  your  state  that  was  lately  ebbing ;  and  it 
seems,  the  Bark  drives  on  with  a  prosperous  gale.  Does  the  storm  lately 
gathered  in  the  City  of  N.  York,  menace  with  its  thunders  the  northern 
and  interior  parts  of  the  State  ?  By  all  accounts  Cornelius  [Cornelius  P. 
Van  Ness]  is  very  successful  in  both  business  and  consequence  in  Ver 
mont.  It  gives  me  great  pleasure.  My  Mrs.  V.  Ness  begs  to  be  kindly 
remembered  to  your  Mrs.  V.  Ness.  Yours  very  sincerely, 

JOHN  P.  VAN  NESS. 

Hon.  Wm.  W.  Van  Ness  Esqr.,  State  of  New  York,  Albany. 

Gen.  Van  Ness  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Washington,  March  13,  1811. 

Yours  of  the  26th  Ult.,  reached  me  in  course.  I  was  extremely  sorry 
to  hear  of  your  Indisposition  and  hope  by  this  time  you  are  restored. 
Your  account  of  the  War  Department  is,  as  Mr.  Simmons  informed  me  he 
would  advise  you,  finally  closed.  The  balance  against  you  $24  or  25. 
Simmons  sent  the  Account  up  to  the  Comptroller,  with  whom  I  am  well 
acquainted,  and  with  whom  I  have  had  two  or  three  conversations  relative 
to  your  business.  He  will  forward  to  the  District  Attorney  instructions 
conformable  to  your  wishes,  Were  the  case  my  own,  I  would,  as  you 
doubtless  will,  immediately  pay  the  trifle  remaining  due.  I  believe  your 
wishes  have  been  fully  met  in  the  whole  arrangement.  I  am  extremely 
happy  to  have  had  it  in  my  power  to,  give  you  a  little  aid  in  this  business  ; 
but.  Sir,  my  services  have  been  trifling,  as  the  case  required  no  more  ;  and 
they  have  much  less  claim  to  the  polite  acknowledgments  you  are  so  good 
as  to  make  me,  than  my  good  wishes  have. 

Should  any  other  case  occur  in  which  I  can  serve  you,  be  assured  of 
my  disposition  to  do  so,  and  believe  me  with  consideration 

Your  obedt  &  hble  Servant, 

Adjt.  Genl.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer.  JOHN  P.  VAN  NESS. 

"  John  P.  Van  Ness  was  a  cousin  of  the  n-6ble  hearted  and  truly 
brilliant  William  W.  Van  Ness.  He  was  born  in  Claverack,  in  the  county 
of  Columbia  in  the  year  1770,  and  died  at  the  city  of  Washington,  March, 
1846,  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years.  He  was  educated  at  Columbia 
College,  in  the  city  of  New  York,  and  studied  law  in  that  city,  in  the 
office  of  Brockholdst  Livingston.  At  the  age  of  about  twenty-two  he 
commenced  the  practice  of  law  in  Columbia  county. 

"  In  the  year  1801,  he  was  elected  to  congress  from  the  district  com 
posed  of  the  counties  of  Columbia  and  Rensselaer.  In  1802  he  was 
married  to  a  very  interesting,  accomplished  and  wealthy  lady  of  the  city 
of  Washington,  and  as  her  fortune  consisted  principally  of  real  estate  in 
that  city,  he  fixed  his  residence  there  until  his  death.  He  was  appointed 
by  President  Jefferson,  brigadier  general  of  the  militia  of  the  district  of 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  193 

Columbia,  and  was  afterwards  promoted  by  President  Madison  to  the  rank 
of  major  general,  which  office  he  held  for  many  years.  He  was  for 
several  successive  years  elected  mayor  of  the  city  of  Washington,  when 
he  declined  a  reelection.  Through  his  influence  the  Bank  of  the  Metro 
polis  in  the  city  Washington  was  established ;  he  was  the  first  president 
of  that  institution,  and  remained  so  until  the  time  of  his  death. 

"  He  possessed  a  hrigh  order  of  talents,  and  was  a  man  of  great  personal 
influence.  For  the  last  forty  years  of  his  life  he  was  extensively  known 
and  celebrated  for  his  liberality  and  hospitality,  many  of  the  churches, 
and  the  temperance  hall  in  the  city  of  Washington,  was  erected  on 
grounds  given  by  him  for  that  purpose.  During  his  long  residence  in  that 
city  he  had  formed  numerous  acquaintances.  Few  men  had  more  devoted 
friends,  and  his  death  was  greatly  deplored  by  the  people  of  the  American 
capital,  his  friends  and  his  country. 

"  The  Van  Ness  family,  viz  :  John  P.  Van  Ness,  William  P.  Van  Ness, 
and  Cornelius  P.  Van  Ness,  is  one  of  the  most  distinguished  and  talented 
families  in  this  country,  and  are  sons  of  Peter  Van  Ness.  Willian  P. 
Van  Ness  was  the  second  to  Aaron  Burr  in  his  fatal  duel  with  General 
Hamilton.  He  was  a  man  of  transcendent  talents;  he  died  of  apoplexy 
in  New  York  on  September  6,  1826." 

Albany,  July  2,  1812,  Died.  "This  morning  Brigadier  General  Peter 
Gansevoort  of  the  United  States  Army,  after  a  very  distressing  illness  of 
several  months,  aged  62  years,  11  mos.  16  days. 

General  Orders. 

Head  Quarters,  New  York,  July  6,  1812. 

The  General  announces  to  the  troops  in  the  City  and  harbor  of  New 
York,  the  death  of  Brigadier  General  Gansevoort  at  Albany  on  the  2d  instant. 
In  testimony  of  respect  to  the  defender  of  Fort  Schuyler  in  1777  of  an 
officer  of  intelligence,  bravery  and  distinguished  military  merit  during  the 
revolutionary  war,  the  colors  will  be  hoisted  half  staff  high  for  the  day, 
and  the  officers  wear  the  usual  badge  of  mourning  for  1  month. 

By  order. 
K.  H.  MacPherson,  Aid-de-Camp. 

Colonel  Peter  Gansevoort  commanded  Fort  Stanwix  during  its  me 
morable  seige,  and  conducted  its  defense  with  a  vigor  and  success  which 
crowned  his  name  with  distinguished  honor,  and  for  which  he  received  a 
special  vote  of  thanks  from  congress.  In  1809,  he  received  the  commis 
sion  of  brigadier-general  in  the  army  of  the  United  States. 

He  was  a  man  of  noble  presence,  and  fearless  and  magnanimous  spirit  \ 
of  undaunted  courage,  and  inflexible  integrity.  His  public  life  was  with 
out  a  blot,  while  his  private  character  was  of  unimpeachable  morality,  and 
showed  distinctly  the  influence  of  Christian  principle.  General  Ganse- 
yoort  was  with  Gen,,  Montgomery  in  his  attack  on  Canada  in  1775,  in  one 
of  the  early  letters,  mention  is  made  of  his  illness  when  at  Isle  Aux  Noix. 


25 


194  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

DECLARATION  or  WAR  IN  1812. 

Upon  the  declaration  of  war,  in  1812,  by  the  United  States  against 
Great  Britain,  "  Major  Gen.  Henry  Dearborn  had  in  February,  been 
placed  in  the  command  of  the  northern  frontier,  with  views  to  the  inva 
sion  of  Canada.  Lake  Cham  plain  presented  the  great  military  highway 
to  the  centre  of  the  enemy's  province,  and  the  American  settlements  at 
the  foot  of  that  lake  were  remote  and  exposed  ;  the  general  therefore 
judiciously  determined  to  take  his  first  position  with  the  regular  recruits 
in  that  quarter."  In  the  progress  of  the  campaign,  the  western  frontier 
of  the  state  of  New  York  was  in  clanger;  and  in  defect  of  regular  troops, 
a  requisition  having  been  made  by  the  general  government,  for  a  body  of 
New  York  militia,  it  was  the  pleasure  of  Gov.  Tompkins  to  appoint 
GENERAL  STEPHEN  VAN  RENSSELAER  to  take  command  of  the  forces, 
which  should  be  raised  for  the  defense  of  the  northern  and  western  front 
iers  of  this  state,  in  answer  to  that  requisition. 

Gen.  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer,  as  also  the  adjutant  general,  Colonel 
Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  were  greatly  opposed  to  the  policy  of  the  war, 
and  both  differed  in  politics  from  Governor  Tompkins.  General  Stephen 
Van  Rensselaer  and  Gov.  Tompkins  were  rival  candidates  for  the  govern 
ment  of  the  state.  When  General  Van  Rensselaer  was  selected  to  com 
mand  the  troops,  it  was  considered  by  every  one  as  rather  an  ambiguous 
compliment;  and  it  was  fully  supposed  that  under  existing  circumstances 
he  would  refuse  it,  and  thus  injure  his  popularity,  but  for  once  the  inter 
ested  intriguers  were  baffled.  When  the  noble  man  saw  his  country  in 
danger,  with  true,  elevated  patriotism,  all  minor  considerations  were  im 
mediately  laid  aside,  and  he  promptly  responded  to  the  summons. 

At  the  solicitation  of  General  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer,  my  father  took 
a  position  on  his  staff  and  joined  the  army  for  the  frontier.  "  That  officer 
entered  upon  his  command  on  the  13th  of  July,  1812,  having  done  me 
the  honor  to  request  my  services  as  his  aid.  I  was  anxious  to  serve  my 
country  in  the  contest  in  which  she  was  engaged,  and  I  did  not  hesitate, 
therefore,  to  take  the  situation  thus  offered  me."  The  benefits  of  that 
war  have  not  yet  been  fully  realized  but  are  beginning  to  be  seen.  It 
taught  the  world  whether  on  sea  or  land,  American  arms  were  invincible. 
The  bravery  displayed  in  that  war  commanded  the  respect  and  admiration 
of  the  world.  It  taught  England  that  the  country  whose  freedom  and 
free  institutions  were  born  in  blood,  would  not  shrink  from  baptizing 
them  in  the  same  element. 

"  Government  asked  for  the  soldier's  blood,  it  was  freely  given.  It  told 
the  patriot  to  sever  all  the  domestic  ties,  he  cut  them  asunder  at  its  bid 
ding.  It  told  him  to  take  the  last  look  of  his  children,  and  away  to  the 
tented  field.  He  looked,  offered  one  prayer  for  their  safety,  and  turned 
his  back  on  his  home.  Such  sacrifices  demand  consideration  and  remu 
neration.  Those  veterans  served  their  country  in  her  weakness,  she 
should  remember  them  in  her  strength  and  glory.  That  struggle  defended 
our  honoi'  at  home  and  gave  us  a  lustrous  name  abroad.  It  developed 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS  195 

the  prowess  of  American  arras  as  a  whole  and  furnished  some  of  the  most 
strikrng  instances  of  individual  bravery,  the  world  ever  saw.  A  truly 
brilliant  catalogue  of  names  was  added  to  the  world's  list  of  heroes. 
Many  who  served  in  the  first  struggle  for  independence,  capped  the  climax 
of  their  glory  in  the  war  of  1812." 

Albany,  July  13,  1812,  General  Van  Rensselaer  and  suite  set  off  this 
morning  for  Niagara,  where  a  large  body  of  troops  are  now  assembliug, 
but  whether  for  offensive  or  defensive  measures  we  are  not  able  to  say. 
They  are  principally  volunteers  and  militia. 

Herkimer,  July  16.  On  Tuesday  last  Major  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer,  his 
aid  and  private  secretary  passed  through  this  village  on  their  way  to 
Niagara.  We  understand  he  is  to  take  command  of  all  the  forces  on  the 
frontiers.  The  citizens  of  this  village  being  apprized  the  preceding  day 
of  his  approach  came  to  the  determination  of  escorting  him  into  town. 
Accordingly  about  twelve  o'clock  a  number  of  citizens  accompanied  by 
several  officers  of  merit,  formed  a  cavalcade  under  the  direction  of  Captain 
Myers  as  marshall  of  the  day,  and  moved  on  the  village  of  Little  Falls, 
where  they  were  joined  by  a  number  of  gentlemen  from  that  village 
who  were  desirous  of  showing  this  meritorious  officer  the  intended  tribute 
of  respect.  The  cavalcade  then  proceeded  about  three  miles  below  the 
Falls  where  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  was  received  by  them  in  a  most  cordial 
manner.  They  then  moved  back  to  the  Falls,  where  the  company  partook 
of  an  excellent^dinrier  provided  in  a  sumptuous  manner  by  Major  Morgan. 
After  the  cloth  was  removed  a  number  of  appropriate  toasts  were  drank 
all  breathing  the  true  spirit  of  American  liberty,  that  spirit  which  ani 
mated  the  breasts  of  our  fore-fathers  in  the  glorious  struggle  of  seventy-six. 

The  general  was  then  escorted  to  the  village  by  the  cavalcade,  who 
observed  the  utmost  regularity  where  he  was  received  with  expressions 
of  joy,  and  his  arrival  announced  by  a  federal  salute  from,  the  artillery. 

The  following  are  a  few  specimens  of  the  toasts  at  the  dinner.  By 
Gen.  Van  Rensselaer.  The  Citizens  of  Herkimer.  May  their  patriotism 
in  the  present  struggle  of  our  country,  equal  their  valor  in  the  revolu 
tionary  war. 

Col.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer.  A  speedy  and  glorious  termination  of  the 
present  war. 

Mr.  Lovett.  The  example  of  our  fathers.  Trusting  in  God  they 
achieved  our  independence ;  following  their  example,  we  may  preserve 
the  inheritance. 

After  a  short  tarry,  the  general  proceeded  on  his  way,  and  thenceforth 
his  name  was  identified  with  the  military  glory  of  his  country.  A  mere 
narration  of  facts  within  my  knowledge  would  not  be  sufficiently  interest 
ing;  something  might  be  written  of  the  incidents  and  romance  of  history, 
as  connected  with  this  campaign,  calculated  both  to  instruct  and  amuse; 
for  the  recorded  events  will  never  pass  into  oblivion,  though  they  have 
been  but  summarily  despatched.  There  are  many  transactions,  many  ex 
citing  incidents  relating  to  the  war  of  1812,  which  are  more  than  fancy 
sketches,  yet  have  to  the  present  time  remained  unwritten.  There  were 
many  divisions  and  heart-burnings,  throughout  the  political  masses, 
which  culminated  into  bitterness  of  feeling  and  alienation,  on  the  part  of 
the  initiated  few,  and  now  the  selection  of  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer,  "  consider 
ing  the  adverse  state  of  his  political  relations  to  Governor  Tompkins,  was 
deemed  an  equivocal  act  on  the  part  of  the  commander  in  chief  of  New 
York.  Although  the  situation  of  Gen.  V.  11.  was  exceedingly  embarrass- 


196  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

ing,  yet  he  had  one  on  his  staff  who  had  signalized  himself  by  his  undaunted 
bravery." 

"  Hon.  John  Lovett,  of  facetious  memory,  was  a  lawyer,  a  man  of  genius, 
and  possessed  great  versatility  of  talent.  He  frequently  wrote  fugitive 
pieces  of  poetry  full  of  wit  and  keen  satire;  he  always  had  at  command  a 
great  variety  of  anecdotes,  ready  for  use,  whatever  might  be  the  subject  of 
conversation.  He  was  remarkably  pleasant,  and  his  sparkling  wit  and 
flashes  of  merriment  would  set  the  table  in  a  roar.  Although  possessed  of 
fine  talents,  he  never  relished  the  dry  study  of  law;  skillful  in  the  manage 
ment  of  a  cause  before  a  jury,  he  never  excelled  in  the  argument  of  a  ques 
tion  of  law,  and  did  not  obtain  that  distinction  as  a  counselor,  which  was 
in  his  power,  by  applying  himself  more  closely  to  judicial  studies.  One 
of  the  errors  of  his  life  was  a  passion  for  change  of  employment,  not  often 
the  road  to  distinction  or  success. 

"In  the  war  of  1812  he  accompanied  Generals  Stephen  and  Solomon 
Van  Rensselaer  to  Niagara,  as  secretary  of  the  former,  and  honorably  ac- 
quited  himself  in  that  campaign.  When  invited  by  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer 
to  become  his  military  aid  and  secretary  Mr.  Lovett  said,  'I  am  not  a 
soldier/  the  answer,  '  It  is  not  your  sword,  but  your  pen  that  I  want/  de 
cided  the  point.  He  afterwards  represented  the  county  of  Albany  in  con 
gress  with  much  reputation.  He  purchased  a  tract  of  land  on  the  Mau- 
mee,  and  commenced  a  settlement  which  he  named  Perrysburg,  in  honor 
of  the  gallant  hero  of  Lake  Erie.  He  died  of  the  prevailing  fever  of  the 
country  at  Fort  Meigs  in  Ohio,  in  August  1818  aged  fifty-two  years." 

The  following  letter  is  descriptive  of  the  journey  from  Albany. 

John  Lovett  to  Joseph  Alexander. 
,My  dear  Sir,  Ogdensburgh  July  20,  1812. 

If  flying  through  air,  water,  mud,  brush,  over  hills,  dales,  meadows, 
swamps  :  on  wheels  or  horseback,  and  getting  a  man's  ears  gnawed  off 
with  musquitoes  and  gallinippers  make  a  Soldier,  then  have  I  seen  service 
for  —  one  week.  I  certainly  intended  before  now  to  have  written  you, 
but  I  assure  you  I  have  very  little  leisure,  and  I  think  you  will  soon  be 
convinced  of  it :  Let  our  tracks  speak  for  themselves.  It  was  about  11 
oclock  before  Gov.  Tompkins  gave  us  our  orders,  the  next  evening  we 
were  at  Utica;  having  fought  our  way  again  and  again  through  Cavalry, 
Artillery  &c.  The  hearty  and  cordial  respect  paid  to  our  General  every 
where,  is  really  pleasing.  As  we  approached  the  Little  Falls,  we  were 
met  by  a  grand  Troop,  Carriages  &c.  At  the  Inn  a  superb  Band  saluted 
the  General  and  played  delightfully,  while  a  very  large  company  sat  with 
us  at  an  elegant  Dinner.  Ihe  escort  proceeded  with  us  to  Herkimer ; 
then  a  Salute  was  fired  as  we  entered  the  Town,  and  a  thousand  compli 
ments  &c.  &c.  Before  we  got  to  Utica  the  street  was  thronged  with 
Patriots :  Genl.  Platt's  Cards  for  Dinner  the  next  day  &c.  Poor  souls ; 
they  did  not  know  that  We  were  all  SOLDIERS  ! !  Utica  was  full  of  dread 
ful  News.  Sacketts  Harbor  was  blockaded.  The  Oneida  dismantled,  her 
Guns  landed,  and  much  more  of  the  same  sort :  All  believed  it.  Our 
General,  therefore,  thought  it  his  duty  to  abandon  his  route  to  Niagara 
and  visit  Sacketts  Harbor  :  so  away  we  flew,  and  found  all  we  had  heard 
was  false.  Could  I  see  you,  I  might  talk  much  ;  but  I  shall  write  little 
of  Sacketts  Harbor.  There  are  about  200  Militia  at  the  harbor,  not  a 
word  of  them.  The  Oneida  was  there  still.  Woolsey  invited  our  General 
on  board,  the  yards  were  manned  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  three  cheers 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  197 

from  a  truly  hearty  Crew,  then  "  Starboard,  Fire,"  "  Port,  Fire,"  "  Star 
board,  Fire,"  "  Port,  Fire,"  and  so  on,  about  as  fast  as  you  will  read  it; 
until  all  was  blue.  Then  the  Crew  were  exercised  in  all  possible  shapes. 
Truly,  truly  in  style;  but  this  another  time  for. I  see  I  shall  soon  be 
called  off.  Now  will^iot  your  heart  ache  when  I  tell  you  that  this  Brig 
can  be  burnt  at  any  hour  the  British  choose  to  do  it.  They  have  the 
Royal  George  of  superior  force,  the  Earl  Maria  14  Guns,  Prince  Regent 
40  or  12  Guns  and  one  more,  Duke  of  Gloucester.  Woolsey  is  trying  to 
mount  a  32  pounder  in  a  Schooner,  and  6-9  pounders  on  board  a  sloop ; 
both  vessels  now  lying  in  the  harbor. 

Woolsey  is  also  with  the  assistance  of  the  Militia,  erecting  a  small  Bat 
tery  on  the  harbor  to  secure,  if  possible,  the  retreat  of  the  Oneida  if  hard 
pressed  by  superior  force.  Can  you  conceive  how  important  Lake  Ontario 
and  the  St.  Lawrence  are  to  us  ?  if  so,  pray  answer  me  ;  Why  have  we 
not  10  Gun  Boats  there.  That  force,  at  present,  would  answer  us.  Sackett 
Adieu.  Sad  tidings  from  the  County  of  St  Lawrence ;  the  Inhabitants 
are  panic  struck,  and  flying  off  in  shoals?  To  quiet* them,  to  give  them 
confidence  and  constancy  to  keep  their  homes,  secure  their  crops,  &c.  &c. 
our  General  deemed  an  object  worthy  his  attention.  Therefore  down  we 
came  to  Watertown  and  on  to  this  place  about  80  miles  of  the  most  horrid 
road  I  ever  saw,  in  a  great  part  of  it,  two  miles  an  hour  is  quick  riding. 
The  Inhabitants  have  fled  like  foolish  children,  from  just  such  danger, 
and  no  greater,  as  our  General  was  in  all  day  yesterday.  Now  after  we 
have  put  all  right  here,  we  shall  return  to  Sackett's  Harbor,  and  if  no 
bones  are  broken,  we  shall  then  go  on  to  Oswego,  and  from  thence  to  Niag 
ara,  where  in  about  two  weeks  I  hope  to  lie  like  a  Soldier  on  my  own 
Blankets  free  from  the  infernal  bugs  which  have  already  gnawed  away 
ten  per  cent  of  my  whole  frame,  legs  inclusive.  When  I  get  encamped  I 
will  write  you;  at  present  I  can  only  sketch. 

All  I  shall  here  say  of  my  General  is,  that  Albany  may  justly  be  proud 
that  she  has  such  a  citizen.  Solomon  was  born  for  war.  We  all  travel 
as  harmoniously  as  heart  can  wish;  and  you  may  depend  on  it  we  have 
enough  to  do,  go  where  we  will.  On  the  Frontiers,  our  General  is  hailed, 
almost  as  a  new  Washington.  *  *  * 

I  told  you  1  should  not  give  up  first,  I  told  you  true,  I  have  perfect 
health;  and  as  much  activity  as  is  necessary ;  I  believe,  I  might  say,  as 
almost  any  man  of  my  age.  I  shall  say  a  word  of  this  place  after  I  have 
looked  about  a  little  :  this  is  only  bringing  up  my  journal  a  little.  I  have 
nothing'  to  say  of  the  War;  only  when  the  whole  truth  shall  be  told,  and 
understood,  heaven  and  earth  must  stand  amazed.  Write  me  the  news, 
and  direct  to  Niagara.  Heaven  only  knows  how  or  when  I  shall  return. 
I  feel  perfectly  warranted  in  saying  that,  it  was  altogether  desirable  that 
I  should  come  along.  I  see  and  hear  many  things  and  shall  try  to  remem 
ber  some.  I  write  in  such  haste  that  I  fear  you  will  not  be  able  to  read. 
As  to  my  little  Flock,  do  step  up  and  cheer  them  :  I  trust  they  will  not 
suffer  for  any  thing.  My  Horse  is  just  what  I  expected,  and  he  who  trav 
els  with  me,  must  ride  a  good  horse  or  not  keep  up.  I  have  not  rubbed 
a  hair  off  him  in  all  this  heat  and  dreadful  rains.  22d.  I  have  looked 
much  about  here  to  satisfy  me  that  Ogdensburgh  is  one  of  the  most  charm 
ingly  situated  places  in  the  world.  Fancy  could  hardly  mend  it,  and  the 
People  are  equal  to  the  place,  Driving,  Cards,  Tea  Parties  and  all  in  ele 
gant  style.  Glorious  times  for  Soldiers.  Good  night, 
To  Mr.  Joseph  Alexander,  Albany.  '  JOHN  LOVETT. 


198  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 


Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  to  Ms  Wife. 

My  dear  Harriet,  Ogdensburgh,  July  22,  1812. 

This  night  I  shall  be  engaged  in  a  most  desperate  enterprise,  to  board 
a  British  armed  vessel  lying  in  the  St.  Lawrence  ofrthis  Harbor.  I  have 
only  Militia  to  accompany  me  on  this  important  service  ;  of  course  I  shall 
be  compelled  to  expose  myself  in  a  high  degree  as  an  example  to  them  to 
do  their  duty.  I  will  succeed  or  fall.  If  the  latter,  let  me  beg  of  you  ttf 
meet  the  event  with  fortitude,  and  do  not  unnecessarily  repine  at  my  loss. 
Kiss  Adeline,  Elizabeth,  Matilda  and  our  dear  little  Margaretta  for  me. 
Rensselaer  I  presume  is  before  this  at  school  in  Middletown,  Conn.,  where 
the  Patroon  will  keep  him.  When  you  see  Rensselaer  give  him  a  kiss  for 
me,  and  tell  him  to  be  a  good  boy,  and  attend  to  his  studies,  but  where  is 
our  dear  little  Van  Vechten  ?  in  Heaven  I  hope,  where  sooner  or  later  I 
trust  we  all  will  join  him.  I  have  written  to  the  Patroon  and  Abraham 
Van  Vechten  about  you  and  the  family,  and  likewise  about  my  back  pay, 
which  I  presume  can  be  got  for  you.  The  Certificates  of  the  Surgeons  of 
Wayne's  Army  are  to  be  found  among  my  papers,  and  they  will  attend  to 
them.  I  have  much  more  to  say  to  you,  but  time  is  pressing  hard  on 
me.  I  must  again  repeat  how  anxious  and  interested,  I  feel  on  your  and 
our  dear  little  ones'  account.  Give  them  an  affectionate  embrace  for  me, 
and  think  kindly  of  me  as  you  ever  did,  for  you  possess  my  warmest  affec 
tions.  Forget  the  past  and  believe  me  to  be  your  affectionate  and  unalter 
able  friend  and  Husband.  Adieu. 

^  SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Mrs.  HarriotWan  Rensselaer,  Mount  Hope,  Albany. 

Upon  reaching  Ogdensburgh,  information  having  been  obtained  which 
induced  a  belief,  that  a  descent  was  meditated  upon  that  place,  temporary 
breastworks  of  cordwood,  &c.,  were  hastily  thrown  up,  and  two  old  guns 
mounted  to  repel  it.  The  belief  was  confirmed  while  the  work  was  in 
progress,  by  the  appearance  of  two  vessels  of  war  which  sailed  out  of  the 
lake  and  came  to  at  the  wharf  opposite  the  village.  It  was  supposed  that 
such  palpable  indications  of  being  greeted  with  a  warm  reception,  were 
the  reasons  why  the  intention  was  abandoned.  The  sight  of  these  vessels 
so  near  him  was  enough,  however,  to  excite  the  resolute  spirit  of  Colonel 
Van  Rensselaer,  and  he  forthwith  projected  a  handsome  enterprise,  (which 
failed  through  the  want  of  a  few  regular  troops,)  against  an  armed  vessel 
of  the  enemy,  which  lay  along  side  a  wharf  adjoining  the  British  maga 
zines  at  Prescott  on  the  opposite  shore.  The  tocsin  of  war  still  continues 
to  ring.  Colonel  Van  Rensselaer  proposed  with  one  hundred  and  twenty 
men,  to  ascend  the  St.  Lawrence  four  or  five  miles,  after  night,  cross  the 
river,  down  under  the  Canada  shore,  take  possession  of  the  buildings  and 
carry  the  vessel,  boarding  her  by  land  and  water  at  the  same  time.  Vol 
unteers  from  the  militia,  turned  for  the  enterprise  at  evening  roll  call,  but 
at  midnight,  they  had  changed  their  minds,  and  as  they  believed  there 
existed  no  competent  authority  to  order  them  beyond  the  limits  of  the 
state,  this  feasible  project  was  abandoned.  A  similar  occasion  never  again 
offered,  as  the  next  morning  the  two  vessels  sailed  back  to  the  lake.  It 
was  subsequently  ascertained,  that  there  was  no  other  force  at  the  place 
to  contend  with,  but  the  crews  of  the  two  vessels. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  199 


Major  General  Van  Eensselaer  to  Governor  Tompkins. 
Sir,  Ogdensburgh,  July  23d,  1812,  8  o'clock,  p.  M. 

On  receiving  information  that  Sackett's  Harbour  was  menaced  by  the 
enemy,  I  deemed  it  expedient  that  General  Brown  should  repair  there  j 
and  accordingly  he  departed  from  this  place  early  yesterday  morning. 
One  reason  for  my  remaining  a  day  or  two  longer  at  this  post  was,  to 
await,  and  possibly  improve  the  success  which  might  attend  a  projected 
attack  upon  a  ten-gun  British  schooner  which  has  for  several  days  been 
lying  al  the  dock  in  Prescott,  opposite  to  this  place.  The  proposed  attack 
was  concerted  by  my  aid-de-canip,  Col.  Van  Hensselaer,  and  Col.  Benedict 
who  commands  at  this  post.  Yesterday  was  spent  in  preparations.  The 
boarding-boats  were  ready  at  1  o'clock,  last  night,  and  the  attack  was  to 
have  been  made  by  land  and  water,  at  3  in  the  morning.  But  when  every 
thing  was  prepared  in  such  manner  as  to  promise  complete  success,  it 
was  discovered  with  infinite  chagrin  and  mortification,  that  only  sixty-six 
men  would  volunteer  for  the  service  !  This  number  being  by  no  means 
competent,  Cols.  Van  Rensselaer  and  Bendedict,  who  wouldjeertainly  have 
led  the  men  to  action  with  the  most  cool  and  determined  bravery,  were 
compelled  to  abandon  an  enterprize  honourable  in  itself,  and  upon  the 
result  of  which  might  have  depended  the  whole  command  of  the  Lake 
and  river. 

This  promising  project  having  bee%  blasted,  and  as  nothing  further  of 
consequence  appeared  to  demand  my  longer  stay  here,  I  was  on  the  eve 
of  my  departure  at  five  o'clock  this  afternoon,  when  a  large  armed  ship 
was  discovered  coming  down  the  river.  She  anchored  close  on  shore,  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  near  to  the  schooner,  and  appears  to  be  a 
fourteen-gun  ship.  Considerable  solicitude  prevails  in  this  place.  It  is 
generally  believed  that  the  vessels  in  the  harbour  are  the  object  of  the 
enemy.  The  owners  of  the  vessels  are  preparing  to  scuttle  them,  or  re 
move  them  as  far  out  of  the  reach  of  the  enemy  as  may  be.  The  troops 
are  busy  constructing  a  fort  of  timber  north  of  Parish's  store,  on  the  best 
ground  for  the  purpose.  But,  sir,  our  very  great  misfortune  is,  that  we 
have  only  two  six  pounders.  If  this  harbour  is  to  be  protected,  it  is  abso 
lutely  necessary  that  I  should  be  immediately  furnished  with  cannon  of 
competent  calibre,  for  the  probably  approaching  emergency.  I  shall  wait 
your  answer  by  the  return  of  the  express,  and  govern  myself  accordingly. 

I  have  the  honor,  &c., 

His  Excellency  Gov.  Tompkins.  STEPHEN  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

John  Lovett  to  Joseph  Alexander. 
Dear  Sir,  Ogdensburgh,  July  23,  1812. 

By  throwing  off  my  flannel,  and  being  a  little  too  much  in  the  rain,  I 
caught  a  horrid  cold  which  laid  me  up  yesterday.  And  as  we  quit  here 
this  afternoon,  I  must  soon  close  my  wretched  'scrawl.  We  have  here 
say  four  hundred  troops,  well  armed,  pretty  well  disciplined.  Three  Field 
pieces,  a  little  amunition,  no  works. 

Last  Saturday  a  ten  Gun  British  Schooner  came  down  from  the  narrows 
and  anchored  at  Prescott  opposite  this  place.  We  have  been  squinting, 
and  .squinting  again  and  again  at  her.  Last  evening  it  was  determined 
by  my  friend  Col.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  and  Col.  Benedict  to  attack 
her  at  3  o'clock  this  morning,  the  night  has  been  spent  in  activity;  ex 
cellent  Boats  and  all  things  were  in  readiness  at  2  o'clock.  The  men 


200  LEGACY  OP  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

were  paraded,  and  out  of  four  hundred,  all  clamorous  for  attack,  just  sixty- 
three  men  were  willing  to  go  !  Of  course,  at  daylight,  the  expedition  was 
abandoned.  Never  did  I  see  a  man  more  mortified  and  disappointed  than 
is  Col.  Van  Rensselaer.  Never  did  any  man  see  a  soldier  more  eager  for 
attack.  I  am  now,  more  than  ever  before,  satisfied  of  the  awful  stuff  for 
battle  which  he  carries  in  his  pluck.  He  was  to  have  led  the  van,  and  I 
believe  he  would  willirtgly  have  given  a  Quit  Claim  to  all  he  possesses  in 
the  world,  could  he  have  but  persuaded  the  men  to  go  with  him  and  stick 
by  him.  I  may  hereafter  give  you  a  number  of  amusing  anecdotes  of  last 
night ;  yet  as  Thorn  was  present  with  us,  and  will  soon  be  with*  you,  I 
refer  to  him.  One  word.  As  I  write  you  any  how,  you  are  never  to 
publish  anything  I  write :  you  know  what  I  mean ;  the  facts  I  state  you 
may  publish  as  you  please  when  deemed  expedient,  but  now  this  single 
fact  of  the  Men's  refusing  to  volunteer,  if  published,  would  raise  a  bobbery. 

From  Sacketts  Harbor  we  learn  that  the  British  Squadron  looked  in 
there  a  day  or  two  ago,  gave  and  received  a  few  long  shots  and  retired. 
There  are  here  eight  or  ten  fine  Schooners,  which  if  armed,  would  give 
us  command  of  the  Lake  and  River.  How  came  all  this  ? 

Although  no  blow  is  yet  struck  in  these  parts,  it  does  appear  to  me 
impossible  that  the  thing  can  continue  so  long  The  command  of  the 
water  is  every  thing  :  the  British  now  have  it ;  but  I  think  there  will 
yet,  in  some  shape,  be  a  struggle  for  it ;  there  must  be,  for  our  little  force 
must  be  subdued  or  increased.  * 

What  has  become  of  our  Salt  water  Fleet? 

Tell  my  good  wife,  I  have  not  another  moment  to  write,  that  I  am 
neither  homesick,  crop-sick,  war-sick,  nor  sick  of  my  Wife.  Tell  her 
also  that  we  are  in  point  blank  shot  of  Mr.  Honey  wood.  When  you  are 
up  all  night,  and  the  devil  about  among  Boats  and  Militia,  you  will  write 
nearly  as  bad  as  T  do. 

With  one  foot  in  the  stirrup. and  good  pluck  for  Niagara. 

Good  bye  to  you. 

Mr.  Joseph  Alexander,  Albany.  JOHN  LOVETT. 

There  were  many  hardships  and  deprivations  to  be  encountered  in  the 
early  part  of  this,  as  in  every  campaign. 

On  one  occasion  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  accompanied  by  Colonel  Solomon 
Van  Rensselaer  and  Major  Lovett  were  traveling  on  horseback  on  a  tour 
of  inspection  "  along  the  frontier  from  Sackett's  Harbor  to  learn  the  con 
dition  of  troops  and  the  means  of  offensive  or  defensive  operations  along 
the  lake  and  St.  Lawrence.  Sending  our  horses  by  land,  we  took  two 
sailors,  a  sergeant  and  eight  soldiers  and  started  in  an  open  boat,  pre 
pared  to  fight  a  little  and  run  a  good  deal,  and  escape  any  lurking  boats 
of  the  enemy.  Until  nearly  night  we  had  no  wind  ;  then  a  breeze  sprung 
up  and  increased  to  a  gale,  the  night  was  cold.  I  had  no  outer  garment 
but  my  flannel  night  gown,  God  bless  my  good  wife,  she  made  me 
bring  it.  We  all  were  chilly,  it  was  dark,  the  sea  ran  high  and  much  to 
our  vexation,  were  overtaken  by  a  severe  thunder  storm.  It  was  a  wild 
and  boisterous  night,  the  rain  came  down  in  torrents  and  the  lightning 
flashed  in  bright  sheets  of  light  from  the  heavy  thunder  clouds.  Our 
pilot  got  bewildered,  we  run  the  lord  knows  where,  but  we  struck  on  the 
rocks  near  the  mouth  of  little  Salmon  river  in  Mexico  bay,  the  guard 
hailed  us,  and  gave  us  directions  how  to  get  off,  we  did  soon  get  off  and 
were  glad  to  seek  shelter  in  a  deserted  house  from  which  its  frightened 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  201 

inmates  had  previously  fled,  leaving  only  a  table  and  wash  bench.  Being 
destitute  of  everything  necessary  for  their  comfort,  they  were  obliged  to 
go  supperless  to  bed.  It  was  half  past  twelve  and  we  sought  needed  re 
pose.  We  placed  our  general  on  the  table  about  four  and  one-half  feet  long, 
crooked  up  his  legs,  borrowed  a  thick  blanket  of  a  soldier  and  covered  him 
up  quite  comfortably.  The  patience  with  which  this  man  endures  priva 
tions  as  well  as  hardships,  can  only  be  known  by  there  who  certify  the 
fact."  But  as  to  the  rest.  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  got  two  boards  and  laid 
himself  down  in  his  great  coat,  while  poor  Major  Lovett  had  choice  of  a 
filthy  floor  or  the  large  Dutch  oven.  He  selected  the  latter  as  the  more 
desirable  couch  and  "  the  thought  struck  me  it  would  be  my  safest  retreat 
from  the  vermin.  But  how  under  heaven  to  get  in  I  knew  not.  I  got  a 
wide  board,  placed  an  end  in  the  mouth  of  the  monstrous  oven,  laid  my 
self  on  the  board,  then  bade  the  sergeant  of  the  guard  raise  up  the  other 
end  and  push  me  into  the  oven,  in  I  went,  like  a  pig  on  wooden  shovel, 
yes,  and  there  I  staid  and  had  one  of  the  loveliest  night's  rest  of  my  life." 
Making  the  best  of  present  circumstances,  the  jocular  major,  during  the 
night,  hearing  from  their  conversation,  that  his  friends  were  sadly  tor 
mented  with  bats  and  vermin  ;  boasted,  much  to  the  annoyance  of  the 
others,  of  his  nice,  snug  chamber ;  and  early  in  the  morning  greeted 
them  with  the  vociferous  information,  that  he  never  slept  more  comforta 
bly,  "  such  a  lovely  night's  rest."  His  dubious,  but  amused  comrades, 
allowed  the  gallant  and  contented  major  to  rest  long  without  any  disturb 
ance,  in  his  so  styled  pleasant  quarters,  till  at  last,  endurance  was  unsup- 
portable,  and  he  was  very  glad  to  beg  them  to  draw  him  out.  u  I  am  still 
glad  I  came,  tho7  I  have  seen  some  pretty  tough  times,  we  all  are  about 
six  and  one-half  hours  on  our  horses  amongst  the  most  infernal  set  of  fleas 
that  ever  graced  a  man's  ears.  I  find  the  war  is  considered,  in  this  part 
of  the  country  unpopular  and  indeed  intolerable." 

Major  Lovett  to  Joseph  Alexander. 
My  Dear  Sir,  Ogdensburgh  July  29,  1812. 

I  have  long  considered  it  a  given  point  that  those  who  do  nothing,  are 
always  too  much  engaged  to  do  any  thing  else.  Now  this  is  very  nearly 
my  own  condition :  although  we  effect  nothing,  we  are  all  the  while  busy. 
Here  must  be  a  redoubt  thrown  up;  some  Tents  pitched  yonder;  this 
Schooner  hauled  this  way,  and  that,  that  way.  And  the  cursed  Flags  of 
Truce  bother  our  souls  out.  Scarcely  a  day  passes,  but  some  scamp  gets  a 
canoe,  sticks  up  a  pole,  and  such  part  of  his  shirt  as  he  can  best  spare,  after 
having  washed  it  so  long  that  he  can  venture  his  soul  and  body  on  the 
chance  of  proving  it  white,  and  thus  rigged  away  he  comes  to  our  shore 
after  some  raft,  or  boat,  or  canoe,  or  in  plain  truth,  to  reconnoitre  us. 
But  our  General  has  a  bait  put  on  and  to  all  this  stuff.  Thus  and  thus 
passes,  our  time :  stop,  though,  there  is  one  good  job  going  on  :  An  old 
Naval  who  has  been  somewhere  here  about  on  the  Grampian  Hills  ever 
since  the  year  1758,  told  our  Soldiers  where  lay  an  8  Gun  Vessel  sunk. 
At  it  the  poor  devils  went ;  several  days  ago  they  drew  up  one  good  large 
4  pounder,  last  night  they  grabbed  another :  we  have  strained  it  with  3 
heavy  charges  and  it  stands ;  this  day  the  Boys  say  they  shall  have  up 
two  more :  Thus,  Sir,  while  the  General  and  State  Governments  are  so 
infamously  neglecting  to  supply  this  place  with  Ordnance,  our  boys  are 
hoisting  old  French  Pieces  from  the  bottom  of  the  bay.  Now,  Sir,  I  will 

26 


202  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

relate  to  you  a  little  expedition  which,  God  knows,  was  hazardous  enough. 
At  Hamilton  Village,  twenty  miles  below  this,  we  have  a  few  troops,  and 
the  British  are  throwing  up  some  works.  Our  General  had  an  inclination 
to  visit  that  place.  He  ordered  our  Horses  down  by  land  and  the  General, 
the  great  Mr.  Parish,  a  Mr.  Rainheart,  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  and  myself, 
made  up  the  Passengers.  Three  Boatmen  conducted  us.  Our  boat  was 
so  small,  that  several  gentlemen  were  alarmed  when  we  started  and  at 
tempted  to  have  us  called  back,  but  without  success.  We  went  on  very  well 
eight  miles;  then  appeared  a  Rapid  which,  to  me,  looked pokerish  enough, 
but  I  am  not  timid  on  water,  the  boatmen  run  into  the  very  worst  place, 
the  boat  plunged  bows  under.  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  was  with  me  in  the 
bow,  and  the  old  soldier,  who  fears  nothing  on  land,  admits  he  was  horridly 
scared  on  water.  Our  boatmen  turned  pale,  and  gave  up,  the  boat  wal 
loping  in  the  breakers;  we  shipped  such  quantities  of  water  that  the 
General  and  Mr.  Rainheart  got  their  breeches  full.  Mr.  Parish  his  coat- 
pockets  full.  Col.  V.  R.  and  myself  our  boots  full.  My  pistols  were  afloat. 
People  saw  us  from  the  shore  and  gave  us  up,  for  without  another  boat, 
salvation  was  very  distant.  But  we  all  kept  steady,  and  that  saved  all : 
we  got  our  boat  ashore,  baled  out,  and  tried  it  again.  I  am  not  very  fond 
of  relating  hair-breadth  escapes,  but  I  am  to  tell  you  the  truth;  and  you 
may  be  assured  this  is  just  such  a  scrape  as  we  don't  mean  to  attempt 
again.  We  returned  here  last  evening.  I  do  not  recollect  where  my  war 
narrative  left  off.  We  have  been  all  mortified,  almost  to  death,  by  the 
failure  of  the  expedition  against  the  Schooner.  Had  she  fallen,  the  Earl 
Maria  which  came  down  the  next  day,  must  have  inevitably  followed  the 
example,  and  this  bobbing,  as  it  may  look  to  you,  would  have  led  to  the 
command  of  th*  waters,  and  the  want  of  that  command  will  distress  us 
incalculably.  We  sent  up  to  Woolsey  to  concert  a  plan  for  attacking  both ; 
and  last  night  the  concert  began  to  be  matured ;  and  now,  to  renew  our 
vexation,  while  I  am  writing,  both  the  Ship  and  the  Schooner  are  under 
way,  with  a  very  feeble  breeze,  going  up  the  River.  As  far  as  I  can 
learn  their  object  here  has  been  to  wait  for  arms  and  stores  from  Montreal. 

2  Brigades  of  Canada  Boats,  that  is  24  of  them  have  been  several  days 
below  this  coming  up,  each  boat  manned  a  small  Piece,  but  we  had 
pretty  much  determined  to  attack  them,  but  the  citizens  discouraged  the 
idea  for  fear  of  a  retaliating  Bombardment,  as  we  have  no  guns  for  the 
Ship  and  Schooner;  and  now  they  will  be  up  the  River  again.  As  long 
as  John  Bull  travels  by  water  and  the  rest  of  the  world  by  Land,  he  will 
tucker  all  out. 

I  have  seen  letters  from  Sackett's  Harbor,  giving  a  dreadful  account  of 
the  attack  there,  all  froth  ;  barely  a  few  long  shots.  If  any  man  wants  to 
see  folly  triumphant,  let  him  come  here,  let  him  view  friends  by  friends 
stretched  for  hundreds  of  miles  on  these  two  shores,  all  loving  and  be 
loved  ;  all  desirous  of  harmony;  all  wounded  by  being  coerced,  by  a  hand 
unseen,  to  cut  throats.  The  People  must  waken,  they  will  wake  from 
such  destructive  lethargy  and  stupor. 

The  Troops  here  are  very  steady,  respectful,  obedient,  healthy.  It  is 
certainly  a  great  compliment  to  the  morality  of  the  Country,  that  here  on 
the  lines,  among  a  collection  of  every  thing,  there  is  no  noise,  disturbance, 
bad  language  nor  uproar. 

Soldiers  without  pay  or  Blankets  as  dutiful  as  children.  What  might 
not  the  good  spirit  of  this  great  People  effect,  if  properly  directed.  His 
tory  while  recording  our  folly,  will  dress  her  pages  in  mourning,  the 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  203 

showers  of  Posterity's  tears  will  fall  in  vain  ;  for  the  sponge  of  time  can 
never  wipe  this  blot  from  the  American  Name.  We  are  all  getting  thin 
as  shad,  and  brown  as  Indians  j  well  we  may,  for,  we  are  seldom  in  bed 
more  than  five  out  of  twenty-four  hours,  but  we  are  hearty  and  treated 
with  the  highest  respect.  Thursday  Morning,  30th  July,  I  intended  to 
have  written  more,  but  last  night  our  Express  returned  from  Albany, 
without  any  answer,  and  as  we  have  done  all  that  can  be  done  here  with 
out  Ordnance,  we  must  leave  the  place  to  its  fate,  and  take  up  our  line  of 
march  to  day  for  Sackett's  Harbor,  Oswego  and  Niagara,  where  you  may 
again  hear  from  me,  and  let  me  hear  from  you,  particularly  as  to  the 
symptoms  of  awakening  among  the  People.  May  Almighty  God  rouse 
them,  for  this  War  is  the  Ominous  Gathering  of  folly  and  madness,  and 
so  every  one  must  know  who  comes  in  sight  of  it. 

Tell  Sam.  McElroy,  I  saw  the  old  gentleman  yesterday  well.  Comfort 
my  Wife.  Cheer  all  the  Brethren  and  tell  Gilbert  Stewart  I  attend  church 
twice  a  day. 

You  have  seen  General  Hull's  Proclamation,  Matter  and  manner  all 
speak  our  language.  I  am  not  timid,  but  my  friend,  my  faith  begins  to 
quiver.  The  People  must  rouse  quickly,  or  we  shall  inevitably  be  crushed. 

Yours  very  truly,  T  T  OVFTT 

Mr.  Joseph  Alexander,  Albany. 

Major  Lovett  to  Joseph  Alexander. 

My  dear  Friend,  Oswego  5th  August,  1812. 

It  was  my  intention  to  have  written  you  a  long  letter  before  I  left  this; 
and  when  I  tell  you  the  plain,  honest  truth  why  I  have  not,  I  really  think 
you  will  smile  and  call  it  Military  Pedantry.  I  was  on  parade,  by  the 
side  of  my  General,  from  3  in  the  afternoon  until  dark,  and  have  but  this 
moment  (9  at  night)  concluded  the  Division  Orders  to  Col.  Flemming 
who  commands  at  this  Post.  There  are  here,  525  as  fine  Militia  as  you 
could  wish  to  see,  under  the  command  of  an  old  Revolutionary  Veteran 
who  was  in  every  general  action  during  the  last  war.  The  whole  service 
is  to  him,  as  familiar  as  housekeeping. 

Fort  Oswego  is  really  deservedly  the  admiration  of  every  one.  The 
works,  which  were  once  of  the  very  first  character,  have  gone  greatly  to 
decay ;  but,  like  the  great  commanding  traits  of  a  handsome  woman,  they 
still  charm  the  beholder,  at  the  same  time  exciting  admiration  softened 
with  tender  sensations  of  regret,  that  any  thing  once  so  perfect  should 
have  faded  with  years. 

The  site  of  this  fort  is  on  a  promontory  on  the  east  side  of  Oswego 
River ;  to  the  North  and  west  the  eye  cannot  command  the  sight  of 
land.  Here  the  Sun  sets  in  majesty ;  bidding  adieu  to  earth,  he  sinks 
as  it  were,  in  the  western  main.  Without  visiting  these  regions  no  living 
mortal  can  conceive  the  majesty  with  which  nature  has  here  painted; 
every  stroke  speaks  the  mighty,  the  mighty  hand  of  Jehovah. 

"  Here  Nature  strikes  her  strangest,  boldest  lines, 
And  paints  broad  scenes  unknown  in  eastern  climes." 

J.  LOVETT. 

On  reaching  the  Niagara  frontier  towards  the  middle  of  August,  Gen 
eral  Van  Rensselaer  found  his  troops  scattered  along  the  whole  line  of  the 
river,  and  exposed  to  be  cut  up  in  detail.  Having  inspected  his  ground, 
his  resolution  was  promptly  taken  to  concentrate  his  forces  at  Lewiston, 


204  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

leaving  the  necessary  guards  of  observation  at  different  points.  Orders 
to  that  effect  were  immediately  given.  His  camp  was  formed,  and  the 
duties  of  discipline  and  instruction  were  entered  upon  without  delay. 
From  the  moment  of  his  assuming  the  command,  his  position  was  one  of 
the  utmost  exposure  and  danger.  He  lay  within  sight  of  a  powerful  en 
emy,  separated  from  him  only  by  a  narrow  river,  for  the  crossing  of  which, 
that  enemy  possessed  every  facility.  He  had  a  line  of  thirty-six  miles  to 
guard  and  his  whole  force  was  considerably  less  than  one  thousand  men, 
on  the  first  day  of  September,  he  had  only  691  men  fit  for  duty,  many  of 
them  without  shoes,  and  all  of  them  clamorous  for  pay.  Of  ammunition, 
there  were  not  ten  rounds  per  man,  and  no  lead.  There  was  not  one  piece 
of  heavy  ordnance  in  the  whole  line,  and  there  were  no  artillerists  to  man 
the  few  light  pieces  which  we  possessed.  Add  to  this,  that  the  troops 
could  not  take  or  keep  the  field,  for  want  of  tents  and  covering;  that  the 
medical  department,  if  one  could  be  said  to  exist  at  all,  was  utterly  desti 
tute  of  everything  necessary  for  the  comfort  of  the  sick  or  the  disabled  ; 
and  that  there  was  among  the  men  that  entire  want  of  subordination,  to 
say  nothing  of  discipline,  which  always  characterizes  raw  militia  ;  and  some 
idea  may  be  formed  of  the  condition  of  our  army. 

The  condition  of  the  forces  on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  river,  was  in 
contrast  with  ours  in  every  particular.  There  was  a  well  appointed,  and 
well  found  army,  under  the  most  exact  discipline,  and  commanded  by 
skillful  and  experienced  officers.  Every  important  post,  from  Fort  Erie 
to  Fort  George,  was  in  a  defensible  state,  and  the  enemy  had  possessed 
himself  of  a  very  commanding  position  on  the  heights  of  Queenstown, 
which  he  was  rendering  every  day  more  secure  and  formidable.  He  had, 
moreover,  the  mastery  of  the  lakes,  and  was  at  that  moment  industriously 
employed  in  using  that  advantage  to  increase  his  numbers,  and  add  to  his 
supplies  at  Niagara.  Expresses  had  been  sent  by  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer 
to  Albany,  to  represent  this  state  of  things,  and  to  urge  on  the  necessary 
supplies,  which  in  time  arrived  at  Sackett's  Harbor,  the  nearest  depot  on 
the  lake  :  but  as  the  rendezvous  of  the  army  was  now  established  between 
the  two  lakes,  on  the  Niagara  river,  owing  to  the  impossibilities  of  trans 
porting  those  indispensable  articles  by  land,  it  became  necessary  to  resort 
to  diplomacy,  in  order  to  secure  their  safe  passage  through  the  waters 
under  the  control  of  the  enemy.  Fortunately  an  opportunity  of  a  trial  of 
this  act  soon  occurred.  An  armistice  was  in  course  of  negotiation.  Major 
General  Dearborn  wrote  that,  "  Our  government  had  received  despatches 
from  England  of  a  conciliatory  nature ;  to  the  proposition  on  the  part  of 
Sir  George  Provost,  for  a  mutual  cessation  of  hostilities  on  the  frontiers, 
he  would  comply  so  far,  as  to  agree  to  direct  the  respective  commanding 
officers,  to  confine  their  operations  to  defensive  measures  for  the  present/' 

Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Governor  Tompldns. 
Sir,  Buffalo,  August  llth,  1812. 

I  have  to  advise  your  Excellency  that  I  arrived  here  last  evening,  and 
various  considerations  induced  me  to  adopt  measures  for  obtaining  the 
most  satisfactory  information  respecting  the  situation  of  General  Hull. 
Accordingly,  I  this  morning  sent  my  aid-de-camp  to  Black  Rock,  having 
heard  that  Judge  Porter,  brother  of  the  Quarter  Master  General,  had  lately 
returned  from  Detroit.  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  has  returned,  having  had  a 
conference  with  the  Quarter  Master  General,  and  Judge  Porter.  The 
amount  of  information  obtained  is  substantially  this.  That  Judge  Porter 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  205 

left  Detroit,  on  the  29th  ult.,  General  Hull  was  entrenching  himself  op 
posite  to  Detroit  j  Fort  Maiden  was  not  taken  as  has  been  reported ;  Gen 
eral  Hull's  force  was  eight  hundred.  At  Brown's  Town,  below  Detroit, 
are  fifteen  hundred  hostile  Indians.  Quarter  Master  General  Porter  has 
lately  sent  several  boats  with  provisions  for  General  Hull ;  but  unfortu 
nately,  one  boat  has  been  taken  by  the  enemy,  and  unfavourable  appre 
hensions  are  entertained  for  the  other  boats.  It  is  here  generally  believed, 
that  detachments  of  troops  have  been  sent  from  Fort  George,  to  relieve 
Fort  Maiden  ]  the  number  remaining  behind,  I  have  not  been  able  to 
ascertain,  but  shall  endeavour  to  make  this  an  object  of  early  inquiry.  It 
is  said  that  the  enemy  abound  on  the  opposite  shore,  with  ordnance,  and 
every  munition  of  war.  We  are,  here,  as  indeed  at  all  of  our  posts,  la 
mentably  deficient  in  ordnance.  The  situation  of  Ogdensburgh,  and  the 
necessity  of  supplying  it  with  heavy  ordnance,  I  have  before  stated  to 
your  Excellency  in  my  letter  by  express  from  that  place.  Every  con 
sideration  connected  with  the  success  of  any  operations  in  this  quarter, 
urges  me  to  solicit  the  earliest  possible  supply  of  heavy  ordnance,  and 
some  skillful  engineers,  and  artillerists.  Without  such  aid  and  supplies, 
I  can  hardly  conceive  how  it  will  be  possible  for  us  to  achieve  anything 
of  importance,  or  even  defend  our  posts  in  case  of  attacks  from  the  enemy. 
I  shall,  tomorrow,  proceed  on  to  Black  Rock  and  Lewiston,  and  make 
further  communications  of  every  incident  of  moment. 

I  have  spent  a  part  of  this  day  with  Red  Jacket,  Corn  Planter,  and  a 
number  of  other  Indians  of  influence.  They  very  kindly  consider  me  as 
the  messenger  of  peace  and  friendship,  specially  delegated  by  your  excel 
lency.  Their  professions  are  unreservedly  friendly,  and  I  believe  sincere. 
I  have  this  day  received  a  letter  from  Major  General  Dearborn,  in  which 
he  speaks  of  Fort  Maiden  as  being  taken  :  I  have  given  him  such  inform 
ation  on  the  subject  as  I  have  here  obtained.  I  have  the  honour  &c 

To  His  Excellency  Governor  Tompkins. 

Cornplanter.  the  venerable  Seneca  chief,  did  all  in  his  power  to  keep 
his  race  neutral.  At  the  request  of  the  United  State  government,  he  in 
duced  their  influential  chiefs,  to  visit  the  Indians  on  the  Grand  river, 
talk  with  them  about  remaining  neutral  and  bring  back  an  answer.  The 
authorities  of  the  United  States  used  every  effort  in  their  power  to  keep 
the  Indians  from  the  contest  on  both  sides,  knowing  their  cruel  mode  of 
warfare,  and  resolved  not  to  employ  the  savages  in  the  war  unless  com 
pelled  to. 

Major  Lovett  to  Joseph  Alexander. 
My  dear  Friend,  Niagara  Falls,  August  14,  1812. 

I  hope  I  may  never  cease  to  praise  God  for  his  bountiful  gift  of  that 
strange  kind  of  something  which  he  was  pleased,  in  mercy,  to  put  into  my 
composition  which  still  continues  to  sustain  me  in  cheerful  activity  when> 
real  stout  men  are  willing  to  sit  down  and  rest.  At  eight  this  morning  I 
mounted  my  horse,  and  I  have  been  on  his  back  or  my  legs  until  this 
minute  (nine  at  night)  except  at  dinner.  My  General  also,  you  may 
depend  is  no  common  man  to  endure  fatigue,  and  my  good  friend  the 
Colonel,  I  have  left  at  Lewiston,  seven  miles  off.  Gen.  Hull  and  Howe 
Cuyler,  I  have  this  moment  parted  from,  and  they  say  they  are  much 
fatigued.  Now  here  I  sit  alone,  in  a  little  hut  twelve  by  fifteen  feet,  on 
the  top  of  the  falls,  so  near  that  I  can  spit  in ;  half  deafened  by  that 
thorough-bass  groan  which  nature  in  some  awfully  convulsive  moment 


206  LEGACY  OF  HISTOBICAL  GLEANINGS. 

struck;  which  she  has  continued  for  ages  and  ages;  and  which  will  pro 
bably  continue  until  that  dreadful  moment  when  she  will  swell  it  a  note 
louder  and  expire.  Here  I  have  slept,  in  state  with  our  baggage,  on  the 
floor  for  two  nights  ;  and  this  makes  the  third  and  last.  I  say  in  state, 
because  I  have  a  sentinel  the  outside  my  door,  and  a  Cask  of  Wine  the 
inside  ;  but  I  can  have  no  intercourse  with  either  ;  for  etiquette  forbids 
the  former,  and  the  want  of  a  gimlet  the  latter  *  *  *  I  now  and  then 
get  a  peep  at  your  Papers,  and  the  most  abominable  lies  which  are  thrown 
out  are  producing  such  mischief,  that  I  willingly  rob  myself  of  sleep  to 
give  you  the  truth,  for  what  I  write  you  may  depend  on  as  fact.  I  wrote 
to  Van  Vechten  by  the  last  mail  the  situation  of  General  Hull,  I  am  in 
clined  to  think  he  is  not  in  a  very  eligible  situation.  General  Dearborn 
believes  Fort  Maiden  is  taken,  he  writes  so,  but  it  is  not  true.  Now  in 
justification  of  the  movements  of  our  General,  who  God  knows  would 
serve  his  Country  if  he  could  (I  made  a  little  sketch  of  the  country  &c. 
where  and  how  Hull  is  situated,  in  my  letter  to  Van  Vechten,  read  that 
and  you  will  see  what  condition  we  are  in),  but  how  is  that  possible  in 
our  present  condition.  We  have  eleven  cannon  for  all  our  extensive 
lines,  no  works  of  any  consequence,  except  old  Fort  Niagara,  and  that, 
though  once  a  master  piece,  is  all  going  to  decay.  From  Buffalo  to 
Niagara  both  inclusive  we  have  not  1000  Militia.  Capt.  Leonard,  of  the 
Garrison  at  Niagara  told  me  this  afternoon,  that  our  Regulars  are  360  and 
no  more  !  Wait  another  sentence,  although  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  is  inces 
santly  pressing  the  Commander-in-Chief  with  the  indispensable  necessity 
of  a  competent  supply  of  heavy  ordance  ;  for  Engineers  ;  Artillerists ;  still 
a  noble  company  of  106  Artillerists,  at  Niagara,  are  in  two  or  three  days 
to  take  up  their  line  of  march  for  Albany  !  This,  Capt.  Leonard  told  me 
this  day.  After  all  that  you  have  heard,  you  will  not,  you  cannot  believe 
me,  but  hear  me,  and  wait  until  the  next  mail  when  we  shall  send  the 
Commander-in-Chief  our  Inspection  Returns  of  all  the  Posts.  Now  as  to 
the  enemy  :  Although  they  have  sent  off  large  detachments,  General 
Wadsworth,  who  commands  at  Lewiston  told  me  to  day,  1000  from 
Niagara  to  reinforce  Fort  Maiden,  yet  they  appear  to  be  awake  all  along 
the  lines,  jet  exceeding  civil,  and  still  with  ordnance,  of  every  description, 
and  all  the  munitions  of  war  they  abound. 

Every  three  or  four  miles,  on  every  prominent  point  or  eminence, 
there  you  see  a  snug  Battery  thrown  up,  and  "  the  last "  saucy  arguments 
of  Kings  poking  their  white  noses,  and  round  black  nostrils  right  up  in 
your  face,  ready  to  spit  fire,  ball  and  brimstone  in  your  very  teeth  if  you 
even  offer  to  turn  Squatter  on  John  Bull's  land.  Niagara,  on  the  British 
side,  or  as  it  is  called  sometimes,  New  Ark  ;  I  mean  at  Lake  Ontario,  looks 
wicked  every  where.  It  is  a  charming,  fertile,  broad  village,  but  all  a 
camp,  fortified  at  every  point.  Capt.  Leonard  was  this  afternoon,  in  my 
presence,  asked  seriously,  for  his  professional  answer,  as  an  able,  gallant, 
and  experienced  officer,  What  number  of  Troops  would  be  competent  to 
promise  success  in  an  attack  upon  Fort  George,  that  is,  their  main  work  ? 
I  heard  the  answer  "  Not  less  than  2,000  WELL  DISCIPLINED  TROOPS. 
Those  who  know  Leonard  will  believe,  for  they  must  respect  his  opinion. 
No  sooner  did  we  approach  with  our  cavalcade,  than  away  ran  expresses, 
on  the  opposite  shore  at  full  speed.  Here,  again  I  saw  our  old  Friend, 
the  Earl  of  Moria.  While  we  were  reconnoitering  the  works,  the  Prince 
Regent  up  sails  and  stood  off  North.  Now  let  the  reasonable  part  of  the 
world  judge  why  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  cannot  act. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  207 

To-morrow  I  take  our  Baggage  to  Lewiston,  where  we  shall  establish 
Head  Quarters.  Thank  my  Wife  for  her  Political  Epistle.  I  consider 
you  the  organ  of  communication  to  all  my  friends.  Thank  my  Wile  for 
the  Flannel  Night  Gown,  in  which  I  roll  myself  this  moment  and  tumble 
on  the  floor,  to  rest.  Yours  ever  truly. 

Mr.  Joseph  Alexander,  Albany.  J.  LOVETT. 

Journal  of  the  Campaign  continued. 

Sunday,  August  16,  1812.  Head  Quarters  Lewiston. 

The  oftener  I  get  a  peep  at  your  Papers,  the  more  I  feel  it  my  duty  to 
give  you  the  correct  history  of  every  occurrence  which  can  possibly  be 
tortured  into  a  lie ;  but  as  I  must  of  necessity  write  in  great  haste,  steal 
ing,  as  it  were  the  time ;  writing  on  my  knee,  my  hat,  or  any  how,  you 
will  of  course  excuse  10,000  blunders;  but  Facts  you  may  depend  on. 
My  last  to  you  I  closed  late  at  night  on  the  14th  at  the  Falls.  Yesterday 
morning  I  brought  our  Baggage  down  here.  And  now  for  a  little  scratch 
ing  sport,  which  I  relate  principally  for  the  purpose  of  enabling  you  to 
meet  the  lye  should  any  fool,  or  scoundrel  manufacture  one,  out  of  what 
little  did  actually  take  place.  You  know  the  banks  of  this  outlet  con 
tinue  of  a  uniform  bight  from  the  falls  down  to  within  a  mile  and  a  half 
of  this  place,  on  the  high  bluffs  on  each  side  the  river  are  guards.  I  had 
but  just  arrived  yesterday  when  a  firing  of  Musketry  commenced  on  both 
sides  the  river  at  this  place. 

My  General  says,  I  was  the  first  man  on  my  horse  and  that  as  I  started 
he  called  to  me  three  or  four  times  to  come  back,  and  the  reason  he  very 
handsomely  assigned  was,  that  he  expected  I  was  going  to  run  away,  and 
that  he  should  never  see  me  again.  However,  Gen.  Wadsworth  and  Col. 
Van  Kensselaer  were  on  their  horses  and  started  with  me.  We  run  our 
horses  up  such  horrid  rocky  precipices  as  I  never  saw  men  ride  before. 
The  firing  increased,  and  the  moment  we  darted  out  of  the  bushes  on  to 
the  open  land,  a  soldier  catching  his  breath  ran  up  to  me  and  sung  out. 
"  General,  do  ride  down  into  that  hollow,  for  the  balls  fly  dreadfully 
here  !"  It  was  partly  true ;  they  did  fly  a  little  :  but  I  did  not  observe 
only  two  that  went  near  enough  to  make  me  grin.  Col.  V.  R.,  says  he 
heard  6  or  8,  about  near  enough.  We  pursued  on  a  little  further  and 
halted  on  our  horses,  inquiring  of  another  soldier  what  began  the  skir 
mish,  while  he  was  relating  his  story,  there  came  a  ball  pretty  near  us, 
and  had  I  been  shot  through,  I  could  not  have  helped  laughing  to  see 
the  poor  devil  run  behind  a  large  black  oak  tree ;  draw  his  arms  close  to 
his  body,  catch  his  breath  and  grin  !  You  may  depend  on  it  there  is 
something  perfectly  indescribable  in  the  face  of  a  clown  who  expects  at 
every  breath  a  ball  through  his  back. 

Gen.  Wadsworth  was  extremely  cautious  to  keep  his  breast  towards  the 
balls,  saying  he  "  had  no  notion  that  a  WADSWORTH  should  be  shot  through 
the  Lack  !  However,  after  six  or  eight  minutes  the  firing  ceased  on  both 
sides,  the  guards  were  small  and  I  do  not  believe  there  were  more  than 
100  muskets  discharged  on  both  sides,  but  those  were  4  to  one  by  the 
enemy.  So  we  galloped  all  back  again  by  another  route  amidst  the 
plaudits  of  our  clever  fellows,  and  no  one  more  gratified  with  the  little 
prompt  zeal  shown,  than  our  Commander.  Now  this  exactly  nothing  may, 
by  some  fool  be  conjured  up  as  to  another  Sackett's  Harbor  Battle.  In 
the  afternoon  over  came  a  Flag  from  Lieut.  Col.  Myers  of  the  70  liegt. 
Commanding  Fort  George  with  a  letter  demanding  the  reason  why  his 


208  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

guards  had  been  fired  on.  And  I  have  just  had  the  honor  of  answering 
his  letter,  to  say  that  2  men  appeared  near  the  American  shore  under 
suspicious  circumstances,  they  hailed  the  opposite  shore,  and  soon  a  Boat 
appeared,  presumed  to  be  for  the  object  of  transporting  the  two  men  over ; 
and  she  was  therefore  fired  upon  and  the  fire  returned.  Col.  Van  Rensse- 
laer  decorated  with  all  the  pomp  of  war,  as  the  best  sample  we  could  give 
Canada,  has  just  been  over  with  the  letter  and  returned,  that's  all.  Now 
one  civil  question,  and  your  answer  to  it  if  you  please.  Did  you  ever 
expect  to  see  me  encamped  on  the  Field  of  Mars,  in  my  own  Horseman's 
Tent,  with  my  board  slaw-bunk,  2  blankets,  1  trunk,  a  brace  of  Pistols,  my 
valise  stuffed  with  hay  for  a  pillow,  a  large  tin  box  at  my  feet  and  12 
round  of  cartridges  for  my  pistols  ?  Just  so  is  the  fact.  Col.  V.  R.,  is 
on  my  right  and  the  2  black  boys  directly  in  our  rear,  and  to-morrow  we 
rear  the  general's  Marquee  in  the  centre.  I  am  hearty,  eat  my  allowance, 
do  my  duty,  am  first  up,  and  last  in  bed.  I  am  happy  and  respect  myself, 
but  the  Lord  only  knows  what  will  become  of  home.  I  have  not  received 
a  cent  from  any  quarter.  The  General  is  now  going  to  concentrate  all 
our  forces  at  this  place,  and  order  in  more.  We  must  soon  hear  from 
Hull  and  Albany,  and  affairs  will  by  and  by  assume  some  further  cha 
racter.  Everything  is  so  uncertain  that  I  can  say  but  little.  One  thing 
I  can  with  great  truth  say ;  nothing  but  Gen.  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer's 
having  the  command  of  this  campaign  could  have  saved  the  service  from 
confusion  ;  the  State  from  disgrace,  and  the  cause  from  perdition ;  ajid 
nothing  could  have  been  more  fortunate  for  the  General  than  the  man  he 
has  at  his  elbow,  for  Solomon  in  fact  and  truth  does  know  everything 
which  appertains  to  the  economy  of  a  camp  —  Stop  : —  Away  we  must  all 
inarch,  at  beat  of  drum,  and  hear  an  old  Irish  clergyman  preach  to  us, 
Amen.  I  have  become  a  perfect  machine;  go  just  where  I'm  ordered. 

9,  at  night.  Huzza !  Huzza !  and  tantivy  !  we  have  been  all  day  making 
out  and  dispatching  orders  to  Oswego  for  a  Rifle  Battalion ;  Cayuga  for  a 
Troop  of  Horse  ;  to  Ontario  for  Bloom's  Regiment  &c.  and  now,  since  dark, 
comes  a  memorandum  from  Capt.  Dox,  at  Albany,  of  the  road  full  of  Troops, 
Flying  Artillery,  Infantry  &c.  and  all  the  Uniformed  Companies  in  the 
State  !  !  !  An  express  from  the  Governor  General  of  Canada  to  Gen.  Dear 
born  proposing  an  Armistice  ! ! !  !  Very  well  :  I've  got  my  Tent,  and  no 
one  but  a  better  fellow  than  myself  shall  oust  me.  I  have,  also,  just  got 
lib.  of  Candles  ;  stuck  up  one  of  them  in  a  little  3  cornered  kind  of  a  pig- 
yoke  and  begin  to  feel  proud.  The  old  Preacher  to  day  gave  us  the  whole 
history  of  David's  battle  with  Goliath,  under  what  zeal  he  pushed  across 
the"  river  to  Goliah,  and  told  us  we  should  bring  his  marrow-bones  to  the 
ground  if  we  only  had  faith.  We  believe  he  was  right,  but  at  the  same 
time,  we  should  like  some  ordnance  heavier  than  6  Pounders,  otherwise 
we  shall  hardly  be  able  to  knock  off  Goliah's  armor.  Monday  Aug.  17th} 
3  P.M.  Mr.  Dickson,  a  gentleman  of  respectability  from  Queenstown,  op 
posite  this,  is  this  moment  over  with  a  Flag  of  Truce.  We  asked  him  the 
News  on  the  Canada  shore  ?  He  says,  that  all  the  Re-inforcements  going 
from  Ohio  to  General  Hull  are  cut  off  and  destroyed  by  the  Indians  from 
Browns  Town.  Since  writing  the  above,  Peter  B.  Porter  tells  me  that 
from  information  he  before  possessed,  he  has  no  doubt  of  the  fact  stated 
by  Mr.  Dickson.  You  have  seen  me  tart,  seen  me  sweet,  so  I  am  now. 
Not  a  moment  has  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  or  myself  been  off  our  legs  since 
5  o'clock  this  morning.  Our  Troops  are  all  in  motion  concentrating,  there 
is  everything  to  do. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  209 

See  that  my  Wife  and  children  do  not  droop.  It  was  right  for  me  to 
come,  and  I  cannot  think  of  returning  until  something  comes  out  of  this 
scrape.  Let  Van  Vechten  and  Westerlo  know  how  and  where  we  are. 

Mr.  Joseph  Alexander,  Albany.  J.  LOVETT. 

On  the  night  of  the  17th  about  midnight,  I  heard  a  whoop  "  Officer  of  the 
Guard  !  Officer  of  the  Guard  !"  Out  I  ran  :  for  to  tell  the  candid  truth  I 
have  about  done  with  sleep.  Reveille,  Tattoo,  "  who  comes  there  ?  "  "A 
friend."  "  Friend  advance  and  give  the  countersign/'  and  the  d — 1  knows 
what  all,  has  broke  up  all  the  little  regularity  I  ever  had.  I  am  a  perfect 
piece  of  machinery.  I  feel  no  more  like  John  Lovett  than  I  do  like  Gat. 
Van  Wie.  Well,  this  was  an  express  with  letters  from  Gen.  Dearborn  in 
closing  a  sort  of  three  legged  armistice  between  some  sort  of  an  Adjutant 
General  in  behalf  of  the  governor  general  of  Canada  and  the  said  Gen. 
Dearborn.  Also  letters  to  Lt.  Col.  Myers  commanding  at  Fort  George. 
In  the  morning  we  sent  down  to  Niagara,  seven  rnilfs,  sent  a  flag  across 
with  the  letters  &c.  There  is  nothing  but  flag  after  flag,  letter  after 
letter.  Gen.  Brock  gone,  somewhere.  Lt.  Col.  Myers  not  at  the  Fort, 
now,  and  Major  Gen.  Sheaffe,  formerly  of  Boston  (brother  of  Nancy 
Sheaffe,  tell  iny  wife)  is  now  commanding  at  Fort  George.  Our  General 
often  has  to  act  when  responsibility  is  very  high,  we  can  rely  on  no 
council  but  our  little  family  :  in  what  shape  these  acts  may  come  up 
another  day,  I  know  not :  for  this  reason,  if  I  live,  I  am  determined  that 
the  whys  and  wherefores  of  all  these  acts  shall  remain  on  record.  This  is 
work,  try  it  who  will.  From  four  in  the  morning  until  nine  or  ten  at 
night,  no  man  is  still.  I  do  not  believe  there  ever  was  a  militia  camp 
better  regulated. 

Those  who  only  know  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  in  civil  life,  know  but 
very  little  about  him.  He  is  all  formed  for  war;  the  whole  economy  of 
Camp  is  to  him  familiar  as  Pot-boiling.  The  weather  is  unfavorable, 
alternate  rains  and  sun  excessively  hot.  We  have  to  pay  great  attention 
to  the  health  of  the  men.  The  duty  of  our  Troops  is  really  severe  —  about 
ICO  mount  guard  constantly,  but  no  grumbling.  The  General  is  indefati 
gable  with  them  all  the  while  among  the  men  and  is  growing  every  day 
more  and  more  the  favorite  of  the  whole  Camp.  Five  minutes  ago  we 
returned  through  the  lines,  a  man  had  fallen  in  a  fit:  the  General  looked 
and  felt  of  him  called  one  of  his  Mess  to  go  directly  with  him  to  his  Mar 
quee,  and  by  him  sent  the  poor  soul  a  tumbler  of  Wine.  Encamping  in 
the  midst  of  the  soldiers,  and  being  every  hour  in  their  view  pleases  all. 
All  the  boats  which  Porter  has  sent  to  Gen.  Hull  are  undoubtedly  cut  off. 
I  do  not  see  how  Hull  can  get  out  but  he  may,  I  hope  so.  Freemen,  and 
brave  soldiers  are  sacrifices  too  precious  to  be  offered  on  the  altar  to  atone 
for  folly  and  rashness.  Great  God  !  is  there  no  redeeming  angel  who 
can  rouse  the  People  before  it  is  too  late.  Must  all  that  our  Fathers  pur 
chased  with  their  heart's  blood,  and  bequeathed  with  their  dying  breath, 
go  for  nothing  but  the  very  smell  of  garlick  soup  which  is  pouring  on  our 
heads  to  scald  us  to  death.  I  care  not  a  rush  for  my  own  little  inconveni 
ences,  they  are  not  worth  mentioning.  But  0  for  a  voice  of  thunder  to 
rouse  my  sleeping  Countrymen.  Tell  my  Wife  I  love  her  like  a  true  soldier. 

Truly  your  friend,  J.  LOVETT. 

An  armistice  had  been  concluded  between  Gen.  Dearborn  and  the 
governor  general  of  Canada,  and  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  saw  it  became  ne- 

27 


210  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

cessary  to  settle  with  the  commander  of  the  British  forces  opposite  to  them, 
terms  of  an  arrangement  for  the  government  of  the  armies  on  the  Niagara, 
during  the  continuance  of  the  armistice.  The  performance  of  this  duty 
was  assigned  to  Col.  Van  Rensselaer;  and  at  his  suggestion  he  received 
the  authority  of  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  secure  if  possible  the  waters  of 
Lake  Ontario  as  a  common  highway  for  the  purpose  of  transportation. 
"  The  following  clause,  proposed  and  insisted  on,  on  the  part  of  the  British 
general,  will  serve  to  show  how  wide  of  each  other  were  our  respective 
views  and  interests.  '  It  is  moreover  to  be  distinctly  understood,  that 
there  is  not  any  thing  in  the  foregoing  articles,  to  be  construed  into 
granting  facilities  for  the  forwarding  of  troops,  stores,  &c;,  which  did  not 
exist  before  the  declaration  of  the  armistice,  farther  than  they  are  to  pass 
unmolested  as  therein  provided,  in  the  mode  and  by  the  routes  assigned 
to  them  prior  to  the  cessation  of  hostilities/  My  interview  with  Gen. 
Sheaffe,  on  this  mission,  was  one  full  of  interest.  As  was  anticipated, 
the  terms  proposed  by  me  were  met  not  only  with  objections,  but  at  first 
by  an  unequivocal  refusal  to  accede  to  them."  The  result  of  a  protracted 
discussion,  however,  was  an  agreement  which  confined  the  restrictions  to 
the  movements  of  troops,  stores,  &c.,  to  the  country  above  Fort  Erie,  and 
left  such  movements  elsewhere,  entirely  unshackled  and  free.  Before 
leaving  the  tent  of  General  Van  Rensselaer,  my  father  observed  that, 
"  Our  situation  is  critical  and  embarrassing,  something  must  be  done,  we 
must  have  the  cannon  and  military  stores  from  Oswego,  I  shall  make  a 
powerful  effort  to  procure  the  use  of  the  waters,  and  shall  take  such  ground 
as  will  make  it  impossible  for  me  to  recede.  If  I  do  not  succeed,  then 
Lovett  must  cross  over  and  carry  Gen.  Dearborn's  order  into  effect." 
General  Van  Rensselaer  gave  his  cordial  consent;  but  Major  Lovett  said, 
"  Van,  you  may  as  well  give  that  up,  you  will  not  succeed."  His  answer 
was,  "  If  I  do  not,  it  will  not  be  my  fault."  The  colonel  in  his  full 
military  dress,  mounted  his  charger,  for  the  British  head  quarters,  and 
with  the  flag  of  truce  crossed  the  river.  He  was  of  course  courteously 
received.  He  met  Gen.  Sheaffe  :  Col.  Myers  and  Major  Evans  of  the 
British  army  were  present  at  the  interview. 

To  the  proposition,  that  no  troops  should  move  from  that  district  to 
join  Gen.  Brock,  Gen.  Sheaffe  readily  agreed  ;  but  when  my  father  pro 
posed  to  him,  the  use  of  the  navigable  waters  as  a  public  highway  in 
common  with  themselves,  as  was  expected,  he  replied,  "  It  was  inadmissi 
ble."  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  insisted  upon  his  terms  which  were  unequivo 
cally  refused.  He  then  said  to  Gen.  Sheaffe,  "  There  can  be  no  armistice, 
our  negotiation  is  at  an  end.  General  Van  Rensselaer  will  take  the  re 
sponsibility  on  himself  to  prevent  your  detaching  troops  from  this  district." 
The  officers  all  rose  upon  their  feet.  General  f-heaffe  clapped  his  hand 
upon  the  hilt  of  his  sword,  and  in  an  hostile  attitude  said,  "  Sir,  you  take 
high  ground  !"  The  colonel  rose  upon  his  feet,  and  put  himself  in  a  like 
position  and  replied,  "  I  do  sir,  and  will  maintain  it."  Then  addressing 
himself  decidedly  to  General  Sheaffe,  "  You  dare  not  detach  the  troops!" 
Not  another  word  was  uttered.  After  walking  the  room  for  a  few  mo 
ments  the  general  said,  "  Be  seated,  and  excuse  me."  He  then  with  his 
two  aids  withdrew  to  an  adjoining  room.  Shortly  after  he  returned  and  said, 
"  Sir,  from  amicable  considerations,  I  grant  you  the  use  of  the  waters." 
Here  the  interview  closed,  perhaps,  in  polite  enmity  !  Thus,  by  the  decided 
tone  and  judicious  management  of  Col.  V.  R.,  the  only  passage  to  all  the 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  211 

wants  of  the  army  was  opened  contrary  to  the  expectations  of  even  the 
commander  in  chief. 

Major  Samuel  S.  Forman  of  Syracuse  and  Jacob  Ten  Eyck  of  Cazenovia 
were  in  the  camp  at  Lewiston,  when  the  express  arrived  from  Gen.  Dear 
born,  with  the  intelligence  that  an  armistice  had  been  agreed  on  between 
him  and  Sir  George  Provost ;  it  caused  quite  an  excitement. 

Major  Formau  wrote :  "  I  happened  to  be  on  a  visit  among  our  people. 
I  saw  your  gallant  father,  the  finest  looking  officer  I  ever  beheld,  mount 
his  .Buchephalus  ;  then  he  was  in  the  prime  of  life,  in  full  court  costume, 
and  indeed,  he  made  a  most  martial  appearance  as  he  went  over  to  the 
British  side.  We  all  watched  for  his  return  with  the  greatest  anxiety ; 
and  when  at  length  he  came,  full  speed  on  his  way  to  head  quarters,  I 
met  him. 

"  He  courteously  made  short  halt.  I  hailed  him  with,  *  Well  colonel, 
what  success  ?  '  His  reply  was,  laying  his  hand  on  his  breast,  with  a 
happy  animated  expression,  '  To  my  heart's  content,  come  to  head  quarters, 
and  I  will  tell  you  all  about  it/  Your  father  then  dispatched  messengers 
to  Sacketts  Harbor.  The  necessary  cannon  and  war  implements  were 
put  on  board  of  bateaux,  and  sent  on  the  lake  and  landed  safely  at  the  four 
mile  creek  from  Fort  Niagara,  thence  to  the  camp  ground  without  the 
knowledge  of  the  enemy.  What  a  saving  of  time  and  expense  to  the 
United  States  by  this  wise  and  judicious  management  is  incalculable,  they 
could  have  laid  waste  miles  of  our  country  and  returned  in  safety  to  their 
own  dominion  !  ! !  This  most  extraordinary  manoauvre  and  its  consequent, 
eifected  by  the  young  dragoon  (the  result  of  stern  discipline  and  firmness 
acquired  on  "  the  dark  and  bloody  ground,")  was  not  intended  by  his 
political  enemies  to  be  known,  and  has  scarcely  ever,  even  at  this  late 
day,  now  sixty-two  years,  had  more  than  cursory  notice,  yet  his  services 
were  of  a  peculiarly  marked  character. 

Col.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Ms  Wife. 
My  Dear  Harriot,  Lewiston,  Niagara,  Aug.  21,  1812. 

What  under  the  Heavens  is  the  reason  you  do  not  write  to  me,  I  have 
written  from  almost  every  place  I  have  been  at,  without  receiving  a  line 
from  you.  The  only  person  I  have  had  a  letter  from  is  Robert  which 
was  dated  at  Utica,  but  which  gratified  me  much  as  I  heard  from  you,  and 
that  Rensselaer  was  safe  with  Rev.  Mr.  Huntingdon.  Major  Forman  and 
Jacob  Ten  Eyck  reached  this  to-day,  the  latter  informed  me  he  had  seen 
you  about  a  fortnight  since  and  that  you  were  all  well  '}  it  is  unnecessary 
for  me  to  say  how  happy  it  made  me.  I  had  only  one  moment  to  speak 
to  him  but  I  shall  see  him  when  I  have  finished  this  which  goes  by  the 
mail  this  evening.  When  they  reached  Camp  I  was  mounted  on  my 
horse  to  go  over  to  the  British  side  to  conclude  an  Armistice  in  which  1 
have  been  engaged  for  three  days  in  conformity  to  an  arrangement  made 
at  Albany  between  Gen.  Dearborn  and  the  British  Adjutant  General.  I 
have  succeeded  to  the  astonishment  and  admiration  of  all  ;  and  until  we 
hear  from  below  we  are  at  peace  with  our  neighbors.  In  my  intercourse 
with  the  British  Officers  on  the  subject  of  the  armistice  and  from  other 
sources,  we  have  been  informed,  and  I  have  no  doubt  of  the  correctness 
of  the  information,  of  an  action  fought  between  Gen.  Hull  and  the  British 
at  Detroit,  in  which  our  Troops  suffered  severely.  From  all  we  can  learn, 
he  has  either  been  token,  or  compelled  to  re-cross  the  river;  but  in  my 
negotiations  with  Major  Gen.  Sheaffe,  Colonel  Myers  and  Major  Evans,  1 


212  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

kept  up  such  a  bold  front  that  although  General  Dearborn's  Instructions 
were  confined  to  their  not  sending  re-inforcements  to  act  against  Hull, 
I  succeeded  in  getting  the  use  of  the  waters  of  the  Rivers  and  Lakes. 
This  to  the  Army  and  the  Merchants  is  of  incalculable  value  ior  future 
operations  ;  and  this  was  effected  by  a  proper  disposition  of  our  small 
forces,  and  holding  out  to  them  moderate  but  strong  language.  The 
Troops  before  we  came  here,  were  scattered  along  the  frontiers,  we  have 
concentrated  them  and  are  now  getting  in  fine  order.  They  did  nothing 
before,  they  are  pleased  in  the  change,  but  in  making  that  change  I  assure 
you  I  have  my  hands  full  \  we  have  now  eleven  Hundred  only  above 
Oswego,  instead  of  Tompkins's  Jive  thousand  ;  but  1500  more  are  on  the 
inarch.  I  am  everything  to  all,  and  as  for  my  General,  he  is  much 
pleased  with  me.  The  Patroon  and  Lovett  are  well.  We  all  live  in  our 
tents,  are  up  at  the  firing  of  the  morning  gun  at  day  break.  It  is  getting 
too  dark  to  add  more,  take  good  care  of  yourself.  Kiss  the  children  for 
me.  God  bless  you  my  dear  Harriot.  Your  affectionate  Husband, 

SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 
Mrs.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Mount  Hope. 

["  General  Brock  crossed  the  Detroit  river  on  the  9th  of  August,  with 
white  and  Indian  troops,  and  demanded  the  surrender  of  Detroit  and 
Hull's  army,  at  the  same  time  intimating  that,  in  the  event  of  a  refusal, 
the  savages  would  have  free  rein  in  the  exercise  of  their  bloody  method 
of  warfare.  Hull  was  cautious  and  humane.  An  intercepted  letter  as 
sured  him  that  a  large  force  of  Indians  might  be  expected  from  Mackinaw. 
This  letter  was  written  at  Maiden,  as  if  from  a  British  agent,  and  so  con 
veyed  as  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  Hull,  who  was  completely  deceived  by 
it.  Doubtful  of  his  ability  to  sustain  a  siege  with  his  limited  supplies, 
and  desirous  of  saving  the  people  in  the  fort,  Hull  surrendered,  August 
16,  1812,  the  town,  garrison,  stores,  and  the  Michigan  territory,  into  the 
hands  of  the  British."] 

In  a  letter  written  by  Colonel  Van  Rensselaer  to  General  Wilkinson  in 
reference  to  the  difficulties  of  their  situation,  he  tells  of  the  negotiations 
with  General  Sheaffe.  In  Gen.  Dearborn's  instructions  was  "  that  no  troops 
should  move  from  the  British  Niagara  district  to  aid  against  General 
Hull,  they  surrendered  to  me  this  important  point  &c.  &c.  This  armis 
tice  is  most  important  and  highly  favorable  to  us;  and  is  as  much  es 
teemed  as  we  could  desire  as  securing  advantages  to  our  state  and  the 
country  at  large,  and  our  posterity  will  reap  the  benefit  of  our  judicious 
management  in  this  effort."  The  importance  of  this  arrangement  has 
never  been  sufficiently  appreciated.  The  immediate  and  pressing  neces 
sity  for  this  step  on  our  part,  was,  that  without  it,  the  ordnance  and 
supplies  intended  for  our  army,  having  been  collected  at  Oswego,  were 
not  likely  ever  to  reach  us;  the  roads  were  impassible,  especially  ior 
heavy  cannon,  and  the  highway  of  the  lake  was  beset  by  a  triumphant 
enemy.  As  soon  as  the  negotiation  was  successfully  completed,  an  ex 
press  was  despatched  to  Col.  Fenwick  at  Oswego,  to  move  on  with  his 
supplies  with  all  possible  expedition.  But  General  Van  Rensselaer  was 
enabled  to  use  this  advantage  for  another  purpose,  of  great  importance  to 
the  service.  No  sooner  was  the  way  open,  than  an  express  was  sent  to 
Ogdensburgh  with  an  order  for  the  removal  of  nine  vessels  from  that  place 
to  Sackett's  Harbor.  To  this  movement  was  Commodore  Chauncey  in 
debted  for  the  ascendancy  which  he  for  a  time  was  enabled  to  maintain  on 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  213 

the  lake,  and  without  which  the  subsequent  descent  at  Little  York  could 
not  have  been  attempted. 

Major  General  Van  Rensselaer  to  Major  General  Dearborn. 
Sir,  Head  Quarters,  Lewiston,  August  21,  1812. 

Inclosed  I  transmit  you  a  copy  of  an  agreement,  this  day  entered  into 
between  Major  General  Sheaffe,  commanding  Fort  George  and  Dependen 
cies,  &c.,  &c.,  and  myself,  for  the  government  of  the  forces  on  each  side 
the  line.  You  will  readily  perceive,  that  terms  more  favourable  than  those 
expected  in  your  letter,  have  been  obtained.  The  agreement  speaks  for 
itself.  'The  relief  of  General  Hull  was  a  primary  object.  General  Porter 
has  just  arrived  here  :  I  have  communicated  my  ideas  of  the  fair  construc 
tion  of  the  Agreement  and  he  will  act  immediately  for  relieving  General 

I  have  the  Honor  to  be  Sir,  with  great  Consideration,  &c., 
Major  General  Dearborn.  S.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 


CHAPTER  X. 

CRITICAL  SITUATION  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES  ARMY. 

Geaieral  Orders. 

Head  Quarters,  Lewiston,  August  22,  1812. 

It  is  painful  to  the  Major  General  to  find  that  some  part  of  the  troops 
are  so  regardless  of  their  duty  as  to  disobey  the  orders  issued  for  prevent 
ing  scattering  firing  in  and  about  the  camp.  This  dangerous  and  disgrace 
ful  practice  is  once  more,  and  for  the  last  time  prohibited.  If  any  more 
of  the  line  (the  guards  and  sentinels  excepted)  shall,  after  this  discharge 
his  fire-arms  without  orders,  he  will  be  instantly  confined  ;  and  the  field 
and  company  officers  are  strictly  enjoined  to  enforce  this  order.  The 
Major  General  regrets  that  he  is  compelled  to  remind  the  officers  under 
his  command  of  the  necessity  of  being  in  cajnp  at  night  :  for  if  they  will 
be  regardless  of  their  duty,  what  can  be  expected  of  their  men  by  such  an 
example?  They  are,  in  future,  directed  to  be  at  night  in  their  tents,  un 
less  otherwise  ordered;  and  in  perfect  readiness  at  any  moment,  to  com 
mence  or  repel  an  attack,  to  which  troops  in  the  face  of  an  enemy  are  at 
all  times  liable.  The  Officers  and  troops  meet  with  the  perfect  approbation 
of  the  Major  General,  for  their  alertness  in  parading  at  reveille ;  with  the 
exception  of  one  or  two  companies,  which  were  not  this  morning  on  parade 
and  the  captain  of  one  company  not  in  camp.  But  let  him  beware  for  the 
future ;  if  caution  and  remonstrance  will  avail  nothing,  more  decisive 
measures  will.  Tomorrow  being  the  Sabbath,  the  guards  will  not  discharge 
their  pieces  until  Monday,  after  roll-call ;  and  this  regulation  will  be  ob 
served  until  further  orders. 

By  order  of  Major  General  Van  Rensselaer, 

SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER,  Aid-de-Camp. 


214  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

General  Dearborn  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Sir,  Head  Quarters,  Greenbush,  Aug.  25,  1812. 

As  soon  as  practicable  after  the  receipt  of  this,  you  will  please  to  have 
the  enclosed  letter  directed  to  the  Commanding  Officer  of  the  British 
forces  at  Fort  George,  at  Niagara,  conveyed  to  him  by  a  flag;  and  the 
letter  directed  to  Gen.  Hull,  you  will  please  to  have  forwarded  to  him  by 
express,  with  as  great  despatch  as  practicable ;  and  at  the  expiration  of 
four  days  after  the  letter  is  delivered  to  the  British  Commanding  Officer 
at  Fort  George,  you  will  consider  the  temporary  conditional  agreement 
for  suspending  offensive  operations  between  the  forces  under  your  com 
mand,  and  the  British  forces  in  your  vicinity,  as  no  longer  binding  on 
either  side;  and  you  will  act'accordingly ;  and  you  will  make  every  exer 
tion  in  your  power  for  annoying  the  enemy,  as  well  as  to  guard  against 
any  attack  from  him.  Considerable  reinforcements  have  been  sent  on 
from  Montreal  to  strengthen  their  positions  in  Upper  Canada;  and  I  trust 
you  will  very  soon  receive  such  additional  force  from  this  State,  and  from 
Pennsylvania,  as  will  enable  you  to  pass  into  Canada  with  safety  and 
effect.  A  large  reinforcement  is  on  its  march  under  Brig.  Gen.  Dodge,  for 
Sacketts  Harbour  and  Ogdensburgh,  as  well  as  for  Plattsburgh.  I  have 
ordered  thirty  bateaux  to  Niagara,  and  an  equal  number  to  Sacketts  Har 
bour,  and  have  directed  the  building  of  proper  scows  for  the  transporta 
tion  of  ordnance.  If  the  enemy  should  have  detached  from  Fort  George, 
it  may  afford  you  an  opportunity  to  strike  a  blow.  I  have  the  honour,  &c, 

P.  S.  Sir,  it  will  be  advisable  to  wait  until  the  arrival  of  Lt.  Col.  Fen- 
wick  with  the  cannon,  and  stores  shall  be  rendered  certain,  within  four 
days,  before  you  send  the  enclosed  letter  to  Fort  George.  I  presume  he 
must  arrive  before  this  reaches  you ;  but  it  may  be  otherwise. 

(Signed)  H.  DEARBORN. 

Major  Gen.  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer. 

Major  General  Van  Rensselaer  to  Major  General  Sheaffe. 

Sir,  Head  Quarters,  Lewiston,  August  25,  1812. 

I  have  learnt,  with  regret,  that  last  night  a  subaltern  officer  with  a  few 
soldiers  and  citizens,  contrary  to  my  orders,  passed  over  from  the  Ameri 
can  shore,  and  on  Buckhorn  Island,  surprised  and  brought  off  a  sergeant 
and  five  men,  with  a  boat.  Early  this  morning,  I  ordered  the  sergeant 
and  men  released,  and  the  boat  restored  to  them. 

I  have  the  honour,  &c. 

Major  General  Sheaffe,  Commanding,  &c.         S.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Major  General  Isaac  Brock  to  Major  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 

Sir,  Head  Quarters.  Fort  George,  25th  August,  1812. 

Major  General  Sheaffe  having  communicated  to  me  your  letter  of  this 
date,  addressed  to  him,  I  seize  upon  the  first  moment  to  express  my  thanks 
for  the  measures  you  have  adopted  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  any  mis 
understanding  which  might  have  arisen  in  consequence  of  the  unautho 
rized  act  of  one  of  your  subaltern  officers.  It  was  not  until  my  arrival  at 
Fort  Erie,  late  in  the  evening  of  the  23d  instant  that  I  learnt  that  a  ces 
sation  of  hostilities  had  been  agreed  upon,  between  General  Dearborn  and 
Sir  George  Provost ;  and  I,  in  consequence,  despatched  early  yesterday 
morning,  an  express  to  /Ymherstburgh,  ordering  a  cessation  of  all  offensive 
operations  against  the  United  States,  in  that  quarter ;  and  likewise  to 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  215 

exert  every  influence  in  restraining  the  Indians  from  committing  any  acts 
of  hostility. 

The  fortune  of  war  having  put  me  in  possession  of  Detroit  and  its  de 
pendencies,  a  small  garrison  has  been  ordered  to  occupy  the  Fort,  the  chief 
object  of  which  was  to  afford  protection  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  Territory. 
I  have  the  honor  to  enclose  a  copy  of  a  Proclamation  which  I  issued  upon 
this  occasion.  I  have  the  honour,  &c., 

ISAAC  BROCK. 

Major  General  Van  Rensselaer,  commanding  Lewiston. 

Gen.  Vein  Rensselaer  to  General  Dearborn. 

Sir,  Head  Quarters,  Lewiston,  26th  August,  1812. 

I  have  the  honour  to  enclose  you  a  copy  of  a  Proclamation,  which*  I 
this  day  received  from  Major  General  Brock,  under  cover  of  his  letter  of 
this  date  to  me  ;  a  copy  of  which  letter,  I  also  transmit  to  you.  My 
letter  to  Major  General  Sheaffe,  of  which  mention  is  made,  was  to  disavow 
an  imprudent  act  of  a  subaltern  officer,  who,  with  a  few  soldiers  and  citi 
zens,  passed  over,  since  the  Armistice,  to  Buckhorn  Island,  and  there 
surprised  a  sergeant  and  five  men,  of  the  enemy,  and  brought  them  off, 
together  with  their  boat,  which  men  I  ordered  to  be  immediately  released 
and  the  boat  restored. 

The  surrender  of  General  Hull's  army  excites  a  great  deal  of  alarm  in 
this  vicinity.  I  shall,  however,  as  far  as  in  my  power,  check  and  keep  it 
under.  I  have  the  Honour,  &c. 

Major  General  Dearborn.  S.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

There  was  so  much  unpleasant  feeling  at  this  time,  that  political  con 
troversy  ran  very  high.  '*  Gen  Peter  B.  Porter  and  Col.  Solomon  Van 
Rensselaer  had  such  a  bitter  dispute,  that  it  resulted  in  a  challenge  from 
Porter,  but  they  never  reached  the  dueling  ground  on  Grand  Island. 
General  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer  watched  them  closely  after  he  heard  of 
the  challenge,  and  was  prepared  to  arrest  them  both  when  they  should 
attempt  to  go  to  the  island/'  The  difficulty  arose  from  an  infringement 
of  the  armistice  as  shown  by  the  above  letters. 

One  of  the  old  soldiers  under  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  writes  :  "  I  witnessed 
the  untiring  exertions  of  this  gallant  officer  to  bring  the  militia  in  order 
for  military  operations,  and  never  was  there  so  great  a  change  as  was 
witnessed  with  astonishment  and  pleasure  by  all  of  us  in  so  short  a  time, 
by  the  measures  he  pursued.  The  camp  was  formed,  and  the  general 
orders  for  its  regulation  were  the  most  concise  and  military  I  ever  saw, 
our  duties  were  clearly  pointed  out  to  us,  while  his  amiable  and  decided 
deportment  made  it  a  pleasure  to  obey  him.  At  four  o'clock  in  the  morning, 
the  troops  were  on  parade,  where  we  always  found  him,  directing  the  dis 
cipline  so  necessary  to  our  safety  and  honor  ]  wherever  his  services  were 
required,  there  he  would  be  found. 

"  The  sick  nnd  well  soldiers  will  long  remember  his  exertions  to  make 
them  comfortable  ;  indeed  no  one  but  an  eye-witness  can  form  an  idea  of 
the  order  and  regularity  of  the  camp  and  his  masterly  arrangements  along 
the  whole  line  of  the  Niagara.  The  general  orders  were  all  written  by 
him,  they  will  compare  with  any  orders  written  during  the  war. 

"  The  want  of  cannon  arid  military  stores  embarrassed  them  much. 
When  the  colonel  left  us  to  go  over  the  river  about  the  armistice,  we  could 
not  but  be  proud  of  his  handsome  looks  and  manly  bearing. 


216  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

"  When  Hull's  army  was  marched  past  us,  there  were  insinuations  that 
Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  would  do  the  like,  but  notwithstanding  all  the 
reports,  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  kept  the  troops  every  day  at  close  drill  and 
field  duty,  he  was  constantly  among  them.  Some  of  the  suspected  officers 
discovered  that  his  eagle  eye  was  upon  them  ;  he  was  generally  feared  and 
loved ;  and  it  was  owing  to  his  unflinching  firmness  that  there  was  not  a 
mutiny  in  camp,  and  that  the  militia  did  not  disband  themselves  and  go 
home,  as  was  the  case  after  he  was  wounded.  The  disastrous  fortune  of 
Hull,  together  with  several  other  reverses  to  our  arms,  up  to  this  time, 
had  a  very  dispiriting  effect  upon  the  army  collected  at  Lewiston.  Beside 
this,  it  was  ascertained  that  there  were  persons  in  the  camp,  busily  en 
gaged,  either  from  political  or  selfish  motives,  exciting  this  discontent  and 
in*  promulgating  doctrines  which  had  the  tendency  of  producing  conscien 
tious  scruples  among  the  men,  against  crossing  into  Canada. 

"  When  Gen.  Brock  with  all  the  force  he  could  draw  from  the  upper 
country  arrived,  he  intended  to  take  Fort  Niagara,  but  the  cannon  and 
military  stores  had  arrived  and  been  judiciously  disposed  of,  we  showed  a 
bold  front,  and  no  attack  was  made.  Yet  their  difficulties  were  many,  for 
the  great  deficiency  of  all  the  necessary  munitions  for  war  curtailed  their 
movements.  There  were  about  fifty  or  sixty  Schenectady  boats  loaded 
with  heavy  cannon  and  stores  at  Oswego  not  wishing  to  enter  further  on 
the  lake  for  fear  of  the  British  ships  but  after  the  cessation  of  arms,  they 
all  passed  safely  on,  as  also  the  vessels  with  which  General  Dearborn  and 
the  lamented  Pike  made  the  attack  upon  York.  If  Gen.  John  Armstrong 
or  any  man  of  the  same  political  clique,  in  favor  with  the  government, 
had  commanded  at  Queenston,  he  would  have  been  promptly  and  pro 
perly  supplied  with  all  necessary  articles  for  use  and  defense,  but  with 
the  present  officer,  every  thing  had  been  curtailed.  The  agreement  re 
garding  the  armistice  and  use  of  the  waters  of  the  lake,  as  a  common 
course,  was  signed  on  the  21st  of  August;  this  important  service  which 
was  only  gained  by  the  firmness  of  the  soldier's  friend,  gave  us  the  com 
mand  of  Lake  Ontario,  and  by  the  safe  arrival  of  the  cannon  and  military 
stores  enabled  us  to  maintain  our  position. 

"  It  was  supposed  that  Gen,  Hull  was  in  possession  of  Maiden,  when  the 
lamentable  news  arrived  of  Gen.  Hull's  treachery  and  the  capture  of  his 
army.  This  indeed  was  a  great  damper  to  the  United  States  troops,  and 
what  added  to  the  mortification,  on  the  25th  of  the  same  month  General 
Brock  at  the  head  of  his  British  troops  had  been  seen,  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  river,  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  us,  conducting  along  the  heights  of 
Queenston  Gen.  Hull  and  his  American  army;  marching  these  prisoners 
of  war  triumphantly  along  in  full  view  of  the  United  States  troops  laying 
at  Lewiston  !! 

"  Never  did  I  see  such  vehement  excitement  and  distrust  on  the  part  of 
our  troops,  the  idea  spread  through  the  camp  that  Hull  had  sold  the  army. 
No  doubt  but  this  had  some  effect  upon  the  militia  of  the  United  States 
declining  to  reinforce  their  brothers  in  the  battle  on  the  13th  of  October. 
"  After  the  disgraceful  fall  of  Detroit  and  surrender  of  Gen.  Hull,  there  were 
strong  symptoms  of  distrust  among  the  troops,  and  it  was  used  by  political 
leaders  as  a  fire-brand  to  inflame  passions  and  undermine  the  influence  of 
General  Van  Rensselaer.  The  chaplain  frequently  noticed  such  reports 
in  his  sermons,  and  would  advise  them  not  to  fear,  and  pledged  his  life  to 
the  troops  that  they  would  never  be  Hulled,  but  the  unfortunate  im 
pression  was  not  removed,  and  great  alarm  was  felt  by  the  inhabitants." 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS  217 

A  letter  received  from  Albany  stated  :  "  I  must  tell  you  a  ridiculous  re 
port  in  circulation,  and  very  much  credited,  which  Madame  Humor  says, 
the  governor  has  propagated;  he  having  seen  Mr.  Lovett  run  to  avoid 
meeting  his  excellency,  first  from  Lewis's  and  then  from  Gregory's,  which 
induces  many  to  believe  that  the  patroon  has  deserted  his  post  and  is  con 
cealed  safely  at  bis  home,  and  you  here  with  us  !  Mr.  Van  Vechten  says: 
*  it  is  no  joke,  I  am  frequently  asked  about  it.!'  ' 

From  the  first,  Gen.  Van  Renssclaer  acted  on  the  certain  knowledge, 
that  it  was  expected  of  him  to  muke  a  descent  upon  Canada  at  the  earliest 
possible  period.  He  knew  that  neither  the  government  nor  the  country 
was  prepared  to  be  satisfied  with  defensive  measures  only.  Notwithstand 
ing  this,  the  first  glance  he  had  of  his  position,  after  he  reached  the 
frontier,  showed  him  at  once,  that  nothing  could  be  attempted,  at  least 
for  a  considerable  period.  Indeed  his  own  condition  was  critical  in  the 
extreme,  and  even  his  ability  to  defend  himself  in  case  of  attack,  was 
more  than  doubtful. 

Gen.  Dearborn,  the  commander  of  this  entire  district,  had  been  ordered 
by  the  secretary  of  war,  in  his  instructions  of  the  1st  of  August,  to  make 
a  diversion  in  favor  of  Gen.  Hull,  at  Niagara.  There  was  no  preparation 
to  do  anything  effectual  under  this  order.  Before  Gen.  Van  Ilensselaer 
reached  the  frontier,  Gen.  Brock  was  on  his  way,  with  a  competent  force 
withdrawn  from  his  posts  on  the  Niagara,  to  meet  Gen.  Hull,  leaving  be 
hind  him,  however,  a  force  abundantly  sufficient,  with  the  reinforcements 
they  were  then  receiving,  for  the  protection  of  the  posts  he  had  left,  against 
any  attempt  which  could  have  been  made  on  them  on  our  part;  sufficient 
even  to  have  made  it  quite  possible  to  carry  the  war  to  the  American 
side  of  the  river,  with  every  prospect  of  advantage  and  success. 

During  the  month  which  succeeded  the  disgraceful  fall  of  Detroit  and 
surrender  of  Gen.  Hull,  the  condition  and  prospects  of  the  army  were,  on 
the  whole,  but  little  improved.  There  was,  in  nearly  all  this  time,  every 
reason  to  expect  an  attack.  Every  thing  indicated  great  activity  on  the 
British  side,  and  preparation  for  some  signal  blow.  In  the  condition  of 
Fort  Niagara,  it  was  natural  to  suppose  that  would  be  the  first  object.  It 
is  believed  that  an  attack  was  only  prevented  by  the  show  of  defense  which 
was  set  up.  The  mess  house  was  unroofed  and  mounted  with  cannon, 
and  a  battery  was  planted  on  the  bank  of  the  river  above  the  fort,  while, 
in  case  of  a  hostile  attempt,  the  safety  of  the  troops  was  attempted  to  be 
provided  for,  by  a  new  road  cut  through  the  woods  at  a  distance  from  the 
river,  in  the  rear. 

"  The  general  calls  upon  the  troops  under  his  command  to  make  every 
effort  in  perfecting  that  discipline  on  which  they  must  rely  for  their  own 
safety  and  for  their  country's  honour,  in  that  crisis  which  may  be  fust 
approaching." 

Major  General  Brock's  Proclamation. 

Proclamation  l>y  Isaac  Brock,  Esq.,  Major  General  commanding  his 
Majesty's  forces  in  the  Province  of  Upper  Canada,  &c.,  &c. 

Whereas  the  Territory  of  Michigan  was  this  day  by  capitulation  ceded 
to  the  arms  of  his  Britannic  Majesty  without  any  other  condition  than  the 
protection  of  private  property  j  and  wishing  to  give  an  early  proof  of  the 
moderation  and  justice  of  the  government,  I  do  hereby  announce  to  all 
the  inhabitants  of  the  said  Territory,  that  the  laws  heretofore  in  existence 

28 


218  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

shall  continue  in  force  until  his  Majesty's  pleasure  be  known  ;  or  so  long 
as  the  peace  and  safety  of  the  said  Territory  will  admit  thereof;  and  I  do 
hereby  also  declare  and  make  known  to  the  said  inhabitants,  that  they 
shall  be  protected  in  the  full  exercise  and  enjoyment  of  their  religion  :  of 
which  all  persons,  both  civil  and  military  will  take  notice,  and  govern 
themselves  accordingly.  All  persons  having  in  their  possession,  or  hav 
ing  knowledge  of  any  public  property,  shall  forthwith  deliver  in  the 
same,  or  give  notice  thereof  to  the  officer  commanding,  or  Lt.  Col.  Nichol, 
who  are  hereby  authorized  to  receive  and  give  proper  receipts  for  the 
same.  Officers  of  militia  will  be  held  responsible  that  all  arms  in  posses 
sion  of  militia  men,  be  immediately  delivered  up;  and  all  individuals 
whatever,  who  have  in  their  possession  arms  of  any  kind,  will  deliver  them 
up  without  delay. 

Given  under  my  hand  at  Detroit,  this  sixteenth  day  of  August,  1812, 
and  in  the  fifty-second  year  of  his  Majesty's  reign. 

(Signed)  ISAAC  BROCK, 

A  true  copy.  Major  General. 

J.  Mac  Donell,  Lt.  Col.  Militia,  P.  A.  D.  C. 

Major  Lovett  to  Joseph  Alexander. 

Dear  Sir,  Head  Quarters,  Lewiston,  August  26,  1812. 

Yesterday  I  wrote  you,  Mr.  Van  Vechten  and  Col.  Westerlo,  but  what 
I  wrote  I  cannot  say :  it  was  a  day  of  turmoil,  mortification  and  humilia 
tion  through  our  Camp.  Such  a  flood  as  the  consequences  of  Gen.  Hull's 
surrender  poured  in  upon  us  that  it  required  considerable  nerve  to  meet 
every  thing :  and  unluckily,  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  had  gone  to  Buffalo  to 
make  some  arrangements  with  Swift's  Regiment  which  is  getting  down 
fast  with  sickness,  and  I  might  say  too  great  a  want  of  discipline.  Yes 
terday,  the  first  we  saw  was  a  guard  of  about  50  men  passing  with  some 
waggons  on  the  opposite  shore:  it  was  the  victorious  BROCK  returning  to 
Fort  George.  He  sent  over  Col.  McDonald,  his  Aid-de-Carnp,  and  Major 
Evans,  two  strapping  lads  in  scarlet,  gold  and  arms,  to  make  a  Communi 
cation  to  General  Van  Rensselaer.  I  went  to  meet  them  at  an  Inn  near 
the  shore  to  learn  their  pleasure;  but  finding  it  was  general  and  verbal; 
it  could  not  be  received.  They  were,  however,  very  modest,  very  respect 
ful  ;  and  altho'  I  constantly  barred  any  communication,  they  still  kept  bow 
ing  and  saying  that  "  Gen.  Brock  only  wished  to  acquaint  Gen.  Van  Rens 
selaer  "  of  this,  and  that,  and  that  £c.  &c.  In  this  way  they  convinced 
me  that  Brock  had  not  learnt  any  thing  of  the  Armistice  until  he  arrived 
in  this  Neighbourhood.  That  but  a  very  small  force  was  left  behind,  that 
Brock,  learning  the  Armistice  felt  very  friendly  disposition  &c.  I  made 
my  best  bow,  and  scraped  as  fast  as  I  could  ;  but  a  poor  private  Secretary, 
alone  against  two  such  Scarlet-clad  Champions  had,  as  you  may  suppose, 
an  indifferent  chance.  We  parted  :  but  I  think  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  will 
shortly  receive  some  written  communication  from  Gen  Brock.  In  the 
evening  a  number  of  Hull's  Officers,  on  parole,  visited  Gen.  V.  R.  They 
were  very  cautious  of  their  words,  but  I  could  discern  a  degree  of  disaffec 
tion  towards  Hull.  Gen.  Hull  will  probably  be  sent  to  Quebec.  The 
Militia  captured  I  understand  are  sent  home,  that's  all.  Indeed  I  have 
not  either  time  or  patience  to  examine  into  this  most  nameless  affair.  I 
feel  what  you  may  suppose.  I  need  say  no  more. 

I  was  ever  proud  of  my  Country,  and  as  an  American  could  look  any 
man,  of  Any  Nation,  at  least  horizontally  in  the  face.  But,  yesterday, 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  219 

my  eyes  seemed  to  have  acquired  a  new  attachment  to  the  ground.  I  sent 
Van  Vechten  a  paper  giving;  the  detail  of  the  surrender  j  sent  by  an  ex 
press  to  overtake  the  Mail,  hope  he  got  it.  And  now,  my  friend,  what 
think  you  of  our  situation  ?  It  is  true  we  are  all  tied  up  by  the  Armistice, 
but  either  party  may  throw  it  off  by  4  days  notice.  I  don't  believe  the 
Enemy  will  throw  it  off.  Nevertheless  we  have  to  cast  about  a  little. 
This  part  of  the  Country  now  think  their  whole  salvation  rests  upon  our 
little  raw  army.  I  think  I  know  the  fact,  that  after  Brock  had  taken 
Hull,  he  expressed  his  determination  to  return  and  take  Niagara.  I  think 
his  mind  is  altered  by  the  Armistice :  but  he  can  take  Niagara  any  hour 
he  pleases.  Yes  my  friend,  we  can't  defend  Niagara  one  hour.  And  as 
for  our  present  Camp,  I  now  write  with  one  eye  on  a  single  gun  on  yon 
hill  in  Queenston,  which  would  rout  us  all  in  3  minutes;  and  we  have 
only  two  Grass-hoppers  to  return  the  fire.  The  Ohio  Officers,  prisoners,  also 
were  last  evening  with  us,  say  that  the  Indians  with  Brock  are  the  finest 
fellows  they  ever  saw,  a  size  larger  than  they  ever  saw,  they  are  commanded 
by  the  Prophet's  Brother  Tecuinsich,  he  is  hourly  expected  at  Fort  George, 
7  miles  from  us,  about  near  enongh,  and  it  is  said  the  tawny  Host  is  to 
follow.  Well  !  be  it  so  ;  one  thing  our  friends  may  be  assured  of,  we  are 
not  scared  yet.  We  shall  never  be  HULLED.  Our  General  is  thoughtful 
but  firm.  We  have  been  reconnoitering  this  morning;  and  shall  probably 
this  afternoon,  fix  upon  a  spot  to  which  we  shall  remove  in  case  the  Armistice 
is  broken  off.  We  have  a  piece  of  ground  in  view  where  our  little  force 
may  make  a  tolerable  stand,  and  then  secure  our  retreat  unless  they  flank 
us  wider  then  I  believe  their  force  will  admit.  At  any  rate  we  will  not  be 
HULLED,  they  may  pound  us,  or  grind  us.  Be  all  of  you  of  good  cheer  as 
respects  us,  and  use  the  fate  of  the  other  army  as  you  ought.  Now  don't 
let  my  good  wife  get  fidgety  about  me  in  this  new  predicament  tell  her  I 
am  well,  and  can  run  like  a  Boy,  and  will  not  be  taken.  I  confess  we  are 
very  solicitous  to  hear  from  Washington  and  know  what  we  are  to  do,  and 
take  our  measures  accordingly.  The  night  before  last  one  of  our  rash 
Subalterns  with  a  dozen  men,  went  upon  Bnckhorn  Island,  surprised  a  Ser 
geant  and  5  men  and  brought  them  off.  We  broke  the  Armistice  ;  but  Gen. 
V.R.  restored  the  men  and  wrote  Gen.  Sheaffe  commanding  Fort  George 
and  Dependencies  &c.  &c.  &c.  [Kites  fly  best  with  long  tails,]  120  of 
Swifts  little  Keg.  sick  I  told  you  so,  but  I  am  well.  The  d — 1  seems  to 

have  got  into  every  body.  I  am  still      T 

AT     T       i.   A  i        j       A  iu  JOHN  LOVETT. 

Mr.  Joseph  Alexander,  Albany. 

General  Orders. 

Head  Quarters,  Lewiston,  August  28th,  1812. 

The  army  under  the  command  of  Brigadier  General  Hull  has  surren 
dered  at  Detroit.  This  is  a  national  disaster;  but  it  is  the  duty  of  soldiers 
to  turn  even  disasters  to  profit.  To  this  end  the  General  calls  upon  the 
troops  under  his  command  to  make  every  effort  in  perfecting  that  disci 
pline  on  which  they  must  rely  for  their  own  safety  and  for  their  country's 
honour,  in  that  crisis  which  may  be  fast  approaching.  The  General  is 
persuaded  that  Americans  know  the  inestimable  rights  which  they  enjoy ; 
and  he  confidently  trusts,  that  their  bravery  to  defend  is  in  proportion  to 
the  knowledge  they  possess  of  those  rights.  The  troops  will  be  exercised 
at  reveille,  and  from  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  two  hours  instead  of 
one,  as  mentioned  in  general  orders  of  the  19th  instant. 

Capt.  Dogherty  and  Lieut.  Ilewit,  of  Col.  Swift's  regiment,  are  released 


220  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

from  their  arrests,  and  will  return  to  their  duty.  This  renewed  instance 
of  clemency  of  the  Major  General,  it  is  hoped,  will  be  properly  appre 
ciated  by  them :  it  is  not  his  wish  to  punish,  but  orders  must  and  shall 
be  obeyed.  The  unhealthy  state  of  the  troops  under  the  command  of 
Lieut.  Col.  Swift,  at  Black  Rock,  renders  particular  attention  to  them, 
and  to  the  causes  of  their  maladies,  necessary.  For  this  purpose  Doctor 
Brown  will  associate  with  him  Doctor  Daniel  Chipman ;  and  they  will 
proceed,  without  delay,  to  that  place,  and  make  full  inquiry  into  the  situ 
ation  of  the  sick,  the  causes  which  have  produced  the  diseases,  and  the 
manner  in  which  they  have  been  treated  ;  of  all  which  they  will  make 
report,  in  writing,  to  the  Major  General  j  suggesting  the  best  mode,  in 
their  opinion,  to  restore  those  who  are  sick,  and  preserve  the  health  of 
the  well.  These,  and  all  other  orders,  are  to  be  read  by  the  Adjutants 
to  the  troops  under  the  command  of  the  Major  General.  The  Command 
ing  Officers  of  regiments  and  corps  will  give  orders  accordingly. 

By  order  of  Major  General  Van  Rensselaer, 

SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER,  Aid-de-Camp. 

Major  Loxett  to  Abraham  Van  Vecliten. 

Dear  Sir,  Head  Quarters,  Lewiston,  28th  August,  1812. 

It  is  an  observation  of  Cicero's  that  "  those  things  which  we  see  with 
our  eyes,  make  a  deeper  impression  on  our  minds,  and  we  longer  retain 
them  in  our  memory,  than  those  things  which  we  hear  with  our  ears." 
Now  Sir,  in  this  letter,  I  shall  have  occasion  to  touch  upon  some  things 
which  I  have  seen,  and  I  confess  to  you  they  have  made  a  pretty  deep  im 
pression  on  my  mind.  Things  are  bad  enough,  now.  I  do  not  speak  of 
our  little  Camp  :  we  are  snug,  getting  in  fine  order,  and  with  infinite,  un 
ceasing  industry  preparing  for  the  worst,  while  we  hope  for  the  best.  I 
speak  on  the  general  scale  of  all  things  aroiVnd  us.  Hull's  surrender  is  to 
me  incomprehensible.  I  had  expected  his  destruction  would  be  certain, 
but  it  has  come  in  such  a  way  as  I  did  not  expect.  Three  of  his  officers 
say,  he  had  a  force  of  2,200;  the  British  all  around  assert  that  he  has  sur 
rendered  between  2,500  and  3,000  ;  his  provisions  were  ample  for  3  more 
weeks  ;  of  ordnance  an  d  every  munition  of  war  he  had  abundance,  yet  he 
surrendered  to  a  force  vastly  inferior,  probably  to  600  or  700  British 
Troops,  and  about  the  same  number  of  Indians.  He  fired  not  a  gun,  and 
but  one  was  fired  at  him.  Then  why  did  Hull  surrender,  is  the  question? 
No  one  here  can  answer.  From  his  Officers,  and  all  I  have  seen  it  appears 
that  there  was  through  the  whole  army  a  very  great  disaffection  towards 
Hull.  Cowardice  is  pretty  generally  imputed  to  him.  Many  allege  cor 
ruption,  his  officers  seem  greatly  distressed  at  the  character  of  the  surren 
der.  Now  the  Consequences  of  this  affair  cast  such  a  blot  on  the  Amer 
ican  character  as  the  tears  of  your  children  and  mine  and  an  hundred 
more  generations  can  never  sponge  away. 

This  event  has  cemented  Canada  beyond  any  thing  you  can  conceive. 
It  has  a  serious  effect  also  on  our  Indians  on  the  whole  Frontier.  The 
affair  with  Gen  Harrison  gave  them  the  scent  of  blood  and  you  may  de 
pend  on  it,  it  has  been  well  improved.  Tecumsich  the  Prophet's  Brother, 
a  warrior  of  almost  unbounded  influence,  now  openly  holds  the  language  : 
that  the  Great  Spirit  intended  the  Ohio  Iliver  for  the  Boundary  between 
his  white  and  red  children.  That  many  of  the  first  warriors  have  always 
thought  so :  but  a  cloud  hung  over  the  eyes  of  the  tribes  and  they  could 
not  see  what  the  Great  Spirit  meant.  That  Gen.  Brock  has  now  torn  away 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  221 

that  cloud,  and  the  Indians  see  clearly  that  all  the  white  people  must  go 
back  east  of  the  Ohio,  and  if  one  attempts  to  cross  that  river  "  Indians 
will  cut  their  Toes  off."  Yesterday,  I  beheld  such  a  sight  as  God  knows, 
I  never  expected  to  see,  and  He  only  knows  the  sensations  it  created  in  my 
heart.  I  saw  my  Countrymen,  Free-born  Americans,  robbed  of  the  inherit 
ance  which  their  dying  Fathers  bequeathed  them,  stripped  of  the  arms 
which  achieved  our  Independence  and  marching  into  a  strange  land  by 
hundreds  as  black  cattle  for  the  market! ! 

Before  and  behind  on  the  right  and  on  the  left  their  proud  victors  gleamed 
"in  arms,  and  their  heads  erect  with  the  pride  of  victory.  How  many  of 
our  unfortunate  Brethren  were  in  this  situation  I  know  not;  the  road  for 
more  than  a  mile  is  perfectly  in  our  view  I  think  the  line,  including  wag 
ons,  pleasure  carriages  etc.  was  half  a  mile  long,  scattered.  The  sensa 
tions  this  scene  produced  in  our  camp  were  inexpressible:  mortification,  in 
dignation,  fearful  apprehension,  suspicion,  jealousy,  dismay,  rage,  madness. 

It  was  a  sad  day  with  us,  but  the  poor  fellows  last  evening  went  on  board 
the  shipping  and  I  presume  passed  over  to  York  [Toronto.]  I  saw  a  gen 
tleman  who  was  present  when  Gen.  Hull  alighted  from  his  carriage  at  Fort 
George,  hale,  corpulent  and  apparently  in  high  spirits,  and  hence  will  he 
ever  return  ?  He  goes  to  Quebec.  ["  General  Hull  and  the  regular  offi 
cers,  and  soldiers  were  reserved  for  the  triumphant  entry  of  the  British 
officers  into  Montreal  and  Quebec.  Thither  they  were  taken,  and  Hull 
himself,  seated  in  an  old,  ragged,  open  carriage,  was  drawn  through  the 
streets  of  Montreal,  and  thus  exhibited  as  a  rare  show,  to  the  natives  there 
assembled."]  Such  the  scenes  before  us ;  all  eyes  seem  now  turned  on 
General  Van  Rensselaer,  for  direction  and  on  our  little  army  for  defence. 
I  tell  you  that  nothing  but  the  man  who  is  now  on  the  ground  could  pre 
vent  incalculable  mischief  in  this  quarter.  It  is  his  Respectability  and 
character  which  effects  all  that  is  effected,  and  I  am  proud  to  say,  he  is  as 
siduously,  vigilantly  and  ably  supported;  we  have  plenty  to  do  from  the 
4  o'clock  morning  Gun  until  9  at  night.  I  acknowledge  with  many  thanks 
the  receipt  of  your  letter  of  the  4th.  The  General  and  myself  heartily  ac 
quiesce  in  the  sentiments  it  contains  :  But  you  kill  Solomon.  Should  you 
plume  a  Game-cock  in  the  feathers  of  an  Ostrich,  it  would  not  alter  him  : 
it  could  not.  He  would  be  a  Game-cock  still.  He  is  a  vastly  valuable 
man  in  an  Army.  Our  little  Army  improves  very  fast  arid  under  his  dis 
cipline,  from  4  in  the  morning  until  8  at  night,  something  is  constantly 
going  on.  6,  P.  M.  I  had  hoped  for  leisure  to  complete  my  letter,  but 
the  afternoon  has  been  every  moment  taken  up. 

I  saw  a  gentleman  who  had  this  clay  seen  one  of  Hull's  Captains  also 
openly  and  roundly  asserted  that  Hull  was  a  coward.  That  as  soon  as  the 
first  gun  was  fired  he  sat  down  with  his  back  against  a  solid  protection. 
Don't  forget  HI y  dear  temporary  widow  and  little  ones;  tell  her  I  live 
like  an  Indian  Chief  in  my  Tent  alone  ;  and  that  my  General  has  pro 
mised  to  make  me  Governor  of  Michigan  —  if  I  will  take  it. 

Yours  truly 
Abraham  Van  Vechten,Esquire,]Albany.  JOHN  LOVETT. 

"  On  August  14,  General  Brock,  the  British  commander  in  chief,  took 
a  position  opposite  Detroit,  and  began  to  fortify  it  by  erecting  batteries. 
On  the  next  day  he  summoned  Hull  to  surrender,  which  he  utterly  refused 
to  do,  in  reply.  Brock  opened  his  batteries  and  threw  bombs  during  the 
night,  for  the  purpose  of  diverting  Hull's  attention  from  what  Brock  was 


222  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

then  doing.  In  the  morning  it  was  discovered  that  the  enemy  had  landed 
at  Springwells.  At  the  very  moment,  when  every  American  in  the  army, 
except  its  commander,  was  ready  and  anxious  to  begin  the  mortal  combat ; 
what  were  their  emotions  when  they  were  ordered  into  the  fort  and  to  lay 
down  their  arms  ?  They  reluctantly  obeyed,  and  a  white  flag  was  raised, 
on  the  fort. 

"  Without  shedding  a  drop  of  blood,  without  firing  a  single  gun,  the  fort, 
with  all  its  cannon,  taken  with  Burgoyne,  at  Saratoga,  from  the  British, 
with  a  vast  amount  of  powder,  lead,  cannon  balls,  and  all  the  munitions  of 
war,  all,  all  were  surrendered,  unconditionally  surrendered  to  the  enemy.* 

"  Colonels  McArthur  and  Cass,  with  about  four  hundred  of  the  very  best 
troops,  in  the  army,  had  been  despatched  (just  at  the  very  moment,  they 
would  be  most  needed)  under  the  pretense  of  guarding  the  wagons,  with 
the  provisions,  which  Governor  Meigs  of  Ohio,  was  forwarding  to  the 
army.  These  troops  under  McArthur  and  Cass  had  marched  about  forty 
miles  into  the  country,  among  the  whortleberry  hills  of  Michigan  and  then 
marched  back  again,  without  seeing  any  provisions,  until  they  had  arrived 
within  about  nine  miles  of  Detroit  on  their  return.  Here  they  were  re 
freshing  themselves,  on  the  products  of  some  bee-hives  and  a  fat  steer, 
which  they  had  just  killed.  Here  they  were  met  by  a  flag  of  truce  borne 
by  a  British  officer,  and  a  file  of  men,  from  whom  they  learned  that  they 
were  prisoners  of  war  !  They  marched  forward  to  Detroit,  laid  down  their 
arms  on  the  pavement,  and  were  marched  into  the  fort,  which  was  then  so 
crowded  that  there  was  scarcely  room  for  them  to  lie  down.  Captain 
Brush  who  was,  guarding  the  provisions  was  included  in  the  capitulation, 
as  well  as  the  provisions  themselves  but  the  militia  who  were  marching  to 
join  Hull's  army  were  allowed  to  return  home.  A  salute  was  fired  in  the 
presence  of  Gen.  Brock  with  one  of  the  brass  cannon  included  in  the  capi 
tulation.  It  bore  the  inscription  :  '  Taken  at  Saratoga  on  the  \ltli  of 
October  1777.'  When  the  British  officers  saw  this,  they  were  so  delighted 
that  some  of  them  greeted  the  old  British  captive,  now  released,  with 
kisses  and  remarked,  'we  must  have  an  addition  put  to  that  inscription, 
namely,  Betaken  at  Detroit,  August  16,  1812/  It  was  on  this  occasion 
General  Brock  paid  marked  respect  to  Tecumseh.  He  took  off  his  own 
rich  crimson  silk  sash  and  publicly  placed  it  round  the  waist  of  the  chief. 
Tecumseh  received  it  with  dignity  and  great  satisfaction.  General  Hull 
was  afterwards  tried  for  his  conduct  by  a  court  martial  viz. :  First,  for 
treason,  second  cowardice,  and  third,  unofficer  like  conduct.  He  was  con 
demned  to  death,  but  pardoned  by  the  president/' 

Q.  M.  Gen.  Porter  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Sir,  Manchester,  Aug.  28th,  1812. 

Mr.  Beard,  the  person  whom  I  employed  to  go  Express  to  Gen.  Hull, 
has  returned  with  your  dispatches  which  I  herewith  enclose.  On  his 
arrival  at  Cayahoga  he  met  several  boats  with  the  militia  prisoners  of 
Genl.  Hull's  army,  &  finding  it  useless,  as  well  as  impracticable  to  pro 
ceed,  he  immediately  returned.  Mr.  Beard  informs  that  when  these 
boats  were  first  discovered  at  and  beyond  Cayahoga,  they  were  supposed 
to  contain  an  Army  of  British  &  Indians,  whose  object  it  was  to  over-run 
the  country,  &  Expresses  with  information  to  that  effect. were  sent  in  every 
direction,  &  that  the  inhabitants  were  in  a  state  of  the  greatest  alarm  & 
confusion  &  quitting  their  homes. 

Before  Mr.  Beard  left  Cayahoga,  however,  about   1,000  Militia  had 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  223 

collected,  and  in  the  course  of  the  day  succeeding  his  departure,  it  was 
pretty  well  ascertained  that  there  would  be  about  3,000  men  at  that  place, 
tolerably  armed  &  provided  with  ammunition,  &  desirous  of  marching  im 
mediately  to  Detroit.  That  about  2,000  Keutuekians  were  on  their  march 
to  re-enforce  Genl.  Hull,  &  it  was  hoped  they  would  fall  in  with  a  party 
of  Indians  under  Tecumseh,  who,  it  was  understood  from.our  prisoners, 
had  left  Detroit  to  take  Fort  Wayne.  Mr.  Beard  on  his  return  took  great 
pains,  &  he  thinks  with  effect  to  allay  the  fears  of  the  inhabitants  and 
induce  them  to  remain  at  home.  I  send  a  copy  of  Genl.  Hull's  capitula 
tion.  Major  Cuyler  has  taken  the  Capitulation  to  copy  &  will  send  it  to 
you.  Yours  respectfully 

Maj.  Genl.  Van  Rensselaer.  PETER  B.  PORTER. 

Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Governor  Tompkins. 

Sir,  Head  Quarters,  Lewiston,  Aug.  31,  1812. 

Presuming  that  the  surrender  of  General  Hull's  army  fcas  been  officially 
announced  to  your  Excellency  through  the  proper  channel,  I  shall  not 
enter  into  my  details  upon  the  event  so  disastrous  to  our  country  :  its 
consequence  must  be  felt  every  where ;  but  they  are  peculiarly  distressing 
upon  these  frontiers,  both  to  the  citizens,  and  the  little  army  under  my 
command.  Alarm  pervades  the  country,  and  distrust  among  the  troops. 
They  are  incessantly  pressing  for  furloughs,  under  every  possible  pretence. 
Many  are  without  shoes  ;  all  clamorous  for  pay.  Many  are  sick.  Swift's 
regiment  at  Black  Kock  are  about  one-fourth  part  down.  I  have  ordered 
Doctor  Brown  to  associate  Doctor  Chapin  with  him,  and  to  examine  as  to 
the  causes  producing  the  diseases,  the  mode  of  treating  them,  &c.,  and  to 
report  to  me  their  opinion  of  the  best  mode  of  restoring  the  sick,  and  pre 
serving  the  health  of  those  who  remain  well.  This  duty  they  are  now 
performing. 

Captain  Jennings  has  been  tried  by  a  court-martial,  and  found  guilty 
of  such  charges  as  forfeited  his  commission  ;  and  I  have  approved  the 
sentence.  The  proceedings,  in  form,  will  soon  be  forwarded  to  your 
Excellency. 

While  we  are  thus  growing  daily  weaker,  our  enemy  is  growing  stronger. 
They  hold  a  very  commanding  position  on  the  high  ground  above  Queens- 
town,  and  they  are  daily  strengthening  themselves  in  it,  with  men  and 
ordnance.  Indeed,  they  are  fortifying  almost  every  prominent  point, 
from  Fort  Erie,  to  Fort  George.  At  present  we  rest  upon  the  armistice ; 
but  should  hostilities  be  recommenced,  I  must  immediately  change  mv 
position.  I  receive  no  reinforcements  of  men,  no  ordnance,  or  munitions 
of  war.  I  must  hope,  that  I  shall  not  long  be  left  in  this  situation. 

Two  gentlemen,  Messrs.  Johnson  and  Bascom,  came  over  in  a  flag  to 
the  garrison,  at  Niagara,  and  the  first  I  knew  of  them  they  were  in  my 
camp.  Being  satisfied  that  they  were  American  citizens,  men  of  intelli 
gence,  and  some  standing  in  society,  I  permitted  them  to  pass  on,  with 
orders  to  report  themselves  to  your  Excellency. 

There  is  one  fact,  which  though  not  immediately  connected  with  my 
department,  I  cannot  refrain  from  mentioning;  the  unfortunate  soldiers 
of  General  Hull's  army,  who  marched  by  my  camp  on  their  way  to  Lower 
Canada,  are  very  destitute  of  clothing.  Every  consideration  would  urge 
that  some  attention  should  be  paid  to  their  condition. 

1  have  the  honour  &c., 

His  Excellency  Governor  Tompkins. 


224  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

The  Captain  Jennings  mentioned  in  the  above  letter  "  made  himself 
famous,  at  one  time,  for  his  poetical  order  on  Gov.  Daniel  D.  Tompkins, 
which  has  been  related  as  follows  :  The  officers  had  met  to  prepare  a  re 
quisition  letter  to  the  governor,  for  two  field  pieces.  ".  While -discussing 
the  form  in  which  to  address  so  distinguished  a  man,  one  of  the  judges, 
at  that  time  doing  duty  on  the  bench,  made  a  bantering  wager  with  Capt. 
Jennings  that  the  ordnance  could  be  procured  on  an  order,  the  form  of 
which  should  be  dictated  by  him.  The  judge  walked  up  to  the  desk, 
seized  the  pen  and  forthwith  produced  the  following. 

'  Great  Daniel  D.,  we  send  to  thee 
For  two  great  guns  and  trimmings  : 

Send  them  to  hand,  or  you'll  be  d d. 

By  order  of         Capt.  Jennings.' 

"  This  of  course  created  a  good  deal  of  amusement ;  and  though  it  was 
not  officially  sent,  to  the  governor,  as  the  ordnance  was  obtained  through  a 
regular  order,  me  story  was  too  good  to  be  kept  j  the  governor,  who  was 
fond  of  a  good  joke,  in  some  way  learned  of  the  incident,  and  was  also 
aware  that  his  friend  the  judge,  had  a  hand  in  it.  Some  of  the  officers 
in  this  company  were  rewarded  for  gallant  services  in  the  war,  by  promo 
tion,  and  they,  with  others,  sent  to  Albany  for  their  commissions.  On 
calling  for  them  at  the  proper  office,  the  judge  learned  that  they  we  reall 
made  out  and  lacked  only  the  signature  of  the  governor.  To  facilitate 
the  business  he  offered  to  take  them  himself  to  his  excellency,  who,  on 
receiving  them,  placed  his  autograph  to  the  documents,  one  after  the 
other,  till  coming  to  one  belonging  to  Capt.  Jennings's  company,  he  stopped 
and  very  gravely  inquired  :  '  Is  this  by  order  of  Capt.  Jennings/  ;; 

"  The  company  lately  under  the  command  of  Captain  Jennings,  in 
Lieut.  Col.  Swilt's  regiment,  had  become  so  clamorous  for  pay,  and  con 
tended  so  strenuously  that  their  time  had  expired,  that  I  have  ordered 
them  to  be  dismissed,  in  the  opinion  that  this  would  meet  your  excellency's 
approbation.  I  was  strengthened  by  learning  from  Brigadier  General 
Brown,  that  Lieut.  Col.  Bellinger's  regiment,  who  were  on  the  same 
standing  in  service,  at  Sackett's  Harbour,  have  been  discharged  by  your 
order." 

Col.  Van  Rensselaer  to  his  wife. 
Dear  Harriet,  Lewiston  1st  September,  1812. 

I  wrote  you  yesterday  from  this  place  by  the  mail,  in  which  letter  I 
gave  you  an  account  of  all  that  was  passing  here,  this  day  we  received  an 
Express  from  Genl.  Dearborn  that  the  Armistice  was  at  an  end.  But  at 
the  time  he  was  despatched  from  Green  Bush  they  knew  nothing  of  the 
Surrender  of  General  Hull  and  his  Army,  and  what  effect  that  informa 
tion  will  have  on  the  measures  of  a  weak  and  despicable  General  and 
Government,  time  only  will  determine..  We  shall  at  all  events  go  on  and 
make  all  the  arrangements  in  our  power  to  meet  the  Crisis  which  in  all 
probability  is  approaching.  If  nothing  is  done  it  will  not  be  our  fault, 
but  that  of  Government;  by  Express  and  by  almost  every  Mail  the 
Governor  and  Genl.  Dearborn  have  been  informed  of  our  situation  **  *  * 
The  express  Lt.  Smith  returns  immediately  to  Albany  by  whom  I  send 
this,  1  could  not  let  him  leave  this  without  again  expressing  my  anxiety 
for  your  health  and  happiness.  I  am  all 'solicitude  on  your  account  and 
wish  sincerely  I  was  with  you  until  that  certain  e  ent  was  over,  but  keep 
up  your  spirits  and  think  of  your  children  and  me.  I  hope  happier  and 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  225 

more  comfortable  times  will  attend  us.  Our  General  is  more  than  fond 
of  me,  he  leaves  everything  to  me  and  has  not  on  any  occasion  found 
fault;  he  is  very  amiable  and  I  can  truly  say  of  him,  what  he  has  on  many 
occasions  said  of  me  that  "  I  did  not  know  the  man/'  Lovett  and  myself 
live  like  Brothers,  and  if  I  could  be  but  informed  of  your  true  situation 
I  should  be  happy,  as  far  as  the  lute  unhappy  event  at  home  would  suffer 
me  to  be,  but  the  Clover-lot  is  ever  before  me.  Kiss  the  children  for  me 
and  attend  to  your  health.  Remember  me  to  all  friends  and  believe  me 
in  whatever  situation  I  am  placed,  I  am  ever  the  same  to  you,  your  affec- 


Klselaer,  Mount  Hope.  BOL.  VAN  *»«L«.. 


On  September  1st,  four  or  five  vessels  arrived  at  Fort  George  with 
troops  from  Montreal  and  the  enemy,  flushed  with  victory,  were  every 
moment  on  the  alert.  '•  They  hold  a  very  commanding  position  over  above 
us  in  Queenstown,  and  are  strengthening  it  with  men  and  cannon.  In 
deed  every  prominent  point  from  Fort  Erie  to  Fort  George  looks  saucy." 
Colonel  Fenwick  had  not  arrived,  when  orders  were  received  from  Gen. 
Dearborn,  to  put  an  end  to  the  armistice.  He  was,  however,  as  it  turned 
out,  then  approaching  his  place  of  destination,  and  the  first  relief  Gen. 
Van  Reusselaer  experienced,  was  in  the  arrival  of  Col.  Fenwick,  with 
ordnance  and  stores,  on  the  4th  day  of  September.  He  was  directed,  out 
of  abundant  caution  to  land  at  the  Four  Mile  creek,  instead  of  attempting 
to  reach  Fort  Niagara.  Early  in  September,  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  was 
advised  by  General  Dearborn,  that  the  enemy  was  preparing  to  make  an 
effort  to  reduce  this  army  to  the  mortifying  situation  of  Gen.  Hull's  and 
that  he  must  be  ready  "  to  make  good  a  sure  retreat."  The  abandonment 
of  the  fort  was  also  expressly  recommended,  and  the  fear  expressed,  that, 
if  retained,  it  would  prove  a  trap  for  the  garrison,  for  examinations  had 
shown  that  it  was  utterly  untenable  and  indefensible  against  a  serious  at 
tack.  The  importance,  however,  of  maintaining  all  his  positions,  led  the 
general  to  the  determination  to  put  forth  every  effort  and  energy,  to  this 
effect,  and  to  adopt  the  unalterable  resolution  to  dispute  every  inch  of 
ground  with  his  adversary,  in  case  of  an  attempt  to  dislodge  him.  The 
letters  written  a  few  days  later  to  Gen.  Dearborn  and  Gov.  Tompkins  show 
the  condition  of  things  as  well  as  the  opinions  and  resolution  of  the  com 
manding  general. 

General  Orders. 

Head  Quarters,  Lewiston,  4th  Sept.,  1812. 

The  Major  General  announces  to  the  troops,  that,  agreeable  to  an  order 
received  from  Major  General  Dearborn,  the  armistice  entered  into  between 
him  and  the  Governor  General  of  Upper  and  Lower  Canada  will  be  ter 
minated  at  twelve  o'clock,  at  noon,  on  the  eighth  day  of  September  instant. 

The  troops  under  his  command  will,  however,  understand,  explicitly, 
that  they  are  not  to  act  offensively  without  previous  orders  from  him  ;  but 
to  be  vigilant  in  their  duty,  and  ready  to  execute  any  command  they 
may  receive  when  a  proper  occasion  presents  itself.  The  troops  will  strike 
their  tents  tomorrow  morning  at  reveille:  the  tents,  tent-poles,  and  bag 
gage,  will  be  packed  up,  ready  to  move,  in  one  hour  from  that  time.  The 
Quarter  Master  will  measure  the  space  necessary  for  a  double  row  of  tents 
for  each  company,  and  furnish  the  necessary  transportation. 

29 


226  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

A  fatigue  party,  of  a  sergeant,  corporal,  and  twelve  men,  will  attend 
at  the  same  time  at  head  quarters. 

By  order  of  the  Major  General  Van  Rensselaer, 

SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER,  Aid-de-Camp. 

• 

An  express  had  been  sent  to  Col.  Fenwick,  to  land  at  Four  Mile  creek. 
This  precaution  was  taken  lest  the  armistice  might  have  been  terminated 
below,  or  some  accident  might  throw  the  cargo  into  the  hands  of  the 
enemy.  As  soon  as  this  was  effected,  and  in  the  same  morning,  having 
been  charged  with  the  delivery  of  the  notice  terminating  the  armistice, 
to  the  British  commandant,  I  crossed  over  from  the  fort  to  discharge  the  , 
duties  of  this  mission,  which  I  did  in  a  personal  interview  with  General 
Sheaffe.  Col.  Van  R.  had  been  vigilant  and  observing  regarding  the 
condition  of  the  enemy. 

Major  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Major  Gen.  Brock. 
Sir,  Head-Quarters,  Lewiston,  Sept.  4th,  1812. 

By  the  articles  which  I  had  the  honour  to  conclude  with  Major  Gen. 
Sheaffe  on  the  21st  ult.,  for  the  government  of  the  troops  of  the  United 
States  under  my  command,  and  his  Brittanic  Majesty's  forces  on  this 
frontier,  during  the  temporary  armistice,  it  was,  among  other  things, 
stipulated  that  "  the  party  who  shall  first  receive  orders  for  the  renewal  of 
hostilities  shall  give  four  days'  notice,  computing  twenty-four  hours  to  each 
day,  before  any  offensive  operation  shall  take  place." 

Having  now  received  orders  to  terminate  the  armistice,  in  conformity 
to  the  above  recited  stipulation,  I  have  the  honour  to  transmit  you  this 
notice,  that  the  armistice  will  be  terminated  at  twelve  o'clock,  at  noon,  on 
Tuesday,  the  eighth  day  of  September,  inst. 

I  have  the  honour,  &c. 

S.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Major  Gen.  Isaac  Brock  or  officer  commanding  Fort  George. 

Major  Gen.  Sheaffe  to  Major  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Sir,  Fort  George,  5th  Sept.,  1812. 

I  have  the  honour  of  receiving  your  communication,  signifying  the  in 
tention  on  the  part  of  the  United  States  of  renewing  hostilities,  after  four 
days  shall  have  elapsed  from  the  period  at  which  the  notice  was  given. 
Thus  declaring  that  the  armistice  shall  terminate  at  twelve  o'clock  at 
noon  on  the  eighth  day  of  this  September. 
I  have  the  honour,  &c. 

R.  H.  SHEAFFE,  Maj.  Gen.  H.  B.  M.  forces. 
Major  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer,  commanding  Frontiers. 

Col.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Abraham  Van  Vechten. 
My  dear  Sir,  Lewiston,  5th  September,  1812. 

This  Evening  Mr.  Swan  arrived  in  three  days  from  Albany  on  Express 
from  Gen.  Dearborn,  with  Information  that  a  large  body  of  British  Troops 
had  left  Montreal  for  the  opposite  bank  of  this  River  and  Cautioning 
Gen.  V.  R.  to  guard  against  a  Surprise  from  them,  and  if  hard  pressed  to 
make  a  Safe  retreat,  his  caution  against  a  surprise  is  unnecessary,  and  as 
for  a  retreat  we  shall  not  think  of,  until  we  have  tried  some  blustering 
Democrats  who  pretend  to  be  full  of  fighting  and  crossing  the  River,  but 
their  opinions  as  to  crossing  no  attention  will  be  paid  to,  until  it  is  proper 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  227 

we  should  come  to  Action,  and  then  they  will  be  brought  to  a  Close  one. 
With  the  force  which  arrived  yesterday  under  the  Command  of  Lt.  Col. 
Fenwick,  we  have  in  the  aggregate  of  Regular  Troops  and  Militia  two 
thousand  two  hundred  men  Detached  on  a  frontier  of  forty  miles,  from 
Fort  Niagara  to  Buffalo.  While  the  British  have  opposed  to  us  (besides 
the  force  Dearborn  speaks  of)  from  every  information  we  can  get,  and 
from  their  appearance  every  day  in  our  view,  at  least  that  number  of 
Regular  Troops,  with  strong  Batteries  at  every  Crossing  point  to  meet  and 
of  these  there  are  but  very  few  owing  to  the  extreme  height  of  the  Banks. 

In  short  we  are  deficient  in  almost  everything :  four  18-pounders,  two 
twelve-pounders ;  eight  Six's ;  and  two  four's,  are  all  the  Ordnance  we 
have  for  the  defence  of  this  Line  ;  two  six's  honey-combed,  some  of  them 
without  Shot  and  six  without  Harness.  Fort  Niagara  not  tenable  (you 
all  suppose  it  impregnable.  Not  so,  it  cannot  be  maintained  15  minutes), 
and  the  Stores  are  now  Removing  with  a  view  to  abandon  it,  and  in  this 
place  Capt'.  Leonard  buried  two  13  Inch  Mortar  and  Six  8J  Inch  How 
itzers  for  the  want  of  Shells. 

No  Surgical  Instruments,  lint,  bandage  or  Hospital  Stores ;  no  forage 
and  no  Quarter  Master.  Peter  B.  Porter  has  been  only  twice  in  Camp 
since  we  have  been  here,  and  instead  of  getting  the  feast  ready,  is  attend 
ing  to  his  private  affairs ;  he  is  an  abominable  Scoundrel,  and  I  have  made 
no  Secret  in  telling  his  friends  so.  [This  difficulty  was  all  made  up,  they 
were  good  friends  many  years  before  death.] 

I  have  written  at  least  a  dozen  letters  to  Harriot  without  receiving  a 
line  from  her  since  I  left  home.  She  certainly  must  be  ill  or  perhaps 
something  worse,  pray  let  me  beg  of  you  to  Remove  the  weight  that  hangs 
on  my  mind  on  her  account,  by  informing  me  Candidly  and  Explicitly  of 
her  Situation.  The  recollection  of  the  late  overwhelming  event  at  home, 
I  fear  has  been  too  much  for  her,  remove  my  anxiety  and  put  me  at  rest. 

Phil's  letter  has  alarmed  me,  and  his  is  the  only  one  I  have  received. 
I  look  with  much  Solicitude  for  the  Mail  on  Monday.  You  must  excuse 
me  for  not  writing  to  you  before ;  the  Detail  of  the  Camp,  and  Every 
thing  in  Relation  to  the  Troops,  takes  up  all  my  time,  I  have  no  one  to 
assist  me.  Adieu,  present  my  best  respects  to  Mrs.  Van  Vechten  and 
those  who  ask  or  think  about  me.  But  above  all  comfort  my  poor  Harriot, 
my  heart  Bleeds  for  her,  and  be  assured  that  in  whatever  situation  I  am 
placed,  I  am  your  affectionate  and  Sincere  friend. 

SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Hon.  Abraham  Van  Vechten.  Esq.,  Albany,  N.  Y. 

Mrs.  Van  Remselaer  to  her  Husband. 
My  Dear  Solomon,  Mount  Hope,  Sept.  6th,  1812. 

The  enclosed,  first  effort  of  a  letter  by  our  dear  boy  Rensselaer,  is  so 
expressive  of  the  child's  feelings,  I  must  copy  it  and  say  as  he  does  "  I 
know  not  what  to  write."  I  am  much  pleased  with  this  first  production 
of  his  pen,  and  had  better  send  it  for  your  gratification. 

Samuel  says,  he  was  well  satisfied  to  stay  at  school  and  that  Rev.  Mr. 
Huntington  had  a  great  opinion  of  his  abilities,  which  he  thought  had  not 
been  sufficiently  improved,  but  was  sure  that  after  awhile  he  would  be 
all  he  could  wish.  How  cheering  for  a  moment  to  my  poor  afflicted 
heart,  which  has  been  so  excessively  oppressed,  has  had  no  comfort  since 
that  trying  hour  when  the  most  awful  of  all  our  many  calamities  befell 
us,  and  then  your  departure  with  great  anxiety  on  your  account  gives  an 


228  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

additional  weight.  The  innumerable  perplexities  in  which  your  absence 
at  this  season  involves  me,  with  the  farm  work,  cannot  in  spite  of  every 
effort  banish  from  my  mind's  eye,  the  awful,  the  distressing  sight  of  our 
sweet  little  "Van,"  when  you  carried  him  from  the  field  bleeding  and 
dying  in  your  Arms  !  Trifles,  as  well  as  objects  around,  continually  remind 
me  of  what  he  was,  and  I  am  indeed  most  wretched  ;  this  is  a  grievous 
subject,  but  no  other  can  I  dwell  upon,  or  reflect  on.  It  seems  to  harrow 
my  very  Soul,  and  not  till  called  upon  by  the  Great  Original  of  All,  can 
happiness  be  again  my  portion,  it  is  dashed  to  the  earth  here,  but  to  that 
final  hour  I  look  with  confidence.  Oh  that  I  could  be  near  you  at  the 
present  time.  The  active  scenes  in  which  you  are  engaged,  must  of 
course,  be  some  relief  to  your  depressed  spirits  ;  besides,  the  fortitude  you 
possess,  I  trust,  will  support  you  in  every  situation  ;  and  should  Heaven 
in  Mercy  (at  my  confinement)  remove  me,  enable  you  to  do  your  duty  to 
your  dear  children,  and  soon  reconcile  you  to  a  separation  from  your  most 
miserable  Wife.  ARRIET  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Colonel  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Lewiston. 

Previous  to  the  departure  for  the  frontier,  on  May  29,  a  promising 
youth  of  about  six  years  of  age,  named  Van  Vechten,  son  of  Colonel 
Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  being  in  company  with  an  elder  brother  in  a 
field  near  the  dwelling  house  of  their  father  at  Mount  Hope,  in  the  town 
of  Bethlehem,  was  shot  through  the  head  and  almost  instantly  expired. 
A  shot  was  heard  as  from  a  musket,  and  the  unfortunate  youth  immedi 
ately  fell,  having  received  the  contents  of  the  musket  through  the  ear 
into  the  brain. 

Immediately  after  a  man  was  observed  with  a  musket,  who  in  great 
haste  traversed  the  clear  field,  and  ran  into  an  adjoining  wood.  It  was 
the  work  of  an  insane  man,  and  that  reckless  act  left  a  sad  void  in  the 
hearts  of  those  loving  parents,  and  in  that  once  happy  home.  This 
seemed  the  climax  to  repeated  trials  very  hard  to  pass  through  without  a 
murmur  ]  strong  faith  in  Jesus  triumphed  over  all  these  seeming  ills,  and 
neither  of  those  afflicted  parents  ever  flagged  in  the  path  of  duty. 

• 
Major  Lovett  to  Joseph  Alexander. 

Dear  Sir,  Head  Quarters,  Lewiston,  6  Sept.,  1812. 

Having  been  up  nearly  all  night  in  preparing  Dispatches  for  Swan's 
return,  I  have  no  opportunity  to  write  you  anything  more  than  that  we 
are  living  in  dews,  rains  and  cold.  I  have  got  hardened  almost  to  the 
hide,  muscles  and  houghs  of  an  ox,  and  am  in  perfect  health,  tho'  our 
tent  lad  kicked  the  Bucket  last  night.  Our  situation  is  becoming,  daily, 
more  and  more  interesting  to  say  the  least  of  it.  I  do  not  know  that  I 
ought,  yet,  to  call  it  critical :  though  I  know  that  some  think  it  so. 
What  may  be  the  views  of  the  Enemy  we  know  not,  they  are  flushed  with 
victory,  and  concentrating  their  forces  very  fast  against  us.  The  Armistice 
will  be  terminated  by  our  notice  at  Noon  on  the  8th  Inst.  To  sum  all 
up  in  one,  I  should  say  that  from  present  appearances,  we  must  either 
fight  or  run,  or  both  in  a  few  days.  This  camp,  which  is  within  half 
point  blank  shot  of  the  enemy,  we  shall  quit  to-morrow  morning,  the 
order  is  given  to  strike  Tents  at  Reveille.  We  shall  not  quit  the  neigh 
borhood  ;  but  seek  a  safer  place.  Things  look  rather  squally  all  around 
just  at  present,  but  it  may  clear  off  again.  There  are  some  pretty  strong 
reasons  to  believe  that  Brock  is  preparing  to  Hull  us.  I  don't  know  bu^ 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  229 

he  may,  but  Albany  blood  runs  pretty  steady  yet.  We  have  removed 
most  of  the  stores  from  Fort  Niagara,  and  are  throwing  up  a  Battery  on 
this  side  in  which  we  mean  to  place  4  Eighteen  Pounders. 

The  Enemy  are  extending  their  works  at  Fort  George  ;  and  I  under 
stand  as  the  light  increases,  that  our  soldiers  discover  some  new  works 
began  last  night  opposite  to  us  here. 

My  General  is  well,  firm,  brave,  and  prudent.  Solomon  would  fight  all 
the  while  if  he  could  get  chances,  and  I  rather  expect  he  will  soon  get 
enough  of  it.  Col.  Fenwick  with  the  Cannon  and  stores  have  arrived 
safe.  We  worked  John  Bull  in  the  little  Armistice  treaty  and  got  more 
than  they  expected. 

Glory  to  the  Constitution  and  her  Crew  for  the  Battle.  ["  The  Frigate 
Guerriere  has  been  captured  and  sunk  by  the  U.  S.  Frigate,  Constitution, 
Capt.  Hull."] 

Did  you  ever  live  in  a  Tent  ?  How  nice,  and  cool  they  are  towards 
day,  when  you  begin  to  draw  up  your  legs :  or  as  we  Soldiers  would  say 
"  Call  in  your  OUT  POSTS  !" 

We  have  a  curious  old  Quiz  of  a  Chaplain  but  I  remember  this  part  of 
his  prayer ;  "  In  the  arms  of  faith  and  love  we  desire  to  bear  before  thee, 
0  God,  our  wives  and  dear  little  ones  whom  we  have  left  at  home  :  pre 
serve  them,  and  in  thine  own  due  time  restore  us  to  them.  But  if  thou 
hast  determined  in  thy  holy  providence  that  any  of  us  shall  meet  them 
no  more,  in  this  world,  0  !  may  we  meet  them  above  in  thy  great  family  " 
Now  this  was  well  said  and  we  all  felt  it.  Don't,  Don't  forget  my  Wife 
and  Children,  nor  suffer  them  to  be  lonely.  Keep  their  spirits  up.  It 
was  right  that  I  came,  it  is  right  that  I  stay.  When  I  write  you  again  I 
hope  to  give  a  better  account,  moving  a  Camp  is  always  perplexing. 
Only  one  solitary  letter  have  I  received,  don't  you  write,  or  do  the  rascals 
rob  me  ?  Yours  very  truly, 

Mr.  Joseph  Alexander,  Albany.  JOHN  LOVETT. 

John  Lovett  to  Abraham  Van  Vechten. 
My  Dear  Sir,  Head  Quarters,  Lewiston  Sept.  8,  1812. 

Colonel  Van  Rensselaer  has  been  with  General  Wadsworth  the  whole 
day  at  Niagara,  and  I  have  been  on  the  jump  from  dawn  of  day  to  this 
5  P.  M.  Brock  has  returned  from  York  to  Fort  George  and  the  Enemy 
are  certainly  very  active,  but  whether  they  contemplate  defensive  or  offens 
ive  measures  it  is  impossible  to  say.  It  would  seem  that  in  our  situation 
we  might  with  facility  obtain  information  of  the  enemy's  force  and  move 
ments.  Not  so.  Not  a  soul  will  risk  his  neck  from  this  side  among  them, 
and  those  who  come  over  are  such  Scamps,  no  trust.  We  have  moved 
our  Camp  from  the  River  to  the  Ridge  Road.  In  short,  the  enemy  hav 
ing  put  Hull  out  of  the  way,  have  it  in  their  power  to  turn  their  whole 
force  against  us.  Our  poor  fellows  are  patient,  patriotic  and  exceedingly 
attached  to  their  General ;  they  swear  He  can't  be  bribed,  and  to  tell  you 
the  real  truth,  this  Confidence  is  all  that  saves  us  from  every  sort  of  dis 
grace.  We  are  calm,  self-collected,  and  determined  to  act  as  near  Right 
as  we  can.  But  God  only  knows  how  we  shall  come  out.  A  great  fever 
is  coming  on,  I  understand,  but  no  pay,  no  shoes,  no  any  thing. 

The  General  has  gone  to  have  a  Talk  with  the  Tuscarora  Tribe  this 
afternoon.  The  Armistice  terminated  at  12  o'clock,  and  no  movement  is 
made.  We  are  all  well,  Don't  be  alarmed.  We  shall  never  disgrace  our- 


230  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

selves,  Albany  or  our  Country.     Don't  let  my  Wife  get  alarmed,  I  shall 
eat  my  New  Year's  Dinner  with  her  if  she  is  not  starved  out. 

Yours  truly, 
Abraham  Van  Vechten,  Esq.,  Albany.  JOHN  LOVETT. 

Hon.  Abraham  Van  Vechten  to  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Albany  September  10,  1812. 

I  saw  Harriet  on  Sunday.  She  &  Adaline  dined  with  us.  Sanders 
says  the  Family  are  all  in  good  health.  Harriet  will  write  you.  The 
depression  of  her  Spirits  is  not  removed,  tho'  I  trust  considerably  allevi 
ated.  Her  fortitude  does  not  fail  her,  and  her  avocations  occupy  every 
moment  of  her  time.  She  wishes  you  to  send  me  a  line  for  Rensselaer. 
Your  Situation  is  I  fear  critical.  At  least  so  we  apprehend  here.  But 
it  is  attributed  to  the  true  cause,  and  the  result,  if  disastrous,  will  be  charged 
to  the  acct.  of  those  who  ought  to  answer  for  it.  Remember  my  Friend 
that  the  honor  of  a  Soldier  is  not  to  be  maintained  in  battle  only.  Sound 
discretion  is  an  essential  part  of  true  valor;  when  more  real  good  is  to  be 
attained  by  a  timely  &  safe  retreat  than  by  fighting  every  consideration  of 
military  duty  requires  that  the  former  course  should  be  adopted.  Beware 
of  being  Hull'd  is  the  admonition  of  all  your  Friends,  but  I  add,  do  not 
forget  that  an  unequal  &  disadvantageous  conflict  may  involve  equal  dis 
grace,  because  it  may  draw  upon  you  the  imputation  of  rashness.  Should 
it  eventuate  in  a  severe  defeat  the  consequences  will  be  more  extensively 
calamitous.  Your  troops  want  every  thing,  except  I  hope  personal  Cour 
age,  to  cope  with  the  force  amassing  against  you  want  of  discipline  will 
make  a  defeat  dreadful,  because  it  cuts  off  every  hope  of  rallying.  We 
hope  no  news  beyond  what  the  papers  which  the  bearer  takes  and  my  letters 
to  Lovett  contain.  Yours  Sincerely. 


Col.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Head  Quarters  Lewiston. 

Gapt.  1.  Whistler  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  General,  Presque  Isle  llth  Sept.,  1812. 

On  the  8th  inst.  I  arrived  at  this  place  with  my  family,  myself  in  a 
bad  state  of  health,  at  present  I  feel  much  better  and  tomorrow  shall  pro 
ceed  on  my  journey  for  Pittsburgh.  Please  accept  of  my  warmest  thanks 
for  the  civilities  I  have  received  from  you.  On  my  arrival  at  Black  Rcok 
I  made  application  to  Genl.  Porter  for  a  waggon  ;  he  made  every  effort 
to  procure  me  one  but  failed.  He  then  sent  the  same  one  you  sent  with 
me;  and  I  must  confess  the  driver  is  the  best  man  I  had  ever  known  in 
the  public  service,  a  human  man,  he  treated  my  family  with  every  attention, 
he  left  here  on  his  return  on  the  ninth.  This  moment  I  have  seen  a  letter 
from  Genl.  Wadsworth  of  the  State  of  Ohio  to  Genl.  Keler  of  this  Post, 
in  which  he  mentioned  the  capture  of  Fort  Dearborn  at  Chigkaga,  and 
nearly  all  the  Garrison  put  to  the  sword,  and  the  enemy  are  now  erecting 
a  Garrison  at  the  rapids  of  the  Miamy,  and  a  large  Force  of  Indians  are 
on  their  way  against  Fort  Wayne  and  Vincennes  in  great  expectation  of 
success. 

The  enemy  have  left  four  of  the  24  Pounders  at  Maiden  ;  the  other  5 
24  pounders  they  have  shipped  to  Fort  George  this  is  all  the  News  I  have 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  231 

at  present  to  communicate,  the  latter  I  expect  you  ought  to  be  made  ac 
quainted  with.  I  think  from  the  large  body  of'  Indians  which  have  gone 
to  Fort  Wayne,  you  have  nothing  to  fear  as  to  Indians.  My  best  respects 
to  the  Colonel  and  all  the  Gentlemen  of  your  Army  &  believe  me  &c.  &c. 

J.  WHISTLER. 

Capt.  Whistler  was  an  old  revolutionary  officer,  was  taken  with  Gen. 
Hull,  paroled,  landed  with  wife  and  six  children  at  Fort  Niagara.  Gen.  V. 
R.  sent  a  public  wagon  with  him  to  Black  Rock  he  was  bound  for  Pitts 
burgh. 

Col.  Van  Rensselaer  to  General  Lewis  —  Gloomy  State  of  Affairs  at  Lewiston. 
My  dear  Sir,  Head  Quarters  Sept  11,  1812. 

To  you  I  am  fully  persuaded  I  can  write  with  Confidence  on  the  State 
of  affairs  in  this  quarter,  and  if  you  think  the  Interest  of  the  Service  will 
be  promoted  by  a  disclosure  of  my  name,  you  are  at  liberty  to  make  any 
use  of  it  you  please,  whatever  inconvenience  it  may  put  me  to,  for  I 
Shall  State  Facts  and  those  only. 

Since  the  Surrender  of  General  Hull,  it  has  been  the  Study  of  John  C. 
Spencer,  Col.  Brooks,  Q.  Mr.  General  Porter  and  Several  others  to  cause 
confusion  and  distrust  among  the  Troops  on  this  Frontier  to  answer  party 
purposes  against  the  Commander.  They  have  so  far  succeeded  in  the  Camp 
and  the  Country,  that  in  the  former  it  is  only  whispered,  but  in  the  Latter 
it  is  openly  said,  that  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  is  a  traitor  to  his  Country  and 
the  Surrender  of  the  Army  when  it  crosses  the  River  is  the  price  of  his 
Infamy.  Honest  and  Honorable  men  must  regret  this  depravity  in  human 
nature;  those  scoundrels  know  better,  and  you  and  I  know  that  a  more 
Honest  man  does  not  exist ;  and  one  who  has  the  Interest  of  his  Country 
more  at  heart.  But  with  all  his  amiable  qualities,  his  usefulness  here  in 
my  opinion  is  destroyed  ;  by  this  unjust  and  unwarrantable  jealousy.  He 
cannot  enforce  that  Subordination  which  is  so  necessary  to  the  safety  and 
glory  of  the  Troops  he  Commands.  If  Gen.  Armstrong  or  any  other  man 
of  the  same  politics  with  the  Government  did  Command  here,  this  difficulty 
would  be  Removed  ;  there  is  a  field  of  glory  in  view  for  any  man  of  Ambi 
tion,  which  Gen.  V.  R.  as  well  as  myself  would  regret  to  forego,  if  Necesity 
did  not  Compel  us,  it  would  be  well  if  Gen.  Dearborn  could  with  propriety 
remove  him  to  New  York  or  some  other  place,  where  his  services  may  be 
equal  to  his  Sacrifices  in  private  life.  We  are  Encamped  at  this  place 
with  two  Regiments  of  Militia,  to  guard  the  most  important  pass  on  the 
river.  Col.  Fenwick  with  the  Regular  troops  in  and  about  Fort  Niagara. 
Col.  Blooms,  lately  come  on,  at  Niagara  Falls  and  Col.  Swifts  at  Black  Rock. 

The  whole  effective  force  of  Militia  including  Officers  you  will  find  by 
the  within  return  amounts  to  1633  fit  for  duty.  We  are  in  want  of  almost 
every  thing.  Our  Quarter  Master  Peter  B.  Porter  is  speculating  and  at 
tending  to  mischief  and  his  private  affairs  ;  he  speaks  in  very  disrespect 
ful  terms  of  Mr.  Madison,  and  trys  to  impress  on  the  minds  of  the  people 
the  necessity  of  a  change  of  men.  But  notwithstanding  these  discourag 
ing  prospects,  we  shall  do  what  men  under  these  Circumstances  can.  A 
strong  Battery  has  been  thrown  up  a  mile  above  Fort  Niagara,  and  imme 
diately  opposite  Fort  George,  in  which  the  four  heavy  cannon  have  been 
placed,  anu1  contrary  to  the  opinion  of  Col.  Fenwick  when  he  first  came 
on,  we  will  attempt  to  maintain  the  Fort  which  will  be  all  important  to 
our  future  operations.  The  roof  has  been  taken  from  a  large  stone  house 
and  on  the  third  floor  two  twelve  pounders  and  a  howitzer  placed.  This 


232  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

battery  Commands  Fort  George  and  four  Batteries  in  its  vicinity  j  and  if 
a  parapet  of  earth  well  rammed,  on  the  inside  of  the  two  and  half  feet  stone 
wall  was  thrown  up,  it  might  bid  defiance  to  the  enemy,  but  unfortunately 
Col.  Fenwick  and  Capt.  Leonard  are  too  much  addicted  to  liquor  to  attend 
to  this  duty  as  they  should,  and  if  they  were  removed  from  this  Command, 
it  would  give  rise  to  much  greater  dissensions.  Besides  we  have  no  one 
as  fit  for  this  all  important  service  as  Col.  Fenwick,  if  he  was  at  all  times 
himself.  Last  Tuesday  at  12  o'clock  the  Armistice  ceased,  on  which,  we 
supposed  that  the  enemy  would  open  their  Batteries  of  at  least  fifty  pieces 
on  our  lines.  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  continued  here  in  order  to  move  the 
Troops  to  any  point  that  might  be  attacked,  while  I  went  to  the  Garrison 
below.  I  found  on  my  arrival  all  in  confusion.  I  immediately  ordered  a 
strong  detachment  to  clear  a  Battery  in  the  Stone  house,  while  others  were 
dismounting  the  two  twelves  and  a  Howitzer,  and  getting  them  on  the 
platform,  to  the  Command  of  which  Capt.  Leonard's  Company  was  assigned. 
The  two  Block  houses,  in  each  of  which  are  Six  pounders,  Capt.  McKeon's 
Company  was  to  Defend.  All  this  was  accomplished  by  twelve,  at  that 
hour  our  works,  as  well  as  the  British,  were  manned,  the  Matches  burn 
ing  and  I  expected  every  moment  to  see  the  Rafters  of  the  old  mess-house 
knocked  about  my  head,  but  I  was  disappointed  and  we  have  been  ever 
since  in  peace  and  preparing,  with  little  trouble  to  make  it  as  strong  as  any 
work  can  be,  and  ready  for  action.  I  inclose  the  last  Buffalo  paper. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be  Respectfully  Yours, 
Major  Gen.  Morgan  Lewis.  SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Major  Cuyler  to  Col.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 
My  Dear  Sir,  Buffalo  16th  Sept,  1812. 

I  enclose  you  a  return  of  the  Ordnance,  &c.  at  Buffalo  agreeable  to 
Major  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer's  request  by  Lt.  Gansevoort ;  immediately 
on  the  receipt  of  which,  I  waited  on  Genl.  Porter  and  requested  a  return 
from  him  of  the  Ordnance  at  the  Rock,  Equipage,  fixed  &  unfixed  am 
munition  which  he  promised  to  make  me  last  night ;  failing  so  to  do,  I 
this  morning  addressed  a  Note  to  him  &  sent  my  Servant,  who  finding  he 
had  left  the  Rock  for  Lewiston,  rode  on  &  overtook  him  &  delv'd  my  note. 
I  have  not  been  furnished  with  a  Return  from  him.  I  beg  you  to  assure 
Genl.  Van  Rensselaer,  that  as  speedily  as  possible  after  I  am  furnished 
with  an  account  of  what  was  required,  I  shall  lose  no  time  in  making  a 
Return  to  him.  Lt.  Gausevoort  will  inform  you  of  some  alarms  we  have 
had;  my  General  will  communicate  to  yours.  We  send  you  three  Pri 
soners  from  the  Queen  Charlotte  who  we  have  reason  to  expect  have  come 
over  with  improper  views.  Lt.  Gansevoort  has  charge  of  them,  &  will  of 
course  take  them- to  Head  Quarters.  In  all  things  depend  upon  my  most 
prompt  and  cordial  Co-operation,  I  am  not  yet  enabled  to  make  a  return 
of  the  force  at  the  Rock  &  this  place  owing  to  the  irregularity  of  Returns 
made  to  me  which  I  am  endeavouring  to  correct  as  speedily  as  possible. 
It  shall  be  made  as  soon  as  possible.  Your  obedt.  Servt. 


Col.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  233 


Gen.  J3rock  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 

Sir,  Head  Quarters,  Fort  George  16th  Sept.  1812. 

I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  an  Extract  *  of  a  letter  which  I  have  this 
morning  received  from  Captain  Dyson  of  the  United  States  Regiment  of 
Artillery.  The  Prisoners  of  War  under  his  charge  are  in  such  a  deplora 
ble  state  for  want  of  clothing,  that  I  am  led  to  hope  no  difficulty  will  be 
made  to  their  receiving  from  Fort  Niagara  the  necessaries  they  consider 
as  their  property. 

The  number  of  Women  and  Children  who  have  accompanied  the  Detach 
ment  from  Detroit  is  so  great  that  it  will  be  necessary  to  land  them  on 
the  opposite  shore,  where  they  cannot  fail  meeting  with  that  protection 
and  support  their  distressed  situation  requires,  but  which  existing  cir 
cumstances  prevent  being  afforded  to  them  on  this  side. 

I  have  the  honor  &c.,  With  the  highest  respect, 

Major  General  Van  Rensselaer. 

Extract  of  a  Letter  from  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Gen.  Dearborn. 

Head  Quarters,  Lewiston,  17th  Sept.,  1812. 

The  situation  of  my  little  army  is  becoming  every  day  more  and  more 
interesting,  and  I  believe  existing  circumstances  would  fully  warrant  me 
in  saying  critical.  As  soon  as  our  operations  at  and  near  Fort  Niagara 
indicated  a  disposition  to  maintain  the  garrison,  the  enemy  became  ex 
ceedingly  active.  New  works  were  thrown  up,  and  old  ones  modified  to 
meet  us  at  every  point.  Their  works  appear  now  to  be  all  completed,  and 
they  are  daily  receiving  very  considerable  reinforcements  of  men.  Last 
evening,  the  Royal  George  arrived  at  Fort  George,  with  about  two  hun 
dred  artillerists.  About  one  hundred  boats,  loaded  with  stores  for  the 
British  army  in  Upper  Canada,  have  lately  passed  up  the  St.  Lawrence, 
Two  regiments  of  troops  are  also  on  their  way  up,  and  I  am  induced  to 
believe  that  those  lately  arrived  at  Fort  George,  are  detachments  from 
those  regiments.  The  information  which  you  had  received  on  the  subject 
of  the  enemy's  reinforcements  and  destination,  was  undoubtedly  correct. 
Troops  are  also  coming  down  from  Fort  Maiden  to  Fort  Erie.  Indeed 
there  can  be  no  possible  doubt,  that  the  enemy  are  very  actively  engaged 
in  concentrating  their  forces  to  act  in  this  vicinity.  When  the  scene  of 
action  will  open,  I  know  not;  it  probably  cannot  be  far  distant.  Such 
movements  of  the  enemy  have  been  observed  for  three  or  four  days  past, 
as  have  induced  many  to  believe,  that  the  hour  of  attack  was  at  hand. 
On  the  13th  instant,  boats  were  engaged  in  putting  a  considerable  de- 

1  Extract  alluded  to,  of  Capt.  Dysoris  letter :  "  Permit  me  Sir,  to  mention  to  you 
the  situation  of  the  Prisoners  under  my  command.  They  have  received  no  cloth 
ing  from  the  Government  since  last  October,  and  are  almost  destitute  of  every 
article  of  the  kind.  I  understand  there  are  six  Casks  of  Clothing-,  an  Invoice  of 
which  I  have  in  my  possession,  and  was  destined  for  Detroit  for  my  Company,  are 
now  lying  at  Fort  Niagara.  If  there  could  be  any  arrangement  between  the  two 
governments,  so  as  to  get  them  across,  it  would  relieve  the  suffering  Prisoners 
much.  I  also  take  the  liberty  to  mention  there  are  several  men  among  them  old, 
infirm,  and  unfit  for  any  kind  of  Military  service;  and  some  with  large  families 
of  children.  If  they  could  obtain  a  parole  to  go  to  the  States,  it  would  be  a  great 
relief  to  them.  I  have  the  honor  to  be  &c.  &c. 

SAML.  T.  DYSON, 

Capt.  U.  S.  Reg.  Artil. 

30 


234  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

tachment  of  troops  on  board  a  ship,  which,  at  evening,  got  under  way 
from  Fort  George  and  stood  out  into  lake  Ontario. 

It  was  apprehended  that  these  troops  were,  that  night,  to  be  landed  on 
the  south  side  of  the  lake,  in  the  rear  of  our  guards.  The  night  before 
last,  the  enemy  moved  some  boats  from  the  landing  at  Queenstown,  down 
the  river.  This  excited  alarm,  and  late  last  night  a  rumour  ran  through 
the  camp,  that  the  garrison  was  actually  summoned  to  surrender.  I  only  men 
tion  these  things  to  show  you  what  apprehensions  prevail.  Should  the  enemy 
attack,  I  have  every  reason  to  believe  we  shall  be  very  severely  pressed ; 
but  so  serious  will  be  the  consequences  of  any  retrograde  movement,  or  a 
total  abandonment  of  Fort  Niagara,  that,  upon  mature  consideration  of  all 
circumstances,  I  have  determined  to  hold,  if  possible,  my  present  position, 
and  dispute  every  inch  of  ground.  My  force  bears  no  proportion  to  the 
duties  required  ;  besides,  the  discipline  of  the  troops  is  not  such  as  to 
warrant  perfect  reliance,  and  many  of  our  arms  are  not  fit  for  action. 
These  are  considerations  which  you,  sir,  and  my  fellow  citizens  will  do  me 
the  justice  to  bear  in  mind,  whatever  result  may  happen. 

For  the  application  of  the  means  entrusted  to  me,  I  hope  I  shall  be  able 
to  justify  myself  to  my  country.  My  greatest  fear  is,  that  the  troops 
destined  to  reinforce  me,  will  not  join  me  in  season.  In  every  calculation 
heretofore  made  upon  my  reinforcements,  both  as  to  time  and  strength,  I 
have  been  disappointed.  Col.  Bloom's  regiment,  which  was  reported  to 
me  before  its  arrival,  for  seven  hundred,  is  but  little  more  than  four  hun 
dred.  I  am  erecting  a  store-house  and  magazine  upon  the  high  grounds, 
in  the  rear  of  my  camp }  but  for  want  of  teams,  tools,  and  nails,  the 
work  proceeds  but  slowly  ;  we  build  with  logs,  and  rive  our  shingles  from 
bolts  of  oak.  It  is  with  extreme  difficulty  we  can  procure  teams  upon  any 
emergency.  The  horses  of  the  cavalry  and  flying  artillery  are  badly  sup 
plied  with  hay,  and  as  for  grain  they  are  almost  entirely  destitute.  I  have 
completed  the  road  through  the  woods,  from  my  camp  to  the  garrison. 
Amidst  all  our  difficulties,  this  is  the  most  cheering  day  for  the  troops 
which  I  have  witnessed,  their  clamor  for  pay  has  been  high  and  incessant. 
I  felt  many  of  its  bad  consequences,  and  apprehend  still  greater,  but  as 
surances  now  received  that  their  pay  is  near  seems  to  elate  them. 

By  the  Return  of  Ordnance  which  I  yesterday  received  from  Fort 
Niagara  I  discover  that  our  two  Mortars  are  10J  inches,  instead  of  13$  as 
Capt.  Leonard's  Memorandum  to  me  states  them,  the  Shells  will  be  cal 
culated  accordingly.  I  have  enclosed  a  copy  of  a  letter  which  I  last  night 
received  from  General  Hull.  On  the  same  subject  I  yesterday  received  a 
communication  from  General  Brock,  covering  an  Extract  of  a  letter  from 
Capt.  Dyson  of  the  United  States  Regiment  of  Artillery  to  him,  and  I 
this  morning  sent  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Fort  George  when  he  had  an 
interview  with  Capt.  Dyson's  and  such  arrangements  have  been  made  that 
Capt.  Dyson's  Company  will  this  day  receive  their  clothing  from  Fort 
Niagara :  the  other  Companies,  in  Quebec,  I  learn  from  General  Brock's 
letter,  are  in  great  distress  for  want  of  clothing. 

I  have  the  Honor,  &c. 

Major  General  Dearborn. 

"  And,  to  cheer  up  our  hearts,  we  have  picked  up  a  Birch  Bark,  on 
which  is  written  a  Notice  from  the  Soldiers  to  the  Officers  of  this  little 
army  that  unless  they  were  paid,  they  would  absolutely  quit  the  field  in  8 
days  from  that  time." 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  235 

Col.  Fenwick  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Sir,  Fort  Niagara,  Sept.  18,  1812. 

Yesterday  afternoon  was  Sent  over  in  a  Flag  eleven  Women  and  nine 
teen  Children,  their  Situation  is  a  distressing  one,  there  is  also  a  Fifer  of 
the  1st  U.  S.  Infantry,  he  brings  from  Gen  Brock  no  Pass  or  Certificate. 
I  know  not  in  what  light  to  view  them.  I  beg  your  Instructions  respect 
ing  these  People,  I  don't  think  it  prudent  to  leave  them  here.  Your 
order  revoking  the  Sentence  upon  the  two  unfortunate  Criminals  has 
been  carried  into  Effect,  the  Scene  was  affecting,  and  I  flatter  myself  will 
be  attended  with  Beneficial  Consequences.  No  occurrence  of  Moment  has 
happened  Since  I  last  wrote  you.  I  beg  you  to  order  a  General  Court 
Martial,  we  have  four  or  five  deserters. 

Accept  Sir,  the  assurance  of  my  Esteem  and  Consideration. 
Major  Genl.  Van  Rensselaer.  JOHN  R.  FENWICK,  Ll  Col. 

The  two  criminals  mentioned  above  were  deserters,  and  having  been 
found  guilty  by  the  court  martial,  were  sentenced  to  be  "  shot  to  death 
on  the  grand  parade  at  Fort  Niagara  on  Friday  the  eighteenth  instant, 
at  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon  of  that  day.  On  this  solemn  occasion  all 
the  Troops  not  on  duty  will  be  drawn  up  to  witness  the  execution.  And 
the  major  general  hopes  that  this  awful  example  will  be  a  warning  to 
others  and,  in  future  prevent  desertions  from  that  service  to  which  their 
oaths  if  not  their  love  of  country  should  bind  them." 

A  petition  for  the  pardon  of  Reuben  Schuyler  and  Thomas  Moore, 
sentenced  by  the  general  order  of  the  9th  instant  was  sent  to  the  major 
general  by  the  "officers  of  the  United  States  army  at  Fort  Niagara"  to 
request  the  consideration  of  the  general  and  to  recommend  them  as  fit 
subjects  for  mercy. 

General  Orders. 
Head  Quarters,  Lewiston  17th  Sept.,  1812. 

Major  General  Van  Rensselaer  revokes  the  sentence  of  death  pronounced 
against  Reuben  Schuyler  and  Thomas  Moore,  by  the  Court  Martial  whereof 
Captain  Leonard  was  President,  and  by  General  Orders  of  the  Ninth 
instant  directed  to  be  carried  into  execution  on  the  Eighteenth  instant  at 
Fort  Niagara. 

This  act  of  clemency  of  the  Major  General,  in  declaring  the  full  and 
absolute  pardon  of  those  unfortunate  men,  it  is  hoped  will  make  a  lasting 
impression  on  their  future  conduct  in  life  and  that  they  will  still  shew  by 
their  good  behaviour  that  they  are  worthy  of  a  life  which  they  had  for 
feited  to  their  Country  and  their  God.  But  let  it  not  be  presumed  that 
this  first  act  of  lenity  in  the  Major  General  will  be  extended  to  others : 
He  is  under  obligations  of  duty  to  his  Country,  and  with  these  his  feelings, 
as  a  man,  shall  not  interpose. 

The  Prisoners  will  be  released  and  return  to  their  duty. 

By  Order  of  Major  General  Van  Rensselaer, 

SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER,  Aid  de  Camp. 

The  decision  of  General  Van  Rensselaer  in  these  occurrences  com 
ported  with  justice  and  humanity.  He  was  well  aware  that  such  terrible 
examples  are  often  necessary  in  all  well  regulated  armies  and  from  a 
regard  to  the  good  of  the  service,  in  which  they  were  engaged,  it  would 
not  answer,  often,  to  impede  punishment. 


236  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Major  General  Van  Rensselaer  to  his  Excellency  Gov.  Tompkins. 
Sir,  Head  Quarters,  Lewiston,  17th  Sept.,  1812. 

I  have  the  honour  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  packet  by  Major 
Noon,  who  arrived  in  camp  last  evening.  The  duties  of  the  day  are  too 
pressing  to  allow  me  the  leisure  I  could  wish,  to  answer  your  letter  par 
ticularly.  I  must,  therefore,  beg  leave  to  refer  your  Excellency  to  my 
despatch  of  this  date  to  Major  General  Dearborn.  I  cannot,  however, 
but  express  the  satisfaction  I  feel  at  the  approbation,  which  my  conduct 
thus  far  in  the  campaign  has  received.  To  perform  my  duty,  arduous  as 
it  is,  is  comparatively  easy,  but  to  determine  what  my  duty  is,  in  a  wide 
field  for  action,  where  everything  is  unshaped  and  uncertain,  is  often  a 
task  of  no  small  difficulty ;  I  am  conscious  to  myself  that  I  have  studied 
it  faithfully,  and  performed  to  the  best  of  my  ability.  My  situation  is 
growing  every  hour  more  interesting,  perhaps  critical.  The  particulars 
you  will  find  in  my  letter  to  Gen.  Dearborn  ;  but  with  my  little  force  I 
shall  certainly  attempt  to  hold  my  position,  with  full  reliance  upon  your 
Excellency's  assurances,  that  every  effort  will  be  made  to  support  me. 
A  retrograde  movement  t,/  this  army  upon  the  back  of  that  disaster  which 
has  befallen  the  one  at  Detroit,  would  stamp  a  stigma  upon  the  national 
character  which  time  could  never  wipe  away.  I  shall  therefore  try  to  hold 
out  against  superior  force  and  every  disadvantage,  until  I  shall  be  rein 
forced.  I  am  happy  to  learn  that  the  money  to  pay  off  the  troops  is  at 
hand.  The  information  cheers  our  camp.  I  announced  it  in  orders  this 
morning  ;  I  hope  they  will  soon  realize  their  expectations,  for  in  truth 
their  wants  are  many.  I  have  the  honour,  &c. 

His  Excellency  Governor  Tompkins. 

Major  Lovett  to  Joseph  Alexander. 
Dear  Alexander,  Head  Quarters,  Lewiston,  22d  Sept.,  1812. 

I  have  lately  received  two  letters  from  you,  and  thank  you  kindly  for 
them  :  in  our  situation,  letters  from  friends,  come  like  the  cooling  stream 
to  a  famishing  Pilgrim  in  a  desert  of  sand.  General  Van  Rensselaer  is 
well  aware  of  the  critical  situation  he  is  in  :  it  has  been  announced  to  him 
from  all  quarters;  from  the  highest  to  the  lowest  authority:  he  sees  it, 
feels  it  every  hour.  But,  after  all,  having  taken  into  consideration  the 
incalculable  consequences  which  must  result  from  falling  back  from  his 
present  position,  he  has  determined  to  risk  events.  In  the  last  general 
deliberation  which  was  had  upon  the  subject,  he  sat  and  heard  all  that  was 
said,  then  rising  up  he  said  "  No,  what  will  the  world  think  we  are  made 
of?  No  :  Til  DIE  before  Til  quit  this  ground,  and  there's  no  more  to  be 
said  about  it."  And  there  has  been  no  more  said  about  it.  The  enemy 
appear  to  be  in  a  state  of  preparedness  to  give,  or  receive  an  attack. 
Every  day  or  two  they  make  some  movement  which  indicates  dispositions 
to  attack  us  immediately.  Night  before  last  every  ship  they  have  on  Lake 
Ontario  came  into  the  mouth  of  Niagara  River,  then,  to  be  sure,  we 
thought  it  time  to  look  out  for  breakers.  But  yesterday  when  Col.  Van 
Rensselaer  went  over  with  a  Flag  to  Fort  George,  there  was  not  a  Ship 
in  sight,  nor  a  General  Officer  there,  where  gone,  we  know  not.  Not 
withstanding  the  most  positive  orders  on  both  sides,  our  Sentinels  have 
kept  up  almost  a  constant  warfare  for  a  month  past.  On  the  Bank  of  the 
River  Musket  Balls  are  about  as  thick  as  Whippowills  in  a  summer's 
evening.  A  wretch  fired  the  other  evening,  at  Judge  Barten  and  myself 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  237 

as  we  were  setting  upon  our  horses  on  the  bank  ;  the  shot  came  in  a  cor 
rect  line  but  fell  30  rods  short,  in  the  River.  Last  Saturday  morning  one 
of  our  lads  returned  the  Compliment  :  and  put  his  ball  so  quick  thro'  a 
lad's  head  on  the  other  side  that  he  fell  dead  without  even  winking.  Over 
came  Lieut.  Col.  Myers  with  whom  I  had  the  honor  of  an  hour's  confe 
rence  on  the  bank,  both  talked  it  largely  and  returned  good  fellows.  In 
short  we  are  all  fire  and  powder  on  both  sides  the  River,  and  every  day 
that  passes  without  blood  seems  to  me  more  and  more  strange.  We  have 
made  the  best  possible  dispositions  of  the  force  we  have  to  meet  an  attack, 
if  it  comes,  I  am  very  certain  there  will  be  some  old  fashioned  fighting, 
we  can't  help  it ;  for  in  truth,  we  can't  run  away  without  fighting  and  I 
believe  this  is  the  best  way  to  post  an  army  of  raw  Troops.  It  is  now 
about  eleven  days  we  have  lain  in  this  situation.  It  has  become  as  much 
a  matter  of  course  to  fix  my  papers  and  prime  my  Pistols  when  I  go  to 
bed,  as  it  is  to  pull  off  my  Boots. 

And  after  all,  I  cannot  tell  whether  they  will  attack  us  or  not;  but  if 
they  do  not  they  are  certainly  governed  by  some  considerations  of  policy 
which  they  may  consider  of  more  importance  than  cutting  up  a  little  2,000 
Army.  Time  must  determine.  We  are  promised  reinforcements  by  com 
panies,  Battalions,  Regiments,  Brigades,  and  I  might  almost  say  Armies; 
but  not  a  single  man  has  joined  us  in  some  weeks.  Besides,  our  men 
here  are  getting  down  very  fast  within  three  or  four  days.  This  morning 
Report  of  Sick  was  149.  We  have  lately  had  the  most  tremendous  storm 
of  cold  rains  and  wind  that  I  ever  saw  at  this  season  of  the  year,  it  was 
eno'  to  make  an  Ox  quake.  The  wind  was  terrible,  hail,  lightening, 
thunder  and  the  whole  army  of  terrors  seemed  pressed  into  requisition. 
Many  tents  blew  up  and  over;  the  General's  Marquee  was  deluged,  bed 
and  all  drenched.  My  Tent  hooks  gave  away;  I  jumped  out  of  my 
Blanket,  in  quick  time,  to  save  my  Papers,  stood  in  my  shirt-tail  for  half 
an  hour,  holding  the  sides  together,  until  I  had  not  a  dry  thread  to  brag 
of;  and  when  I  went  to  my  Blankets,  they  were  as  wet  as  myself,  how 
ever,  I  made  the  best  of  them  thro'  the  night.  0,  the  glorious  life,  and 
the  innumerable  comforts  of  Soldiers  ! 

Give  Mrs.  Lovett  the  enclosed,  it  contains  an  impression  of  General 
Brock's  Seal,  with  his  most  appropriate  Motto,  "  He  who  guards,  never 
Sleeps."  The  Campaign  will  wind  up  with  some  very  interesting  occur 
rences,  I  think,  I  begin  to  see  how  the  crisis  is  forming.  We  shall  invade 
Canada.  Come  what  may  you  may  be  assured  we  shall  not  disgrace 
Albany.  Do  write  often.  I  entirely  agree  in  opinion  with  Gen.  V.  R. 
who  on  reading  your  last  letter  made  this  observation  "lie  writes  more 
like  a  Gentleman  than  any  of  them"  and  added  "I  had  no  idea  he  was 
such  a  man  !"  there's  for  ye  :  and  no  man  knows  better,  or  more  highly 
appreciates  the  character  of  a  true  bred  Gentleman  than  that  same  General. 
I  had  no  idea  of  his  perfect  finish  in  Etiquette. 

I  am  your  friend, 

JOHN  LOVETT. 


238  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

BATTLE  ON  QUEENSTON  HEIGHTS. 

Col.  Marinus  Willett  to  Maj.  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 

Dear  Sir,  New  York,  25th  Sept.,  1812. 

I  should  before  this  have  offered  my  services  to  you,  had  I  not  been 
apprehensive  that  the  infirmities  of  age,  which  cause  me  to  fear  I  might 
be  burdensome,  prevented  me;  but  tho'  I  cannot  enjoy  that  satisfaction,  I 
trust  you  will  not  be  displeased  with  my  addressing  you  with  a  few  ob 
servations  on  the  subject  of  Indian  warfare.  In  the  summer  of  the  year 
1763,  soon  after  the  disbanding  of  the  army,  General  Washington  visited 
the  frontiers  of  our  State  :  on  this  occasion  I  accompanied  him  ;  and  as 
we  were  traveling  along  the  Mohawk  River,  the  devastations  that  had 
taken  place  there  introduced  the  subject  of  Indian  Warfare.  I  signified 
to  the  General  my  disapproval  of  the  Virginia  mode  of  fighting  Indians 
by  the  men  taking  to  trees,  and  fighting  the  Indians  in  their  own  way, 
which  would  continue  for  a  number  of  hours,  with  no  great  advantage 
on  either  side.  It  was  remarked  that  the  Indians,  who  were  generally 
furious  in  their  onset,  depended  much  on  the  noise  of  their  Yells  to  strike 
a  terror  which  not  unfrequent,  had  the  intended  effect  and  caused  their 
enemy  to  run,  when  they  usually  made  great  havock.  In  their  mode  of 
fighting  they  extend  their  line  to  great  lengths,  and  endeavour  to  surround 
their  foes  :  the  noise,  which  by  this  means  appears  from  different  quarters, 
generally  occasions  surprise,  and  sometimes  terror ;  either  of  which  is  easily 
prevented  :  a  vigilant  and  smart  officer  can  effect  it  in  an  instant.  He  is 
with  rapidity  to  place  himself -conspicuously  in  front:  off  with  his  hat, 
wave  it  round  his  head,  and  order  his  men  to  rush  among  the  Indians  with 
loud  and  repeated  huzzas.  The  Indians,  who  have  no  compactness  to  op 
pose  to  such  force,  and  losing  the  noise  of  their  yells,  by  the  superior 
noise  of  the  huzzas,  are  sure  to  set  running;  when,  by  having  some  good 
marksmen,  you  may  hit  some  of  them  ;  But  tho'  I  never  found  it  difficult 
to  drive  them,  I  could  not  kill  many  ;  for  it  is  not  often  that  a  fair  shot 
can  be  had  at  them.  They  will,  however,  after  having  been  driven  from 
one  position,  generally,  take  another;  and  tho'  they  may  not  pursue  the 
same  course  they  did  in  their  first  onset,  by  commencing  a  fresh  fire  at 
considerable  distance,  they  will  be  constantly  taking  off  men,  unless  the 
same  mode  of  driving  them  is  pursued. 

I  have  been  fighting  Indians  when  they  were  vastly  superior  to  me  in 
numbers ;  and  have  been  obliged  to  pursue  this  mode  of  driving  them 
from  one  position  to  another  for  four  or  five  miles.  I  always  found  them 
dexterous  in  taking  positions,  but  experienced  little  difficulty  in  driving 
them.  The  officer  who  commands  the  troops  engaged  with  Indians,  must 
be  smart,  active  and  brave ;  and  it  is  proper  always  to  have  covering 
parties,  under  the  direction  of  a  steady,  firm  man  :  but  the  officer  who 
leads  the  troops  to  attack  ought  to  possess  a  great  deal  of  fire  ;  every 
thing  depends  on  his  activity,  vigilance  and  courage.  There  is  nothing 
can  discover  greater  weakness,  or  folly  than  to  run  from  Indians  :  it  is 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  239 

almost  certain  death  :  but  to  face,  and  run  in  upon  them  is  the  sure  means 
of  beating  and  overcoming  them  :  for,  tho'  they  have  agility  and  dexterity, 
they  are  by  no  means  equal  in  strength  to  our  soldiers.  But  it  is  not, 
my  dear  Sir,  in  fighting  Indians,  only,  that  I  have  experienced  the  ad 
vantage  of  a  bold  charge  upon  the  enemy.  I  have  tried  it,  several  times 
with  British  troops,  as  well  as  with  Indians ;  and  it  uniformly  succeeded. 
Soldiers  must  be  taught  to  look  their  enemies  in  the  face,  they  should  be 
brought  into  action  as  often  as  possible.  Soldiers  must  be  taught  to 
fight,  a  few  good  officers  can  do  a  great  deal,  the  road  to  danger  is  the 
road  to  honor  for  a  soldier.  It  is  important  that  such  ideas  as  these  be 
instilled  into  young  officers,  as  well  a$  the  necessity  of  their  being  re 
conciled  to  fatigue,  and  deprivations. 

That  you  may  go  on,  in  a  course  of  glory  to  yourself,  and  advantage  to 
your  country  is  the  ardent  wish  of 

Dear  Sir,  Your  very  obedient  Servant, 

Major  General  Van  Rensselaer,  M.  WILLETT,  Lt.  Col. 

"  Colonel  Willett  joined  the  army  under  Abercrombie  as  a  lieutenant,  in 
1758.  He  was  in  the  disastrous  battle  at  Ticonderoga,  and  accompanied 
Broadstreet  in  his  expedition  against  Fort  Frontenac.  Willett  early 
espoused  the  republican  cause  when  British  aggression  aroused  resistance 
here.  When  the  British  troops  in  the  New  York  garrison  were  ordered 
to  Boston,  after  the  skirmish  at  Lexington,  they  attempted,  in  addition 
to  their  own,  to  carry  off  a  large  quantity  of  spare  arms.  Willett  captured 
the  wagons  and  took  them  back.  He  died  Aug.,  1830,  aged  91  years/' 

Brigadier  Gen.  Alexander  Smyth  to  Major  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Sir,  Buffalo,  29th  September,  1812. 

I  have  been  ordered  by  Major  General  Dearborn  to  Niagara,  to  take 
command  of  a  brigade  of  the  U.  S.  troops;  and  directed,  on  my  arrival 
in  the  vicinity  of  your  quarters,  to  report  myself  to  you  which  I  now  do. 
I  intended  to  have  reported  myself  personally  ;  but  the  conclusions  I 
have  drawn  as  to  the  interests  of  the  service,  have  determined  me  to  stop 
at  this  place  for  the  present.  From  the  description  I  have  had  of  the 
river  below  the  falls,  the  view  of  the  shore  below  Fort  Erie,  and  the  in 
formation  received  as  to  the  preparations  of  the  enemy,  I  am  of  opinion 
that  our  crossing  should  be  effected  between  Fort  Erie  and  Chippewa. 
It  has  therefore,  seemed  to  me  proper  to  encamp  the  U.  S.  troops  near 
Buffalo,  there  to  prepare  for  offensive  operations.  Your  instructions,  or 
better  in  forma  tior>,  may  decide  you  to  give  me  different  orders,  which  I 
will  await.  I  have  the  honour. 

Major  General  Van  Rensselaer. 

"  This  letter  was  offensive,  first,  because  the  subordinate  officer  not 
only  failed  to  report  himself  in  person,  as  he  was  bound  in  duty  to  do, 
but  assumed  perfect  independence  by  choosing  his  own  theatre  of  action  , 
and  secondly,  because  the  writer,  an  entire  stranger  to  the  country,  just 
arrived,  went  out  of  his  way  to  obtrude  advice  upon  his  commanding 
general  touching  movements  and  localities  of  which  he  knew  nothing, 
when  he  knew  that  the  general  had  been  there  for  weeks,  and  was  ne 
cessarily  familiar  with  every  rood  of  the  ground  and  every  disposition  of 
the  enemy.  The  cause  of  Gen.  Smyth's  presumptuous  conduct  on  this 
occasion,  as  well  as  his  subsequent  evasive  behavior,  is  merely  a  matter 


240  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

of  conjecture.  It  might  have  proceeded  from  disappointment  in  not  ob 
taining  full  command  on  this  frontier,  or  it  might  have  been  because  his 
fastidiousness  could  not  be  reconciled  to  the  idea  of  being  under  the  com 
mand  of  a  militia  general.  Be  it  as  it  may,  he  was  highly  censured  by 
all  who  were  aware  of  his  conduct.  The  season  was  now  rapidly  drawing 
to  a  close,  and  as  Gen.  V.  R.  was  urged  by  his  instructions  to  effect 
something  decisive  before  he  went  into  winter  quarters,  his  situation 
was  one  of  extreme  delicacy.  He  did  not  wish  to  be  drawn  from  the 
object  he  had  in  view  by  a  controversy  with  Gen.  Smyth,  particularly  so, 
as  he  knew  that  the  forces  which  by  this  time  had  collected  in  his  own 
immediate  vicinity,  were  amply  sufficient  for  his  purpose.  Gen  Van 
Rensselaer,  however,  true  gentleman  as  he  was,  quietly  rebuked  the  im 
pertinence  "  of  Gen.  Smyth  in  the  following  letter  : 

Major  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Brigadier  Gen.  Alexander  Smyth. 
Sir,  Head  Quarters,  Lewiston,  30th  Sept.,  1812. 

On  my  return,  this  moment,  from  Niagara,  I  received  your  letter  of 
yesterday,  advising  me  of  your  arrival  at  Buffalo,  and  the  encampment, 
there,  of  the  United  States  troops,  in  consequence  of  the  conclusions  you 
have  drawn  that  offensive  operations  against  Upper  Canada  ought  to  be 
attempted  between  Fort  Erie  and  Chippewa.  Nothing  could  be  more 
unpleasant  to  me  than  a  difference  of  opinion  as  to  the  place  of  commenc 
ing  those  operations  in  which  our  own  characters,  the  fate  of  the  army, 
and  the  deepest  interests  of  our  couutry  are  concerned.  But,  however 
willing  I  may  be,  as  a  citizen  soldier,  to  surrender  my  opinion  to  a  pro 
fessional  one,  I  can  only  make  such  surrender  to  an  opinion  deliberately 
formed  upon  a  view  of  the  whole  ground.  *  *  *  For  many  years,  I  have 
had  a  general  knowledge  of  the  banks  of  Niagara  river,  and  of  the  adjacent 
country  on  the  Canada  shore.  I  have  now,  attentively  explored  the 
American  side  with  the  view  of  military  operations ;  combining  at  the 
same  time,  a  great  variety  of  circumstances  and  considerations  intimately 
connected,  in  my  opinion,  with  our  object.  So  various  are  the  opinions, 
and  such  the  influence  of  personal  and  local  interests  in  this  vicinity,  that 
many  circumstances  are  to  be  carefully  balanced  before  any  correct  con 
clusions  can  be  drawn.  My  decision  has  been  made  with  due  regard  to 
all  these  things,  and  to  the  important  consequences  connected  with  it. 
All  my  past  measures  have  been  calculated  for  one  point;  and  I  now  only 
wait  for  a  competent  force ;  as  the  season  of  the  year  and  every  considera 
tion  urges  me  to  act  with  promptness,  I  cannot  hastily  listen  to  a  change 
of  position,  necessarily  connected  with  a  new  system  of  measures,  and  the 
very  great  inconvenience  of  the  troops.  I  will  not  say  that  no  considerations 
shall  induce  me  to  change  my  plans  of  operation,  but  to  this  I  cannot 
yield,  without  very  weighty  reasons  ;  conclusions  drawn,  at  least,  from  an 
attentive  examination  of  the  banks  of  the  Niagara  river,  and  all  other  cir 
cumstances  connected  with  a  successful  result  of  the  campaign. 

I  hope  soon  to  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you  here ;  and  perhaps  after 
conference  and  thorough  examination  of  the  river  and  country,  your 
opinion  and  mine,  as  to  the  plans  of  operations  may  coincide.  I  trust  we 
are  both  open  to  conviction,  and  we  have  but  one  object,  the  best  interest 
of  the  service.  I  am,  sir,  with  consideration  and  respect  &c. 

Brigadier  Gen.  Alexander  Smyth  of  the  United  States  forces,  Buffalo. 

Gen.  Alexander  Smyth  the  second  in  command  was  not  willing  to 
obey  a  leading  federalist,  his  manner  was  offensive  to  the  utmost  limit,  so 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  241 

that  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  became  disgusted  with  the  jealousies  of  some 
of  the  regular  officers,  and  the  insubordination  of  the  militia.  This  dis 
quieting  party  feeling  was  carried  to  the  extreme  length  by  his  opposers, 
greatly  to  the  detriment  of  his  usefulness  as  an  officer.  Gen.  Smyth, 
though  very  dogmatical  and  pompous,  yet  his  designs  were  supposed  to 
be  patriotic;  but  his  ardor  obscured  his  judgment,  making  him  more  in 
discreet  than  culpable/'  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  had  expected  to  meet  his 
principal  officers  in  a  council  of  war,  but  Gen.  Smyth  was  so  dilatory  that 
many  were  of  opinion  that  coercive  measures  should  be  resorted  to,  to 
bring  him  to  a  sense  of  his  duty  ;  and  perhaps  if  General  V.  R.  is  cen 
surable  for  any  sin  of  omission  while  on  the  frontier,  it  is  for  not  pursuing 
this  course. 

Gen.  V.  R.  had  written  to  General  Dearborn  and  explained  to  him  the 
plan  which  he  intended  to  have  submitted  to  the  council  in  question, 
and  the  objects  he  expected  to  gain  if  carried  out,  and  now  waited  for  the 
council  to  meet. 

Major  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Colonel  Willett. 

Dear  Sir,  Head  Quarters,  Lewiston  Oct.  3,  1812. 

In  due  course  of  the  mail  I  have  been  favored  with  your  very  kind 
and  seasonable  letter  of  the  25th  ulto.  For  your  personal  friendship  ex 
pressed  to  me,  as  well  as  for  the  valuable  instructions  furnished  for  the 
service,  I  beg  leave  to  tender  you  my  cordial  thanks.  In  a  crisis  like  the 
present,  when  we  are  called,  again,  to  meet  our  enemies  in  the  field,  no 
one  more  sincerely  than  myself  can  regret  that  the  infirmities  usually  at 
tending  the  age  to  which  you  have  arrived  (73  years),  should  deprive 
our  Country  of  that  invaluable  store  of  practical  military  knowledge  which 
you  have  acquired  in  a  long  and  honorable  course  of  service. 

Nothing  is  more  certain  than  that  the  strength  of  a  State  greatly  consists 
in  the  personal  bravery,  and  Military  knowledge  of  its  citizens.  A  national 
character  founded  on  such  basis  becomes  terrible  to  surrounding  foes,  and 
often  has  the  happiest  effects  in  preventing  wars.  Such  was  the  proud 
character  of  Americans  at  the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  War  and  the 
value  of  it  could  not  be  told.  Among  the  Nations  of  Europe  war  is  a 
trade  :  its  system  reduced  to  a  science;  and  the  library  of  the  Soldier  is 
stored  with  volumes  of  instructions  drawn  from  long  experience.  But, 
whenever  the  rules  and  maxims  of  Military  operations  sanctioned  in  Eu 
rope,  have  been  applied  to  warfare  with  Savages  in  America,  slaughter 
and  defeat  have  usually  been  the  unfortunate  result.  As  war  with  Indi 
ans  is  of  a  specific  kind,  reduced  to  system  among  the  Tribes  who  know 
not  letters,  it  is  preserved  only  by  tradition  among  themselves;  and  those 
who  acquire  a  knowledge  of  it,  must  gain  it,  as  you  have,  by  long  and 
careful  experience.  This  consideration  renders  your  wise  experience  of 
great  value  to  your  Country. 

I  am  perfectly  satisfied  that  your  whole  system  is  correct :  indeed  my 
own  reflections,  which  have  been  cast  upon  possible  contingences  in  this 
campaign,  had  suggested  to  me  the  general  principle  which  you  approve. 

You  are  certainly  correct  in  saying  that  flight  from  an  Indian  is  next  to 
certain  death.  War  with  Savages  imperiously  demands  three  things; 
Vigilance  to  discover  where  they  are,  caution  in  approaching  them  :  and 
when  they  are  found  instant  dispatch  to  kill  or  rout  them. 

1  shall  remember  your  counsel  with  gratitude  and  pleasure  ;  as  a  precious 
31 


242  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

legacy  from  a  Soldier  of  great  experience  ;  and  should  occasion  call  me  to 
use  it  in  this  campaign,  I  shall  adopt  and  practice  your  system  as  far  as 
my  ability,  and  the  means  I  may  command  will  enable  me. 

I  am,  Dear  Sir,  with  great  respect  and  Consideration  &c., 
Col.  Marinus  Willett.  S.  V.  RENSSELAER. 

During  the  investment  of  Fort  Stanwix  in  August  1777,  by  St.  Leger 
with  a  body  of  regulars,  Indians,  and  tories,  he  was  second  in  command. 
"  Such  was  the  impetuosity  of  Willett's  movements,  that  Sir  John  Johnson 
and  his  regiment,  who  lay  near  the  fort  with  his  Indian  allies,  sought  safety 
in  flight.  The  amount  of  spoil  found  in  the  enemy's  camp  filled  twenty 
wagon  loads.  For  this  brilliant  exploit,  congress  voted  him  an  elegant 
sword. " 

General  Van  Rensselaer  to  Brigadier  General  Smyth. 
Sir,  Head  Quarters,  Lewistoo,  5th  Oct.,  1812. 

Believing  that  an  early  consultation  of  general  officers,  commandants  of 
regiments,  and  corps  on  this  frontier  will  promote  the  interest  of  the  ser 
vice,  I  have  to  request  that  you  will  be  pleased  to  confer  with  Maj.  Gren. 
Hall  on  the  subject,  and  agree  with  him  upon  the  earliest  day  possible, 
consistent  with  the  business  of  the  court  martial,  and  other  indispensable 
duties,  when  I  can  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you  at  Fort  Niagara  for 
the  purpose  above  proposed.  Of  the  day  agreed  upon,  you  will  please  to 
give  me  early  notice.  I  am,  &c. 

P.  S.  I  have  written  to  Maj.  Gen.  Hall  to  the  same  purport. 

Brig.  Gen.  Smyth,  of  the  U.  S.  forces. 

Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Gen.  &niytli. 

Sir,  Head-Quarters,  Lewiston,  6th  Oct.,  1812. 

Apprehending  that  my  letter  of  yesterday,  on  the  subject  of  the  pro 
posed  conference  at  Niagara,  may  not  have  been  sufficiently  explicit,  I 
deem  it  necessary  to  add,  that  my  intention  was,  that  Major  General 
Hall,  yourself,  and  the  Commandants  of  the  several  regiments  of  the  United 
States  troops,  should  attend  the  conference.  You  will  please  to  make  the 
necessary  communications  to  the  gentlemen  intended. 

Brigadier  General  Smyth,  of  the  U.  S.  forces.     l  am'  &C< 

"  Although  politely  requested,  by  Gen.  V.  R.  several  times,  to  name  a 
day  for  a  council  of  officers,  Gen.  Smyth  neglected  to  do  so.  Day  after 
day  passed,  and  Smyth  made  no  definite  reply,  could  not  tell  the  day." 

Major  Lovett  to  Joseph  Alexander. 
Dear  Sir,  Head  Quarters,  Lewiston  Oct.  6,  1812. 

14  *  *  General  Van  Rensselaer  is  in  good  health,  firm  as  Atlas,  ac 
tively  engaged  from  dawn  till  dark,  and  often  in  the -night.  My  health  is 
perfect :  but  you  may  judge  of  my  condition  when  I  tell  you  that  which 
no  one  but  yourself  and  my*  wife  must  know  :  poor  Solomon  is  sick.  About 
two  weeks  ago  he  was  seized  pretty  violently.  He  quit  his  Tent  and  went 
to  a  hut  about  half  a  mile  from  Camp,  after  close  attention  of  the  Surgeon 
six  or  seven  days,  he  came  down  to  camp  again,  in  the  day  time,  overdid 
himself,  and  relapsed  worse  than  at  first  with  the  fever.  We  bled  him, 
and  for  three  days  filled  him  half  full  of  salts,  jalap,  Castor-oil, Calomel  &c., 
&c.,  his  whole  system  resisted  medicine  so  obstinately,  that  for  a  little  while 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  243 

we  had  strong  fears  that  his  sickness  would  be  severe.  But  his  physic 
has  at  last  operated  well,  he  now  walks  his  room,  and  in  truth,  without 
disguise,  is  getting  better  fast,  and  I  have  no  doubt  will,  in  one  week,  be 
on  his  horse  again.  Now  this  you  will  mention  to  no  one  but  my  wife, 
and  to  her,  only  for  this  reason.  She  may  hear,  for  the  whole  Army  and 
all  comers  and  goers  know,  that  one  of  us  is  sick  ;  and  they  may  not  know 
which  of  the  two  it  is.  Again,  you  know  that  Solomon  is  often  called 
General  Van  Rensselaer.  Now  should  any  report  reach  Albany  to  alarm 
either  the  General's  or  Solomon's  friends,  then  out  with  your  letter  and 
explain  the  matter  :  and  then,  let  no  one  doubt,  for  upon  my  Honor,  it  is 
just  as  I  state.  I  have  no  doubt  Solomon  will  be  wettiu  six  days,  he  may 
be  a  little  weak.  We  are  every  few  days,  deluged  in  water,  such  storms 
of  rain  and  wind  I  think  I  never  experienced,  the  cloth  of  my  Tent  is 
mere  seive  stuff:  every  third  night  I  get  wet  as  a  Muskrat.  But  in  the 
worst  of  it  I  sing,  in  proper  tune.  "  No  burning  heats  by  day,  Nor  blasts 
of  evening  air,  Shall  take  my  health  away,  If  God  be  with  me  there." 
As  yet  He  has  been  with  me  in  great  mercy,  and  I  have  an  humble  confi 
dence  in' the  continuation  of  the  same  protection.  I  feel  safe;  for  I  feel 
myself  in  duty.  I  am  glad  I  came  ;  I  am  glad  on  my  own  account.  I 
am  glad  on  the  General's  account,  for,  I  take  my  duty  as  it  comes,  I  do 
believe  I  can  discharge  it  as  well  as  any  other  man  :  as  yet,  I  believe  my 
conduct  has  met  the  General's  entire  approbation.  He  treats  Solomon 
and  me  with  great  kindness  and  confidence;  indeed  I  believe  his  confi 
dence  in  us  is  such  that,  in  our  respective  departments,  he  would  not  ex 
change  us  for  any  other  two.  He  has  been  much  worried  at  Solomon's 
illness;  but  now  cheers  up  again;  he  continues  in  his  Marquee,  but  it  is 
cold  enough  to  make  an  ox  shiver.  Pray  go  and  explain  this  line  to  my 
wife.  Tell  her  if  she  will  hold  out  thro'  this  campaign  without  fidgeting 
I'll  promise  to  love  her  as  long  as  1  live.  Brock  is  probably  now  watch 
ing  Harrison,  and  I  fear  our  Neighbors  have  some  good  News,  the  Broad 
Flag  was  flying  all  the  day  before  yesterday  at  Fort  Erie  that's  all  I  know. 
Four  days  ago  the  Royal  George  cut  out  a  Vessel,  the  Lady  Murray,  from 
the  mouth  of  Genesee  liiver,  of  this  we  have  official  information.  Do 
not  start  if  within  three  mails  1  date  "  Canada."  I  tell  you  we  are  going  to 
work.  Yours  Ever, 

Mr.  Joseph  Alexander,  Albany.  JOHN  LOVETT. 

Major  Lovctt  to  Joseph  Alexander. 
Dear  Sir,  Head  Quarters,  Oct,  8,  1812. 

On  the  night  of  the  5th  the  General  procured  a  man  to  cross  the  river. 
He  returned  with  information  vvhich  fully  warranted  an  attack.  Orders 
were  actually  issued  to  put  the  Troops  in  motion.  But  during  some  dis 
cussions  upon  a  question  which  I  am  not  at  liberty  to  mention,  the  re 
inforcements  of  the  Enemy,  with  six  pieces  of  Ordnance  passed  into  the 
very  work  we  were  that  night  (night  before  last)  to  storm.  The  design 
was  abandoned  to  the  infinite  mortification  of  some  brave  fellows,  and 
none  more  than  Solomon,  who  swore  that  dead  or  alive,  he  would  go  in 
the  first  Boat.  But  don't  scout  us,  we  shall  go.  Solomon  is  now  getting 
better,  the  General  in  perfect  health  and  I  am  hearty  as  a  Bullock. 
William  Lush  has  just  arrived  here.  Van  Vechteu  has  been  written  to 
on  a  certain  subject:  he  is  now  absent:  you  therefore  must  take  his 
place.  Should  my  Statement  appear  relative  to  a  proposed  Duel,  when 
Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  was  Principal,  and  John  Lovctt  2nd,  and  Peter 


244  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

B.  Porter,  Principal  and  Doctor  Wilson  2nd.  you  are  to  give  me  the 
earliest  notice.  The  publication  of  P.  B.  P.,  as  a  "  Rascal,  Poltroon  and 
Coward"  is  only  suspended  at  present  for  prudential  reasons. 

Our  General  is  brave,  but  still  prudent :  his  conduct  yet  is  unclouded, 
and  I  trust  in  heaven  it  will  continue  and  end  so.  Ooe  month  will  change 
things  much  for  the  better  or  worse.  My  love  to  all,  and  God  bless  you. 

Mr.  Joseph  Alexander,  Albany.  J.  LOVETT. 

Gen,  Van  Rensselaer  to  Gen.  Dearborn. 

Sir,  Head  Quarters,  Lewiston,  Oct.  8th.  1812. 

It  is  now  nearly  three  mouths  since,  in  obedience  to  the  call  of  my 
country,  I  took  the  field  to  form  and  discipline  an  army,  and  to  shape  and 
direct  a  campaign  on  the  very  extensive  frontiers  of  this  state.  This  serv 
ice,  even  in  prospect,  presented  innumerable  difficulties  and  embarrass 
ments.  Thus  far  I  have  met  them  in  that  manner  which  my  own  mind 
justifies  and  I  trust  my  country  will  approve.  After  a  general  review  of 
our  frontiers,  my  own  judgment  did  not  suffer  me  to  doubt  that  the  Niagara 
river  must  be  the  scene  of  our  decisive  operations,  and  I  selected  this 
neighbourhood  as  the  place  best  adapted  to  our  measures,  and  here  en 
camped.  Well  knowing  that  the  duties  of  the  station  you  hold  were 
complicated  and  embarrassing,  I  have  patiently  endured  much,  that  the 
affairs  of  my  department  might  embarrass  you  less.  The  crisis  through 
which  I  have  passed  for  the  last  month  has  been  trying  indeed ;  particu 
lars  upon  this  occasion  are  unnecessary;  but  the  result  has  justified  my 
measures  and  I  am  satisfied.  Yet  I  am  well  aware  that  any  merit  which 
may  be  attached  to  this  negative  service,  will  not  satisfy  the  expectations 
of  my  country  :  to  have  barely  escaped  disaster,  will  'not  be  thought 
enough ;  the  object  of  the  war  remains  unaccomplished,  a  new  crisis  is 
opening,  and  as  in  it,  you,  sir,  as  well  as  I,  have  a  deep  stake  of  responsi 
bility,  I  shall  with  great  freedom,  state  to  you  a  number  of  facts,  submit 
ting  my  opinions  connected  with  them,  and  with  deference  leave  the 
general  conclusion  to  your  own  judgment;  and  as  the  honor  and  interests 
of  the  United  States,  your  own  character  and  mine,  are  most  intimately 
connected  in  the  subject  of  deliberation,  1  hope  and  trust  it  may  receive 
all  the  attention  which  its  importance  merits. 

.  The  United  States  declared  the  war.  One  army  has  surrendered  in 
disgrace,  and  another  has  but  little  more  than  escaped  the  reiteration  of 
the  blow.  The  National  character  is  degraded  and  the  disgrace  will  re 
main  corroding  the  public  feeling  and  spirit,  until  another  campaign; 
unless  it  be  instantly  wiped  away  by  a  brilliant  close  of  this.  A  detail  of 
particulars  is  needless:  you,  sir,  know  service.  Our  best  troops  are  raw; 
many  of  them  dejected  by  the  distress  their  families  suffer  by  their 
absence,  and  many  have  not  necessary  clothing :  we  are  in  a  cold 
country,  the  season  is  far  advanced,  and  unusually  inclement ;  we  are 
half  the  time  deluged  with  rain.  The  blow  must  be  struck  soon,  or 
all  the  toil  and  expense  of  the  campaign  go  for  nothing  or  worse  than 
nothing,  for  the  whole  will  be  tinged  with  dishonour.  With  my  present 
force,  it  would  be  rash  to  attempt  offensive  operations.  I  have  only  seven 
teen  hundred  effective  men  [His  reinforcements  had  not  then  arrived]  of 
the  militia  on  this  whole  line.  The  regular  troops  have  nearly  all  arrived 
in  the  vicinity  of  Buffalo,  except  Schuyler's  regiment.  The  bateaux  have 
not  arrived  and  I  learn  they  very  narrowly  escaped  the  Royal  George,  at 
the  mouth  of  Genesee  river,  where  she  had  just  cut  out  the  schooner  Lady 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  245 

Murray,  and  a  Revenue  Cutter.  But  two  or  three  companies  of  the  Penn 
sylvania  troops  had  arrived  at  Buffalo,  when  I  received  my  last  advice 
from  thence. 

Under  these  circumstances  and  the  impressions  necessarily  resulting 
from  them,  I  am  adopting  decisive  measures  for  closing  the  fall  campaign  ; 
but  shall  wait  your  approbation  of  the  plan,  and  the  arrival  of  a  competent 
force  to  execute  it.  I  have  summoned  Maj.  Gen  Hall,  Brig.  Gen.  Smyth, 
and  the  commandants  of  the  United  States  Regiments,  to  meet  me  on  a 
consultation;  and  I  am  well  aware  that  some  opinions  entitled  to  great 
respect,  will  be  offered  for  crossing  the  Niagara  a  little  below  Fort  Erie, 
and  pursuing  the  march  down  the  river.  I  think  this  plan  liable  to  many 
objections.  The  enemy  have  works  at  almost  every  point,  and  even  an 
inferior  force  might  hold  us  in  check  and  render  our  march  slow;  by 
taking  up  the  bridges  at  Chippewa,  they  might  greatly  embarrass  us  ;  the 
cleared  country  is  but  a  mile  or  two  wide  ;  ono  flank  would  be  constantly 
liable  to  be  galled  by  Indians  from  the  swamps  ;  for  a  considerable  dis 
tance,  the  rapidity  of  the  current,  and  the  height  of  the  banks  render 
transportation  across  the  river  impracticable;  of  course,  our  supplies  must 
follow  the  line  of  march,  with  the  trouble  and  hazard  of  them  every  day 
increasing  ;  and  should  the  enemy  retreat  from  Gen.  Harrison,  they  would 
have  a  double  object  in  intercepting  our  supplies;  and  by  falling  on  bur 
rear,  and  cutting  off  our  communication,  we  might  experience  the  fate  of 
Hull's  army.  Besides  these,  and  many  other  objections,  there  is  no 
object  on  that  side,  until  we  should  arrive  at  the  commanding  heights  of 
Queenstown,  which  are  opposite  my  camp. 

The  proposal  which  I  shall  submit  to  the  Council  will  be,  that  we  im 
mediately  concentrate  the  regular  force  in  the  neighborhood  of  Niagara 
and  the  militia  here,  make  the  best  possible  dispositions,  and,  at  the  same 
time,  the  regulars  shall  pass  from  the  Four-mile  Creek  to  a  point  in  the 
rear  of  the  works  of  Fort  George,  and  take  it  by  storm  :  1  will  pass  the 
river  here,  and,  carry  the  heights  of  Queenstown. 

Should  we  succeed,  we  shall  effect  a  great  discomfiture  of  the  enemy  by 
breaking  their  line  of  communication,  driving  their  shipping  from  the 
mouth  of  this  river,  leaving  them  no  rallying  point  in  this  part  of  the 
country,  appalling  the  minds  of  the  Canadians,  and  opening  a  wide  and 
safe  communication  for  our  supplies.  We  shall  save  our  own  land,  wipe 
away  part  of  the  score  of  our  past  disgrace,  get  excellent  barracks  and 
winter  quarters,  and  at  the  least  be  prepared  for  an  early  campaign  an 
other  year.  As  soon  as  the  result  of  the  Council  shall  be  known,  I  shall 
advise  you  of  it.  I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  29th  ultimo,  and 
shall  acquaint  Mr,  Harrison  with  your  direction.  I  regret  the  slowness 
of  the  mail.  I  have  furnished  an  escort  for  it  from  this  to  Buffalo. 
With  great  respect  and  consideration,  &c. 

Hon.  Major  Gen.  Dearborn.  STEPHEN  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

"  From  this  letter,  it  will  appear  to  any  professional  man  acquainted  with 
the  country,  and  the  circumstances  of  the  enemy  at  that  time,  that, 
although  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  was  not  a  military  man,  he  reasons  very 
much  like  a  soldier;  the  counter  currents  under  the  opposite  shores,  and 
the  narrowness  of  the  river  (three  hundred  and  fifty  yards  wide),  ren 
dered  it  the  preferable  traverse;  and  as  to  the  plan  of  the  enterprise 
which  he  had  finally  determined  on,  it  was  so  simple  and  so  perfect,  that 
an  act  of  God  alone  could  have  prevented  the  success,  which  would  have 


246  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

reflected  honor  on  a  master  of  the  trade.  The  ground  is  so  much  elevated 
at  Lewiston  and  Queenston,  that  it  may  be  called  a  mountain  ;  it  is  an 
immense  platform  which  overlooks  the  plain  below,  until  it  is  terminated 
by  Lake  Ontario.  Of  consequence,  every  movement  from  Fort  George 
would  have  been  under  the  general's  eye,  as  well  as  that  of  the  officer  at 
Fort  Niagara.  It  was  General  Van  Rensselaer's  intention,  to  have 
marched  General  Smyth  and  one  thousand  five  hundred  regular  troops, 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Four-mile  creek,  by  the  new  road  cut  for  the  purpose, 
there  to  have  been  held  in  readiness  to  embark  at  a  minute's  notice. 
Queenstown  was  then  to  be  attacked ;  and  as  it  was  guarded  by  two  com 
panies  of  the  49th  regiment,  with  a  party  of  militia  and  Indians  only,  it 
would  have  been  carried  with  the  battery  on  the  heights,  as  afterwards 
happened. 

"  These  operations,  within  hearing  of  Fort  George,  could  not  fail  to  draw 
forth  the  garrison  to  sustain  the  post  of  Queenston,  and  repel  the  in 
vaders  ;  and  as  soon  as  the  British  column  was  discovered  in  motion, 
General  Smyth  would  have  embarked  by  a  signal,  and  when  it  approached 
Queenstown  he  would  have  been  ordered  by  a  courier,  to  proceed  to  the 
attack  of  Fort  George,  which  could  not  have  been  anticipated  more  than 
twenty  minutes,  and  being  deprived  of  its  garrison,  resistance  would  have 
been  vain.  That  so  feasible  a  plan,  and  one  of  such  importance  to  the 
national  honour  and  interests  should  have  failed  was  to  be  deplored,  and 
the  occasion  certainly  presented  a  fair  subject  for  inquiry  ;  because  it 
could  not  have 'happened  without  some  fault,  which,  for  the  good  of  the 
service,  should  have  been  ascertained,  especially  when  General  Van  Rens- 
selaer  defied  investigation  ;  but  the  crooked  policy  of  a  corrupt  cabinet 
will  not  bear  inquiry." 

Major  General  Hall  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 

Sir,  Buffalo  Oct  10.  1812. 

Yesterday  morning,  about  three  oclock,  Lieut.  Elliott,  with  two  Boats, 
cut  out  of  the  harbour  at  Erie,  two  Brigs,  Adams  and  Caladonia.  But 
unfortunately  they  both  grounded;  the  Adams  on  the  west  side  of  Squaw 
Island  and  the  other  directly  opposite  Swifts  Barracks.  Our  first,  and 
great  misfortune  was  from  a  cannon  ball  fired  from  the  enemy  which  struck 
Major  Cuyler,  and  tore  one  hand,  and  went  thro'  his  body,  he  fell  dead 
from  his  horse  instantly.  It  was  the  first  shot  that  was  fired,  he  was  riding 
on  the  beach  a  number  of  gentlemen  near  him. 

A  number  of  American  Prisoners,  and  some  Citizens  were  on  board  and 
relieved,  all  of  which  got  safe  on  shore  unhurt.  Our  loss  was  very  trifling 
three  or  four  men  were  killed,  and  seven  wounded  two  or  three  badly. 
The  enemy  kept  up  a  brisk  cannonading  for  some  time,  and  continued 
firing  thro'  the  day,  occasionally.  The  Adams  changed  owners  three 
times  in  the  course  of  the  day,  our  troops  went  on  board  just  at  evening, 
took  three  prisoners,  and  burnt  the  vessel.  She  was  much  shot  to  pieces, 
and  it  is  said  she  had  6  Twenty  four,  and  Eighteen  Pounders  in  her  hold, 
and  some  smaller  ones.  The  Caledonia  was  loaded  principally  with  Pork, 
about  one  half  of  which  was  unloaded  yesterday.  The  24  and  18  Pound 
ers  from  the  British  Batteries,  however,  prevented  our  men  from  working, 
several  balls  were  fired  through  the  vessel  in  the  course  of  the  day  —  one 
man  was  killed.  No  officer,  except  Major  Cuyler,  has  even  been  wounded. 
I  have  not  yet  had  time,  having  no  ready  assistance,  to  get  an  exact  return 
and  list  of  the  Prisoners  named  —  the  whole  will  exceed  forty,  two  Captains 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  247 

were  taken.  Will  you  give  directions  respecting;  the  Prisoners.  We  have 
but  few  troops  here,  and  Buffalo  too  is  an  unsafe  place.  If  the  officers 
are  to  be  paroled,  will  you  give  the  necessary  directions.  I  find  that  our 
brave  Militia  do  not  like  Cannon  ball  much.  I  saw  General  Smyth  yes 
terday,  he  could  not  tell  the  day  when  he  would  attend  at  Niagara  (this 
was  for  the  Consultation).  I  am  &c 

Major  General  Van  Rensselaer.  A.  HALL  M.  Genl. 

Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Gen.  Hall. 

Sir,  Head  Quarters,  Lewiston. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  the  10th  Inst.  But  have  not  leisure  to 
answer  it  in  detail.  Most  sincerely  do  I  lament  the  death  of  Major  Cuyler. 

One  Division  of  Capt.  Hanes'  Troop  will  remain  at  Buffalo  :  the  other 
will  come  on  here. 

For  the  present  you  had  better  send  the  Prisoners  into  the  interior. 

Major  Gen.  Hall.  I  am  &c. 

William  Howe  Cuyler  was  aid-de-camp  to  General  Hall,  exceedingly 
brave,  a  "  fine  noble  fellow,  who  could  always  be  depended  on."  "  On  Octo 
ber  9th,  he  was  instantly  killed,  while  guiding  some  vessels  with  a  lantern  in 
his  hand,  by  a  ball  from  the  artillery  across  the  river  on  the  Canada  side. 
He  had  been  in  the  saddle  all  night,  and  had  just  left  a  warehouse  where 
rigging  was  procured  for  warping  in  the  British  armed  vessel  Caledonia 
captured  by  Lieut.  Jesse  D.  Elliott." 

Col.  Van  Rensselaer  to  his  Wife. 

My  dear  Harriot,  Lewiston  10th  October,  1812. 

This  letter  may  be  the  last  you  will  receive  from  me  ;  If  it  is,  let  me 
beg  of  you  sometimes  to  cherish  my  memory  and  forget  any  unkindnese 
you  may  have  received  from  me,  for  whenever  an  unkind  word  has  fallen 
from  rue,  be  assured  it  was  not  owing  to  any  want  of  attachment  to  you, 
but  to  the  unhappy  state  of  my  mind  at  that  moment,  owing  to  my  em 
barrassment  and  the  persecution  of  my  Political  enemies  who  even  pursue 
me  to  this  quarter  of  the  Globe.  My  attachment  to  you  has  ever  been 
warm  and  undivided  and  so  it  Shall  .Remain  to  the  last  moment  of  my 
existence  and  if  it  should  please  Heaven  to  guard  me  from  danger  this 
night,  I  will  when  I  return  shew  by  rny  actions  what  I  now  express,  but 
should  it  be  otherwise  Decreed  let  me  beg  of  you  to  think  kindly  of  me 
and  meet  my  fall  with  fortitude.  My  own  and  the  Patroons  Reputations 
require  that  the  sacrifice  should  be  made.  If  I  should  Succeed,  it  will 
redound  to  my  Honor  and  Much  to  yours  and  our  dear  little  one's  advan 
tage.  Oh  !  if  I  could  give  you  all  a  parting  kiss  how  happy  I  would  be. 
Support  yourself  with  fortitude  on  their  account  and  remember  they  can 
not  do  without  you.  My  service  has  been  very  irksome  since  I  left  you, 
owing  to  your  situation,  never  in  my  life  have  I  been  so  impatient  to 
return  home  to  comfort  you  under  your  affliction.  My  Enterprise  this 
night  will  shorten  our  separation,  if  I  survive  I  shall  soon  be  with  you, 
how  pleasing  the  Idea  and  how  Happy  will  be  that  moment.  I  go  to 
storm  an  important  post  of  the  enemy.  Young  Lush  and  Gansevoort 
attend  me.  I  must  succeed,  or  you  my  dear  Harriot,  will  never  see  me 
again.  If  so,  let  me  entreat  you  to  meet  my  fall  with  fortitude;  and  be 
assured,  my  dear,  lovely,  but  unfortunate  wife,  that  my  last  prayer  will 
be  tor  you  and  my  dear  children.  I  wish  to  write  much  more  but  I 


248  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

must  prepare  for  the  Assault.  This  letter  will  be  put  in  the  hands  of 
Mr.  Lovett  until  the  event  is  over.  I  have  written  to  the  Patroon  about 
you  and  the  children.  Adieu,  kiss  all  the  children  for  me,  mention  me  to 
all  '}  and  may  God  bless  and  preserve  you  my  dear  lovely  Harriot  is  the 
fervent  prayer  of  your  affectionate  and  sincere  Husband, 

SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Mrs.  Harriot  Van  Rensselaer,  Mount  Hope. 

This  is  much  blotted  by  the  tears  of  the  soldier's  wife. 

Philip  P.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Col.  Van  Rensselaer. 

Dear  Sir,  Albany  Oct.  13,  1812. 

Yesterday  afternoon,  you  was  blessed  with,  an  addition  to  your  family, 
of  a  fine  young  Son,  large,  fat  and  regular  in  all  his  limbs  and  features. 
Dr.  Stearns  says,  Bethlehem  cannot  boast  of  a  finer  Boy.  Yes,  he  is  the 
image  of  your  unfortunate  son  "  Van  Vechten,"  whose  soul,  I  trust,  is  gone 
to  yonder  realms  above,  where  all  is  joy,  peace,  harmony  and  love.  Harriet 
is  as  well  as  can  be  expected.  I  saw  her  this  morning,  her  joy  is  great, 
her  gratitude  inexpressible.  Her  Mother  is  with  her,  no  language  can 
adequately  describe  her  feelings.  *  *  *  This  morning  I  had  hold  of 
Mayor  Philip  V.  II. 's  hand  in  the  street,  say  to  the  Patroon  all  are  well. 

Yours  with  respect, 

Col.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Lewistori.         Ph.  P.  Van  Rensselaer. 

The  enemy  had  moved  some  boats  from  the  landing  at  Queenston,  down 
the  river,  this  excited  alarm,  and  late  that  night  a  rumor  ran  through  the 
camp,  that  the  garrison  was  actually  summoned  to  surrender.  The  clamor 
for  active  operations  became  so  importunate  that  General  Van  Rensselaer, 
who  had  received  intimations  by  letter  from  the  conimander-in-chief,  that 
the  invasion  of  Canada  was  expected,  decided  that  the  time  for  action  had 
arrived,  and  to  make  an  immediate  attack  on  Queenston  and  wipe  out  the 
disgrace  of  Hull's  surrender.  Resolved  to  gratify  his  own  inclinations 
and  those  of  his  army,  by  commencing  offensive  operations,  he  arranged 
with  this  view  a  plan  to  be  submitted,  and  then  summoned  his  principal 
officers  to  a. council  of  war.  It  was  very  plain  that  Geri.  Smyth,  his  second 
in  command,  had  no  cordial  disposition  to  act  in  concert  with  him,  and 
delayed  specifying  a  time  for  holding  the  council,  till  General  Van  Rens 
selaer  seeing  the  prospect  of  a  meeting  was  as  remote  as  ever,  could  no 
longer  withhold  his  orders  for  offensive  measures.  The  attack  was  to 
have  been  made  on  the  10th  of  October,  accordingly,  thirteen  boats,  capa 
ble  of  transporting  three  hundred  and  forty  men  with  their  equipments, 
were  brought  down  under  cover  of  the  night,  upon  wagons,  from  Gill 
creek,  two  miles  above  the  falls,  and  launched  in  the  river  at  the  only 
practicable  spot  at  the  time,  at  the  present,  Lewiston  ferry.  Lieut.  Col. 
Fenwick's  flying  artillery  were  ordered  to  be  up  in  season  from  Fort 
Niagara.  Gen.  Smyth  was  also  directed  to  send  down  so  much  of  his 
command  as  could  be  spared. 

Lieut.  Col.  Fenwick  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 

Sir.  Lieut.  Col.  Christie  is  of  opinion,  after  the  ammunition  and  ordnance 
stores  are  removed,  that  a  subaltern's  guard  will  be  sufficient  for  the  pro 
tection  of  the  boats  and  the  remaining  stores;  and  that  his  officers  and 
men,  full  of  ardour,  and  anxious  to  give  their  country  a  proof  of  their  pa 
triotism,  by  being  engaged  in  the  first  expedition,  induces  me  to  solicit,  as 
a  favor,  that  you  will  allow  him  and  his,  detachment  to  accompany  me  this 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  249 

night.  I  think  it  essential,  that,  if  a  blow  is  struck,  it  should  place  us 
upon  such  ground  as  will  prevent  the  enemy  from  giving  us  a  check.  Col. 
Christie,  after  placing  a  strong  guard,  and  invalids,  can  march  with  three 
hundred  effectives.  As  silence  will  be  necessary  on  our  march  to  Lewiston, 
would  you  permit  two  cavalry  to  attend  me,  that  the  sentries  on  the  road 
may  be  acquainted  with  our  movements.  I  am  &c.  &c. 

Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Lieut.  Col.  Fenwick. 
Sir,  Head-Quarters,  Lewiston  Oct.  10,  1813. 

I  have  received  your  letter  of  this  evening,  acquainting  me  that  Lieut. 
Col.  Christie  is  desirous  of  marching  with  his  men  to  this  place,  to  share 
in  the  contemplated  movement.  Upon  Col.  Christie's  leaving  a  sufficient 
guard  for  the  ordnance  stores,  I  most  cheerfully  grant  his  request.  But 
it  will  be  necessary  for  him  to  march  by  11  o'clock  this  night,  to  be  here 
in  season.  I  am  &c.  &c. 

Lieut.  Col.  Fenwick. 

To  avoid  attracting  the  attention  of  the  British,  the  regiments  left  at 
different  hours. 

"  The  attack  was  to  be  made  at  three  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  llth 
by  crossing  over  in  boats  from  the  old  ferry,  opposite  the  heights.  To 
avoid  any  embarrassment  in  crossing  the  river,  (which  is  here  a  sheet  of 
violent  eddies)  experienced  boatmen  were  procured  to  take  the  boats  from  the 
landing  below,  to  the  place  of  embarkation.  Lieut.  Sim  was  considered  the 
man  of  the  greatest  skill  for  this  service  \  he  went  ahead,  and,  in  the  extreme 
darkness,  passed  the  intended  place  far  up  river,  and  there  in  the  most  ex 
traordinary  manner,  fastened  his  boat  to  the  shore,  and  abandoned  the  detach 
ment  [that  is,  "he  fled  as  fast  as  the  legs  of  a  traitor  or  coward  could  carry 
him."]  In  this  front  boat  he  had  carried  nearly  all  the  oars  which  were  pre 
pared  for  the  boats.  The  others  consequently  could  not  follow  without  oars, 
and  in  the  foremost  boat  the  poltroon  soon  disappeared  in  the  gloom.  They 
waited  for  him  to  discover  and  correct  his  mistake,  but  in  vain.  In  this 
agonizing  dilemma  stood  officers  and  men,  whose  ardor  had  not  been  cooled 
by  exposure  through  the  night,  to  one  of  the  most  tremendous  north-east 
storms,  which  continued  unabated  for  twenty-eight  hours,  and  deluged 
the  whole  camp.  Colonel  Van  Rensselaer  was  to  have  commanded  the 
detachment.  The  soldiers  endured  the  fierce  blasts  and  the  falling  flood 
until  almost  daylight,  when  they  were  slowly  inarchod  to  their  respective 
cantonments,  and  the  much  desired  enterprise  was  for  that  time  unwil 
lingly  abandoned.  The  general-in-chief  again  determined  to  seek  council 
of  his  brother  officers,  hoping  the  patience  of  his  troops  would  brook 
farther  delay.  He  was  mistaken,  the  calls  for  action  were  more  imperious. 
The  miscarriage  and  the  cruel  desertion  of  Sims  only  increased  their 
ardor,  and  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  found  it  necessary  to  renew  the  attempt." 

This  contre-temps  failure  was  a  sad  annoyance  to  the  troops  who  had 
expressed  through  various  channels,  in  the  shape  of  an  alternative,  that 
they  must  have  orders  to  act,  or,  at  all  hazards,  they  would  go  home  ! 
The  alternative  which  Gen.  V.  R.  thought  his  own  reputation  and  the 
good  of  the  service  required  him  to  adopt,  was  still  to  take  the  troops  at 
their  word,  and 'lead  them  into  action. 


32 


250  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Major  J.  R.  Mullany  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Sir,  Fort  Niagara. 

It  is  with  pain  I  am  induced  to  complain  at  the  neglect  of  excluding 
me  from  the  command  of  the  Infantry  marched  from  here  this  morning. 
Doubtless,  Sir,  you  are  aware  I  was  the  first  Field  Officer,  of  the  U.  S. 
Army  arrived  on  these  lines,  and  might  in  justice  expect  -to  be  employed 
on  the  first  expedition.  I  cannot  yet  convince  myself  I  am  neglected; 
and  trust  you  will  honor  me  with  a  station  in  the  expedition  this  night. 
I  am,  with  esteem  and  Respect 

Sir,  Your  most  Obt.  Svrt. 
J.  R.  MULLANY,  Major  U.  S.  Infantry. 
Major  Genl.  Van  Rensselaer. 

Gen  Van  Rensselaer  to  Major  Mullany. 
Sir,  Head  Quarters,  Lewiston,  10th  Oct.,  1812. 

I  should  have  ordered  you  to  this  place. with  the  Detachment  of  Infantry 
just  arrived  from  Fort  Niagara,  but  it  is  necessary  that  you  should  cross 
in  the  course  of  the  night  at  another  point.     When  Col.  Fenwick  arrives, 
with  the  United  States  Troops,  you  will  receive  your  orders. 
Major  J.  It.  Mullany.  I  am,  &c. 

Major  Gen.  Brock  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Sir,  Head  Quarters,  Fort  George,  llth  October  1812. 

Recent  events  having  placed  a  few  British  officers  and  Soldiers  at  your 
disposal,  as  Prisoners  of  War,  I  have  the  honor  to  propose  for  your  con 
sideration  an  immediate  exchange.  Should  there  exist  any  difficulty  in 
acceding  to  this  arrangement,  I  entertain  a  well  grounded  hope  that  you 
will  make  no  objection  to  allow  the  officers  and  men  to  return  immediately 
on  their  parole. 

Major  Evans,  the  bearer  of  this  communication,  is  authorized  to  enter 
into  any  arrangement  that  you  may  feel  disposed  to  make  on  the  above 
subject.  I  have  the  honor  to  be  with  much  respect 

Sir,  Your  Obt.  humble  Servant 

ISAAC  BROCK,  Major  General. 
Major  Genl.  V.  Rensselaer,  Commanding  Lewiston. 

The  above  was  the  last  communication  which  Genl.  Brock  made  to  Gen. 
Van  Rensselaer.  He  fell  early  on  the  13th,  wbile  acting  on  foot  at  the 
head  of  two  companies  of  the  49th,  they  had  been  broken,  and  he  was 
attempting  to  rally  them.  "He  was  a  native  of  the  Isle  of  Wight,  aged 
fifty-three  years,  full  middling  size,  stout,  muscular,  brave,  active,  a  real 
soldier  and  a  great  man.  He  fell  at  the  head  of  his  men,  while  cheering 
them  on  to  action.  It  is  stated  that  when  leading  on  his  men,  he  laid  his 
hand  on  his  breast  exclaiming,  '  Here  is  a  breast  for  your  Yankee  balls, 
shoot  me  if  you  can.' " 

Hon.  Abraham  Van  Vechten  to  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Albany,  October  12,  1812. 

I  have  for  five  weeks  past  been  constantly  attending  Court  or  travelling 
to  &  from  them.  This  will  account  for  my  not  writing  you.  Harriet 
has  commissioned  me  to  be  her  Scribe.  She  &  the  Family  are  in  good 
health.  The  care  of  the  Farm  &  her  household  occupy  her  whole  time. 
She  says  that  she  trusts  you  will  not  be  found  backward  when  duty  re- 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  251 

quires  you  to  fight,  but  hopes  at  the  same  time  that  you  will  not  court 
danger  wantonly.  In  this  I  concur  sincerly.  The  situation  you  are  in, 
and  the  General's  reputation  forbid  rashness.  To  shun  the  Enemy  im 
properly  would  be  censurable,  but  to  seek  him  under  manifest  disad 
vantages  would  be  madness.  You  are  considered  as  the  confidential 
Counsellor  at  Head  Quarters,  of  course  you  will  share  the  responsibility 
of  every  Disaster.  There  are  men  who  feel  disposed  to  watch  for  oppor 
tunities  to  cast  imputations  upon  the  General.  He  should  therefore  be 
on  his  guard  against  their  Machinations.  It  would  ill  behove  him  to 
jeopardize  the  lives  of  the  men  under  his  command  merely  to  repel  inju 
rious  and  unfounded  Surmises  on  the  one  hand,  while  on  the  other  it 
would  be  no  less  improper  to  screen  them  from  danger,  when  he  has  a 
reasonable  prospect  of  executing  successfully  a  useful  enterprise.  The 
Enemy  are  no  doubt  well  prepared  for  your  reception,  and  have  the  ad 
vantage  greatly  in  every  essential  particular.  If  you  fight  &  are  beaten 
your  force  is  of  a  description  not  to  be  rallied.  These  circumstances 
present  considerations  which  deserve  to  be  maturely  weighed.  I  throw 
them  out  from  motives  which  I  am  persuaded  will  be  justly  appreciated. 
General  Dearborn  is  becoming  very  odious.  His  fretfulness  towards  & 
abuse  of  the  Conscript  officers  who  call  upon  him  for  Supplies  creates 
much  dissatisfaction. 

Southwick  is  preparing  a  report  of  his  Trial  for  the  press  j  when  it 
comes  out  I  will  send  you  a  copy.  Tell  Lovett  his  Family  are  well.  I 
will  write  him  in  a  day  or  two.  His  wife  says,  she  expects  the  fatness  of 
the  Camp  will  make  him  plump  and  strong  and  disqualifyjiim/or  running. 
Finally  beware  of  being  Hull'd.  If  you  are,  many  of  the  democrats  will 
rejoice,  they  want  a  set  off.  Let  me  conjure  you  not  to  furnish  it. 

Yours  sincerely,  AB.  VAN  VECHTEN. 

Col.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Head  Quarters,  Lewiston. 

Except  in  some  minor  details,  the  arrangements  for  another  attempt  at 
invasion,  were  the  same  as  on  the  last.  "  The  previously  excited  ardor 
seemed  to  have  gained  new  heat  from  the  late  miscarriage  ;  the  brave  were 
mortified  to  stop  short  of  their  object,  and  the  timid  thought  laurels  half 
won  by  the  attempt."  The  boats  were  brought  back  after  daylight,  and 
left  on  the  shore  opposite  Queenston,  where  they  remained  the  two  sub 
sequent  days  in  full  sight,  and  within  musket  shot  of  the  enemy.  (The 
Niagara  river  being  but  about  three  hundred  and  fifty  yards  wide  at  this 
place,  a  British  sentinel  was  killed  at  his  post  by  a  shot  from  our  side.) 
The  appearance  was  regarded  as  a  feint,  and  they  became  impressed  with 
a  belief,  that  they  were  intended  to  carry  an  armament  down  the  river 
against  Fort  George.  Our  operations  at  and  near  Fort  Niagara  (of  a  con 
siderable  battery)  which  they  had  lately  seen  effected  opposite  that  post, 
confirmed  the  belief  to  such  a  degree,  that  their  principal  force  was 
stationed  there;  and  when  Gen.  Brock  was  afterwards  first  informed  of 
the  firing  at  Queenston,  he  declared  that  it  could  not  possibly  be  an  at 
tack :  "  It  was  nothing  more  than  the  war  between  sentinels."  To  all 
this,  in  connection  with  their  faith  in  the  impregnable  nature  of  the  place, 
we  may  ascribe  the  reason  why  they  were  so  weakly  garrisoned  here ; 
and  that  they  were  so,  was  divulged  to  us  through  such  sources  as  une 
quivocally  to  justify  an  attack,  and  it  was  decided  that  it  should  be  made 
under  my  direction  on  the  morning  of  the  13th.  During  the  two  inter 
vening  days,  although  yet  suffering  under  the  effects  of  a  fever,  by  which 


252  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

I  had  been  confined  to  my  bed  until  near  the  moment  of  being  called  out 
to  lead  the  first  intended  expedition,  I  was  constantly  employed  in  per 
sonally  attending  to  complete  the  arrangements  for  battle,  and  in  instruct 
ing  the  different  participators  in  the  particular  duties  to  be  assigned  them ; 
every  preparation  deemed  essential  was  made  under  my  own  inspection. 

To  render  the  success  more  certain,  a  large  number  of  boats  were  re 
quired,  to  make  another  trial,  directly  in  front  of  the  enemies'  works,  as 
it  was  the  only  assailable  place.  Calculations  were  made  for  them,  upon 
the  promise  of  Gen.  Smyth  at  Fort  Niagara.  He  was  not  only  to  send 
the  boats  to  Lewiston,  but  was  to  have  crossed  the  river  himself  with  part 
of  his  command  of  700  regularp  and  make  an  attack  on  Fort  George  at 
the  concerted  moment,  but  neither  of  these  arrangements  did  he  carry 
into  effect.  Mr.  Cook,  a  highly  respectable  citizen  of  Lewiston,  (father 
of  the  Hon.  Bates  Cook,  lately  a  member  of  congress,  who,  with  one  or 
more  brothers,  volunteered  his  services  for  the  occasion),  was  this  time 
entrusted  with  the  duty  of  procuring  trustworthy  boatmen,  at  whatever 
expense  ;  and  they,  with  the  boats,  were  put  under  his  direction.  To  Mr. 
Lovett  was  committed  the  management  of  the  fire  from  the  eighteen-gun 
battery  on  the  heights  of  Lewiston.  This  was  an  important  duty,  as  the 
balls  from  this  battery  were  to  pass  over  the  heads  of  the  assaulting  party, 
in  order  to  reach  the  enemy  in  the  village  of  Queenston.  The  duty  in 
the  result  was  satisfactorily  performed,  though  at  the  expense  of  Major 
Lovett's  hearing.  "  It  being  dark,  he  stooped  close  to  the  gun  to  observe 
its  aim,  when  it  was  suddenly  discharged,  and  the  concussion  so  injured 
his  ears  "  tbat  1)£  never  recovered  from  the  astounding  effects  of  his  own 
fire.  Col.  Van  jftensselaer  was  obliged  several  times  to  visit  the  British 
head  quarters  on  business,  also  to  attend  to  the  wants  in  clothing  and 
other  articles  for  the  unfortunate  prisoners  of  war  in  Gen.  Hull's  army. 

"  On  my  last  visit  there,  the  very  day  before  the  action,  while  returning 
to  my  boat,  accompanied  by  Col.  McDonald,  Major  Evans  and  other 
officers,  attracted  by  the  appearance  of  a  body  of  Indians  a  short  dis 
tance  to  our  left,  I  expressed  a  desire  to  obtain  a  nearer  view,  as  I 
might  know  some  of  them.  This  gallant  and  accomplished  officer  im 
mediately  led  the  way.  On  our  route  we  passed  two  beautiful  brass 
grass-hoppers,  or  howitzers,  of  a  small  size  calculated  to  be  carried  on 
pack-horses,  the  wheels  about  as  large  as  those  of  a  wheelbarrow.  I 
remarked,  '  these  at  all  events  are  old  acquaintances  of  mine/  They 
had  formerly  belonged  to  Wayne's  army,  and  were  used  against  the 
Indians  in  1794,  in  which  battle  he  was  engaged.  After  the  defeat  of 
the  Indians,  these  pieces  had  been  left  at  Detroit,  where  as  Col.  McDon 
ald  stated,  they  were  taken  by  Gen.  Brock  and  brought  down,  with  a  view 
of  being  sent  to  England,  as  a  curiosity.  I  observed  in  a  jocular  manner 
that  I  felt  partial  to  those  pieces,  and  we  must  try  to  take  them  back. 
He  replied  in  the  same  pleasant  humor,  that  they  must  try  to  defend  them. 
Little  did  he  suspect  that  every  thing  was  arranged  to  make  that  trial,  or 
that  the  next  day,  he  and  his  chivalrous  chief  were  doomed  to  fall,  and  I 
to  be  grievously  wounded."  These  brass  howitzers  were  among  the  Bri 
tish  trophies  of  victory  at  Detroit  on  Hull's  surrender. 

"  Colonel  Solomon  Van  Reniselaer  was  appointed  to  the  command  of  the 
invading  force,  an  arrangement  which  seems  to  have  given  umbrage  to 
some  of  the  officers  of  the  regular  army  on  the  frontier.  Lieutenant 
Colonel  Chrystie  was  exceedingly  anxious  to  have  the  honor  of  chief  in 
the  enterprise,  and  pleaded  his  rank  and  experience,  as  compared  with 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  253 

that  of  the  aid-de-camp  of  the  general-in-chief,  in  favor  of  his  claim. 
But  Gen.  Van  llensselaer  would,  not  change  his  general  arrangements. 
It  was  agreed,  however,  that  Colonel  Van  llensselaer  should  lead  a  column 
of  three  hundred  militia,  and  Lieutenant  Colonel  Chrystie  should  lead 
another  composed  of  the  same  number  of  regulars,  so  that  each  might 
share  in  the  hazards  and  glory  of  the  expedition.  Chrystie  refused  to 
waive  his  rank  in  favor  of  Van  llensselaer,  but  consented  to  receive 
orders  from  him." 

Lt.  Col.  Christie,  who  had  lately  arrived  with  a  reinforcement  of  near 
four  hundred  regulars,  having  begged  the  honor  of  a  command  in  the 
expedition,  was  accordingly  ordered  up  to  Lewiston  with  three  hundred 
of  his  men.  The  remainder  were  left  to  guard  the  boats  and  stores  which 
he  had  brought  with  him,  to  the  mouth  of  Four-mile  creek.  Three  hun 
dred  militia  men  who  had  been  in  camp  several  months,  and  were  much 
superior  to  the  newly  recruited  regulars  in  point  of  discipline,  together 
with  forty  picked  men  from  Capt.  Leonard's  old  company  of  artillery 
from  Fort  Niagara,  under  Lieuts.  Gansevoort  and  Rathbone,  with  all 
the  equipments  belonging  to  their  proper  line  of  service,  composed  the 
detachment  under  my  own  immediate  command.  An  equal  number  from 
each  of  these  two  detachments,  together  with  the  forty  artillerists,  were  to 
proceed  from  the  encampment,  and  effect  the  first  descent  upon  the 
enemy's  shore.  Lieut.  Col.  Fenwick,  and  Major  Mullany,  were  to  follow 
with  about  five  hundred  and  fifty  regulars,  and  some  pieces  of  fly  ing  artil 
lery,  and  then  the  militia  in  order,  as  fast  as  the  boats  could  carry  them. 
The  arrangement,  however,  was  partially  deranged  when  we  reached  the 
bank  of  the  river.  Here  the  troops  halted  ;  and  while  accompanied  by 
my  two  acting  aids,  Lush. and  Gansevoort,  I  was  inspecting  the  condition 
of  the  boats,  which,  by  the  way,  appeared  to  be  in  perfect  order,  the 
regulars  got  possession  of  the  narrow  dug  way  leading  down  to  the  water's 
edge.  In  this  emergency  it  became  necessary  either  to  countermarch 
part  of  this  force,  a  movement  which  we  apprehended  might  arouse  the 
attention  of  the  enemy,  or  to  fill  the  boats  with  regular  troops  in  the  first 
place,  to  the  partial  exclusion  of  the  militia.  The  latter  alternative  was 
adopted,  and  Major  Morrison  was  ordered  to  follow  with  the  remainder  of 
the  detachment,  in  the  return  boats.  "  The  Niagara  river  at  Queenston 
is  six  hundred  feet  in  width,  and  the  Jieights  rise  two  hundred  and  thirty 
feet  above  the  river/'  When  all  was  ready  and  the  troops  embarked  to 
the  number  of  twenty-five  in  each  boat,  I  first  walked  along  the  line  to 
inspect  them,  then  leaped  into  the  picked  artillerists,  and  gave  the  word 
to  push  off.  The  order  was  promptly  obeyed.  Counterbalancing  in  the 
favoring  eddies  on  either  side,  the  lee  way  made  in  crossing  the  main 
current,  within  ten  minutes  all  the  boats,  excepting  three,  struck  the 
enemy's  shore  without  difficulty,  at  the  identical  spot  aimed  at.  The 
enemy  were  on  the  alert. 

The  movements  of  the  Americans  had  been  discovered  by  the  sentinels, 
and  a  company  of  British  regulars,  were  stationed  to  resist  the  debarka 
tion.  Their  presence  was  first  known  by  a  broad  flash,  then  a  volley  of 
musketry  that  mortally  wounded  Lieut.  Rathbone,  by  the  side  of  Col. 
Van  Rensselaer  before  landing,  and  random  shots  from  the  field-pieces 
along  the  line  of  the  ferry  at  the  moment  when  the  boats  touched  the  shore. 
These  were  answered  by  Lovett's  battery  on  Lewiston  heights,  when  the 
enemy  turned.  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  had  been  the  first  man  to  spring 
ashore,  on  a  large  rock  at  the  foot  of  the  rapids,  the  identical  stone  is  still 


254  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

to  be  seen  near  to  Suspension  bridge.  Having  landed,  the  boats  were 
immediately' sent  back,  to  cut  off  any  chance  of  a  retreat.  The  troops 
were  formed,  "  Now  we  are  here,  we  must  fight"  were  the  cheering  words 
from  the  gallant  colonel  as  he  charged  up  the  bank,  where  they  met  the 
enemy.  A  short,  but  severe  engagement  took  place,  with  heavy  loss  on 
both  sides ;  but  we  were  victorious,  and  the  enemy  gave  way,  and  fled 
towards  Queenston,  on  our  right.  The  position  we  occupied  cut  off  their 
retreat  to  their  main  battery  on  the  heights.  The  plan  for  this  brilliant 
but  unfortunate  battle  was  simple  and  soldier-like,  and  if  it  had  been 
carried  out  in  full,  would  have  resulted  in  a  most  effective  and  decisive 
victory.  "  It  commenced  so  auspiciously  for  the  American  arms  by  the 
gallant  and  daring  Van  Rensselaer,  and  ended  so  disastrously  by  reason 
of  the  cowardice  of  the  militia  on  the  American  side,  who  refused  to 
cross  the  river  and  secure  the  victory  which  had  been  so  bravely  won." 

Col.  Van  Renselaer  had  made  himself  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the 
condition  of  the  enemy,  while  on  official  visits  to  the  various  posts,  he  had 
been  vigilant  and  observing.  "He  selected  his  points  of  attack  with  mas 
terly  judgment,  because  from  its  apparent  difficulty,  it  was  the  least  sus 
pected.  It  is  true,  complete  success  did  not  ultimately  crown  this  enter 
prise;  but  two  great  ends  were  obtained  for  the  country,  it  re-established  the 
character  of  the  American  arms,  and  deprived  the  enemy  by  the  death  of 
Gen.  Brock,  one  of  the  best  officers  that  has  headed  their  troops  in  Canada 
throughout,  the  war,  and  with  his  loss  put  an  end  to  their  then  brilliant 
career.  The  force  under  Col.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  contending  with 
greatly  superior  numbers,  stormed  and  carried  the  fort.  The  gallant  Col 
onel  fell  riddled  with  wounds  and  bleeding  profusely,  but  cheered  with  the 
shouts  of  victory.  But  the  reinforcement  neglecting  to  cross  the  river  at  the 
proper  time,  the  enemy  come  up  in  superior  force,  and  the  fort  was  re 
taken,  and  Van  RensseJaer's  troops  were  obliged  to  retreat.  Finding  my 
self  very  much  crippled  now  by  a  number  of  wounds,  and  with  the  loss  of 
blood,  unable  to  proceed  any  farther,  I  inquired  for  Lieut.  Col.  Christie; 
[Christie  was  in  one  of  the  three  missing  boats,  it  was  driven  by  the  currents 
and  eddies  upon  the  New  York  shores,  and  he  ordered  Lawrence's  boat 
back,  while  jthe  third  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  it  having  struck 
the  shore  at  the  mouth  of  the  creek  just  north  of  Lewistou.  Christie  was 
not  on  the  battle-field  until  the  morning  victories  were  all  won  by  Cap 
tain  Wool.]  There  was  a  vain  search  for  the  missing  second  in  command, 
he  was  not  to  be  found,  had  he  been  on  the  spot,  the  affair  would  have 
proceeded  without  a  moment's  delay.  I  directed  the  troops  to  fall  back  a 
few  steps,  under  cover  of  a  bank,  where  they  were  secure  from  the  desul 
tory  shots  still  occasionally  pointed  at  them.  In  this  situation  a  pause  of 
some  time  occurred,  till  the  staff  returned  without  any  hopes  of  Lieut. 
Col.  Christie's  arrival.  Although  the  business  yet  to  be  done  was  all  im 
portant  to  the  success  of  our  enterprise,  I  was  unwilling  to  entrust  its  exe 
cution  to  such  very  young  men,  the  highest  of  whom  in  rank  were  only 
captains,  not  six  months  in  service.  As  it  was  now  broad  daylight,  any 
farther  delayjwas  highly  hazardous,  and  I  therefore,  in  an  agony  of  feeling 
which  belonged  to  the  occasion,  directed  the  troops  to  incline  a  little  to 
the  left,  and  ascend  the  heights  by  the  point  of  the  rock,  and  storm  the 
battery,  which  by  this  time  had  opened  its  fire  upon  our  place  of  embarka 
tion.  Lieut.  Gansevoort,  being  well  acquainted  with  the  ground,  was 
ordered  to  lead  the  way,  at  the  head  of  the  picked  artillerists,  assisted  by 
Lieut.  Randolph.  Lieut.  Rathbone  having  fallen  mortally  wounded  at 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  255 

my  side  ;  other  troops  followed,  Major  Lush,  my  other  actirig  aid,  bringing 
up  the  rear,  with  orders  to  shoot  down  the  first  man  who  offered  to  give 
way.  The  noble  young  men  obeyed  my  directions,  and,  in  due  time,  the 
report  of  a  well-told  volley,  and  the  cheering  shouts  of  victory,  reached 
my  ear,  assuring  me  of  their  complete  success.  Having  thus  accomplished 
the  work  with  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  men,  for  which  six  hundred 
and  forty  had  been  detailed,  nothing  farther  was  necessary  for  the  full 
attainment  of  the  objects  of  the  enterprise,  than  to  secure  the  advantages 
gained.  Nothing  was  easier;  but  an  unfortunate  occurrence  of  adverse 
circumstances,  turned  the  fortunes  of  the  day  against  our  arms.  I  could 
not  participate,  personally  in  the  subsequent  events.  I  may  add,  as  a 
conclusion  of  my  own  observations,  however,  that  it  had  been  anticipated 
that  the  enemy  might  open  the  fire  of  a  piece  of  flying  artillery,  from  the 
village  of  Queenston,  upon  our  place  of  embarkation,  as  soon  as  they 
were  aroused  to  action  by  our  attack.  Major  Lovett's  attention  had, 
therefore,  been  particularly  directed  to  this  contingency  the  day  before ; 
and,  in  compliance  with  the  instructions  then  received,  as  soon  as  there 
was  light  enough,  he  turned  the  long  eighteens  of  the  battery  on  Lewis- 
ton  heights  upon  this  spot,  in  such  a  masterly  manner  as  to  drive  the 
enemy  out  before  their  battery  was  carried.  The  ferry  was  unannoyed 
after  this,  except  by  the  fire  of  one  gun  ;  but  the  distance  was  too  great, 
and  the  formation  of  the  banks  rendered  this  fire  almost  ineffectual.  None 
of  our  boats  were  injured  by  cannon  shot.  The  artillerists,  who  were 
purposely  attached  to  the  storming  party,  and  provided  with  matches,  were 
to  have  turned  the  fire  of  the  battery  on  Queenston  heights  upon  the 
village,  and  particularly  upon  the  lower  one-gun  battery  which  was  about 
a  mile  below  (above  alluded  to),  and  could  not  be  reached  from  any  other 
quarter.  But  some  one  of  the  number,  in  a*  fit  of  over  zealous  patriotism, 
frustrated  the  design,  by  spiking  the  cannon  as  soon  as  captured.  Priding 
myself  as  I  do,  on  the  habits  acquired  under  the  tuition  of  Generals 
Wayne,  Wilkinson,  and  Posey,  I  am  not  conscious  of  ever  having  neglected 
the  performance  of  the  most  minute  detail  appertaining  to  my  duties  as  a 
military  man.  Nor  do  I  recollect  of  a  neglect  on  this  occasion.  Selected 
to  lead  an  expedition  on  which  the  result  of  a  whole  campaign  depended, 
my  reputation  was  at  stake,  and  my  anxiety  to  give  my  country  a  glorious 
offset  to  the  disaster  of  Hull,  rendered  me,  if  possible,  doubly  vigilant. 
Every  preparation  deemed  essential  was  made  under  .my  own  inspection, 
and  every  contingency  was  provided  for  a  successful  issue;  and  if  the  re 
sult  was  unfortunate,  it  certainly  was  not  on  account  of  any  defect,  either 
in  the  plan  of  the  expedition,  or  in  the  arrangements  made  to  carry  it 
into  execution. 

Had  Lieut.  Colonel  Christie,  for  instance,  effected  his  landing  in  con 
junction  with  myself,  no  delay  need  have  been  occasioned  at  the  import 
ant  crisis  when  I  became  disabled.  The  batteries  would  have  been  secured 
before  the  enemy  were  prepared  to  annoy  us,  and  our  primary  object,  an 
unmolested  passage  to  the  reinforcements,  would  have  been  secured  in 
season.  To  his  failure  may  mainly  be  attributed  all  our  disasters.  Yet 
the  apology  which  he  makes  for  it,  in  his  report  to  Gen.  Armstrong,  (the 
loss  of  a  rowlock  and  an  unskilful  pilot,)  would,  in  a  spirit  of  charity  be 
deemed  sufficient,  were  it  not  known  that  other  boats  besides  his  own,  were 
ordered  by  him  to  fall  back  at  the  same  time.  Capt.  Lawrence,  in  one  of 
the  three  unsuccessful  boats,  has  repeatedly  declared  that  he  fell  back  by 
Christie's  orders.  His  return  damped  the  hitherto  irrepressible  ardor  of 


256  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

the  militia  ;  Major  Morrison,  instead  of  leading  his  detachment  across  the 
river,  suddenly  found  himself  taken  too  unwell  for  the  duty;  and  though 
the  dreaded  fire  on  the  ferry  was  now  silenced  by  Major  Lovett's  batterv, 
and  the  heights  were  captured,  yet  the  panic  had  become  so  general,  that 
but  a  small  portion  of  our  army  could  be  prevailed  on  to  cross.  The  re 
mainder,  to  their  eternal  shame  be  it  said,  instead  of  lending  their  aid  to 
sustain  their  gallant  brethren  in  their  victorious  career,  stood  passively, 
and  saw  them  cut  up,  and  captured  in  the  end,  by  a  force  amounting  to 
about  one-third  of  their  united  number.  At  the  period  of  Gen.  Brock's 
fall,  and  the  flight  of  the  enemy,  the  troops  were  still  crossing,  we  had  a 
prospect  of  a  victorious  termination  of  the  enterprise,  and  no  one  then 
supposed  the  militia  would  change  their  minds ;  of  course,  the  idea  of  a 
retreat  could  not  be  entertained.  Gen.  V.  R.  crossed  over  about  this  time, 
leaving  directions  for  the  militia  to  follow  :  but  learning  subsequently  that 
he  was  not  obeyed,  he  returned,  with  a  view  of  ascertaining  the  cause, 
and  to  expedite  their  movements  It  was  then,  for  the  first  time,  he  found 
them  recreant  to  the  promises  which  their  late  clamor  for  action  implied. 
After  trying  all  the  means  that  human  ingenuity  could  devise,  to  arouse 
them  to  a  sense  of  their  duty,  he  was  obliged  to  give  up  the  effort  in  de 
spair,  and  despatched  a  note  to  General  Wadsworth,  informing  him  of  the 
predicament.  We  were  successful  in  every  important  measure  up  to  this 
time,  but  the  large  reinforcements  of  the  enemy,  under  Gen.  Sheaffe  were 
near  at  hand,  and  very  soon  our  little  band  of  heroes  were  attacked,  and 
after  another  obstinate  fight,  overpowered,  but  they  were  not  crushed. 

Extract  from  the  Official  Letter  of  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Sir,  Head  Quarters,  Lewiston,  October  14th,  1812. 

*  *  *  On  the  morning  06  the  12th,  such  was  the  pressure  upon  me 
from  all  quarters,  that  I  became  satisfied  that  my  refusal  to  act  might 
involve  me  in  suspicion,  and  the  service  in  disgrace.  Lieut.  Col.  Christie, 
who  had  just  arrived  at  the  Four  Mile  Creek,  had  late  in  the  night  of  the 
first  contemplated  attack,  gallantly  offered  me  his  own  and  his  men's 
services  ;  but  he  got  my  permission  too  late.  He  now  again  came  for 
ward,  had  a  conference  with  Col.  Van  Rensselaer,  and  begged  that  he 
might  have  the  honour  of  a  command  in  the  expedition.  The  arrange 
ment  was  made.  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  was  to  command  one  column  of 
three  hundred  mijitia,  and  Lieut.  Col.  Christie  a  column  of  the  same 
number  of  regular  troops. 

Every  precaution  was  now  adopted  as  to  boats  [u  Having  been  confined 
to  my  bed/'  says  Col.  V.  R.,  "  previous  to  the  first  attempt.  General 
Wadsworth,  a  brave  and  meritorious  officer,  was  requested  to  superintend 
the  movements  of  the  boats.  He  procured  as  many  as  were  required  and 
Mr.  Cook's  deportment  of  them  was  well  regulated  ;  and  as  long  as  the 
troops  showed  a  disposition  to  cross,  it  was  well  conducted.  If  there  was 
any  irregularity  afterward,  the  fault  was  not  so  much  in  his  boatmen  as 
in  his  passengers,"]  and  the  most  confidential  and  experienced  men  to 
manage  them.  At  an  early  hour  in  the  night  Lieut.  Col.  Christie  marched 
his  detachment  by  the  rear  road  from  Niagara  to  camp.  At  7  in  the 
evening,  Lieut.  Col.  Stranahan's  regiment  moved  from  Niagara  Falls;  at 
8  o'clock  Mead's,  and  at  9  Lieut.  Col.  Bloom's  regiment,  marched  from 
the  same  place.  All  were  in  camp  in  good  season. 

Agreeably  to  my  orders  issued  upon  this  occasion,  the  two  columns  were 
to  pass  over  together  as  soon  as  the  heights  should  be  carried.  Lieut 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  257 

Col.  Fenwick's  flying  artillery  was  to  pass  over  ;  then  Major  Mullany's 
detachment  of  regulars,  and  the  other  troops  to  follow  in  order.  Col.  Van. 
Kensselacr,  with  great  presence  of  mind,  ordered  his  officers  to  proceed 
with  rapidity  and  storm  the  fort.  The  service  was  gallantly  performed, 
and  the  enemy  driven  down  the  hill  in  every  direction.  Soon  after  this, 
both  parties  were  considerably  reinforced,  and  the  conflict  was  renewed  in 
various  places.  Many  of  the  enemy  took  shelter  behind  a  stone  guard 
house,  where  a  piece  of  ordnance  was  now  briskly  served.  I  ordered  the 
fire  of  our  battery  to  be  directed  upon  the  guard-house ;  and  it  was  so 
effectually  done  that  with  eight  or  ten  shot  the  fire  was  silenced.  The  ene 
my  then  retreated  behind  a  large  store  house ;  but,  in  a  short  time  the  rout 
became  general,  and  the  enemy's  fire  was  silenced,  except  from  a  one  gun 
battery,  so  far  down  the  river  as  to  be  out  of  the  reach  of  our  heavy  ord 
nance,  and  our  light  pieces  could  not  silence  it.  A  number  of  boats  now 
passed  over  unannoyed,  except  by  the  one  unsilenced  gun.  For  some  time, 
after  I  had  passed  over,  the  victory  appeared  complete  ;  but,  in  expecta 
tion  of  further  attacks,  I  was  taking  measures  for  fortifying  my  camp  im 
mediately  ;  the  direction  of  this  service  I  committed  to  Lieut.  Totten  of 
the  Engineers.  But  very  soon  the  enemy  were  reinforced  by  a  detach 
ment  of  several  hundred  Indians  from  Chip-pewa;  they  commenced  a  fu 
rious  attack,  but  were  promptly  met  and  routed  by  the  rifle  and  bayonet. 
By  this  time,  I  perceived  my  troops  were  embarking  very  slowly.  I  pas 
sed  immediately  over  to  accelerate  their  movements,  but,  to  my  utter  as 
tonishment,  I  found,  that,  at  the  very  moment  when  complete  victory  was 
in  our  hands,  the  ardour  of  the  unengaged  troops  had  entirely  subsided. 
I  rode  in  all  directions  ;  urged  the  men  by  every  consideration  to  pass 
over  —  but  in  vain.  Lieut.  Col.  Bloom,  who  had  been  wounded  in  the 
action,  returned,  mounted  his  horse,  and  rode  through  the  camp,  as  did 
also  Judge  Peck,  who  happened  to  be  there  exhorting  the  companies  to 
proceed  —  but  all  in  vain. 

At  this  time  a  large  reinforcement  from  Fort  George  was  discovered 
coming  up  the  river.  As  the  battery  on  the  hill  was  considered  an  im 
portant  check  against  their  ascending  the  heights,  measures  were  imme 
diately  taken  to  send  them  a  fresh  supply  of  ammunition,  as  I  learned 
there  were  left  only  twenty  shot  for  the  eighteen-pounders.  The  rein 
forcements,  however,  obliqued  to  the  right  from  the  road,  and  formed  a 
junction  with  the  Indians  in  the  rear  of  the  heights.  Finding,  to  my 
infinite  mortification,  that  no  reinforcement  would  pass  over,  seeing  that 
another  severe  conflict  must  soon  commence,  and  knowing  that  the  brave 
men  at  the  heights  were  quite  exhausted,  and  nearly  out  of  ammunition, 
all  I  could  do,  was  to  send  them  a  fresh  supply  of  cartridges.  At  this 
critical  moment  I  despatched  a  note  to  Gen.  Wadsworth,  acquainting  him 
with  our  situation,  leaving  the  course  to  be  pursued  much  to  his  own  judg 
ment,  with  assurance  that,  if  he  thought  best  to  retreat,  I  would  endeavour 
to  send  as  many  boats  as  I  could  command,  and  cover  his  retreat,  by  every 
fire  I  could  safely  make  \  but  the  boats  were  dispersed ;  many  of  the 
boatmen  had  fled  panic  struck,  and  but  few  got  off.  My  note,  however, 
could  but  little  more  than  have  reached  Gen.  W.  about  4  o'clock,  when 
a  most  severe  and  obstinate  conflict  commenced,  and  continued  about  half 
an  hour,  with  a  tremendous  fire  of  cannon,  flying  artillery,  and  nfusketry. 
The  enemy  succeeded  in  repossessing  their  battery,  and  gaining  advan 
tage  on  every  side.  The  brave  men  who  had  gained  the  victory,  ex- 

33 


258  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

hausted  of  strength  and  ammunition,  and  grieved  at  the  unpardonable 
neglect  of  their  fellow-soldiers,  gave  up  the  conflict.  lean  only  add,  that 
the  victory  was  really  won,  but  lost  for  the  want  of  a  small  reinforcement ; 
one-third  part  of  the  idle  men  miuht  have  saved  all. 

I  have  the  honour  to  be;  &c. 

STEPHEN  VAN  RENSSELAER. 
Hon.  William  Eustis,  Secretary  of  War. 

"  The  army  on  the  Straits  of  Niagara  could  have  been  assembled  for 
offense  only :  therefore  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  in  making  the  attack,  ful 
filled  the  obligations  of  duty,  and  the  views  of  government.  Advocate  as 
I  am  for  the  yeomanry  of  my  country,  I  can  find  no  excuse  for  the  con 
duct  of  the  militia  on  that  occasion.  13y  imperiously  demanding  the 
attack  on  Queenston,  they  virtually  pledged  themselves  to  support  it. 
The  attack  was  made,  but  their  pledge  remained  unredeemed  ;  if  the 
militia  had  been  faithful  to  their  engagements,  and  true  to  themselves, 
the  whole  might  have  passed  the  straits  before  the  arrival  of  the  British 
column  under  General  Sheaffe,  whom  they  might  have  cut  off  from  Fort 
George,  and  captured  or  destroyed,  after  which  the  surrender  of  the  fort 
would  have  become  a  matter  of  form." 

The  following  piquant  account  is  from  Gen.  Wilkinson,  to  the  secretary 
of  war,  just  after  the  battle.  "  The  enemy  ascertained  Van  Rensselaer's 
approach  by  the  sound  of  his  oars,  and  opened  their  fire  from  the  top  of 
the  bank,  as  soon  as  they  could  discern  his  movements,  by  which  Lieut. 
Rathbone  was  mortally  wounded  on  board  of  Col.  Van  Rensselaer's  boat. 
The  landing  was  effected  with  two  hundred  and  twenty-five  men.  who 
formed  under  a  very  warm  fire,  climbed  the  bank  and  routed  the  enemy 
at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  without  firing  a  shot;  but  in  this  operation 
Ensign  Morris  was  killed,  and  Captains  Malcolm,  Armstrong  and  Wool 
were  wounded,  and  a  number  of  men  killed  and  wounded.  Colonel  Van 
Rensselaer  himself  was  peculiarly  unfortunate,  and  to  the  accident  which 
befel  him,  the  day's  disaster  may  be  partly  attributed  j  he  received  one 
ball  in  his  hip  which  passed  out  at  his  spine,  two  in  his  thigh,  one  of 
which  lodged,  two  in  his  leg,  and  a  sixth  contused  his  heel  j  he  however 
kept  his  feet,  and  the  enemy  having  fled  towards  the  town,  with  great 
presence  of  mind  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  directed  his  officers  to  proceed  with 
rapidity  and  storm  the  fort.  He  ordered  Capt.  Wool,  the  senior  officer 
capable  of  duty,  to  ascend  the  mountain  and  carry  the  battery  ;  giving 
him  a  olirection  for  his  movement,  by  which  he  would  avoid  the  fire  of  the 
enemy's  artillery;  placing  Lieutenants  Randolph  and  Gansevoort,  who 
volunteered,  at  the  head  of  the  little  column,  and  Major  Lush,  another 
volunteer,  in  the  rear,  with  orders  to  put  to  death  the  first  man  who 
should  fall  back.  During  this  time  he  had  concealed  his  wounds  under 
a  great  coat,  borrowed  from  Major  Lush,  and  when  the  party  had  filed 
off  before  him,  no  longer  able  to  support  himself,  he  fell  to  the  ground/' 
with  excessive  weakness.  Even  then  his  voice  was  still  heard  animating 
his  men  and  ordering  them  to  "push  on  and  'storm  the  battery."  The 
service  was  gallantly  performed.  That  battery  was  taken  as  well  as  every 
other  work  of  the  enemy  at  Queenston.  Had  not  Col.  Van  Rensselaer 
been  so  badly  wounded,  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  he  would  have  retained 
possession."  It  was  just  then  clear  day-light,  and  he  found  hinaself  among 
the  wounded,  the  dying  and  the  dead.  A  crust  of  bread,  and  some  water, 
furnished  by  one  of  the  former,  prevented  him  from  fainting.  The  an- 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  259 

guish  resulting  from  his  wounds,  and  every  selfish  feeling,  was  silenced 
by  the  contemplation  of  his  wounded  companions;  but  these  lost  much  of 
their  interest,  when  put  in  competition  with  his  anxiety  for  the  safety  and 
success  of  the  gallant  detachment  he  had  ordered  to  the  heights.  It 
pleased,  however  the  great  Disposer  of  events,  that  this  anxiety  should  be 
short-lived,  and  for  the  blood  he  had  thus  spilled  in  his  country's  cause, 
he  was  remunerated  by  the  shouts  of  victory. 

"  I  had  marked  this  patriot  soldier  some  eighteen  years  before,  when 
1  the  callow  down  had  scarce  began  to  shade  his  cheek,  and  call  him  man,' 
giving  earnest  of  future  promise,  and  asserting  claims  to  future  fame  ; 
beheld  him  in  a  gallant  charge  at  the  head  of  his  troop,  shot  through  the 
body,  and  with  the  blood  oozing  from  his  lungs,  still  smiling  with  com 
placency  ;  yet  since  the  days  of  General  Washington  nor  the  blood  of  the 
father  nor  the  son  has  found  grace  in  the  eyes  of  the  executive  ;  and 
amidst  thousands  of  offices  which  have  been  indiscriminately  lavished  on 
the  worthy  and  the  worthless,  this  faithful  citizen  and  honorable  man  has 
not  been  deemed  worthy  of  attention." 

From  the  Canada  side  Colonel  Van  Rensselaer  was  brought  over  with 
five  bleeding  wounds,  from  the  boat,  after  crossing  the  river,  he  was  taken 
to  our  camp  about  10  o'clock  in  the  morning.  "  Arad  Joy,  Esq.,  who 
was  paymaster  of  Colonel  tlenry  Bloom's  regiment,  had  charge  of  the 
wagons  that  conveyed  the  wounded  to  the  hospital  on  the  ridge  road, 
two  miles  from  the  village.  The  loss  of  blood  caused  Colonel  Van  Rens 
selaer  to  be  chilly.  He  sat  upon  a  board  across  the  top  of  the  wagon- 
box,  without  a  groan  ;  and  as  we  met  the  soldiers  going  to  the  river  to 
cross,  he  would  call  out  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  '  Go  on,  my  brave  fellows, 
the  day  is  our  own.'  It  cheered  up  and  encouraged  them.  He  was 
taken  to  good  quarters  in  a  private  house.  The  head  surgeon,  with  his 
instruments,  was  along.  We  were  about  to  lift  him  out,  but  he  declined, 
and  pointing  to  some  wounded  soldiers  said,  '  take  those  poor  fellows  out 
first.'  We  carried  him  into  the  house  and  seated  him  on  a  chair.  His 
boots  were  filled  with  blood,  which  was  gushing  from  his  thigh,  and 
plainly  to  be  seen  through  his  pantaloons.  The  boots,  at  Van  Rensselaer's 
request,  were  cut  from  his  feet.  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  previous  to  the 
battle  had  been  sick  with  fever,  and  had  only  left  his  bed  to  attend  to 
preparations  for  the  invasion.  The  disease  and  his  wounds  so  prostrated 
him  that  for  several  days  his  life  was  in  extreme  peril.  It  was  not  until 
five  days  after  the  battle  that  he  could  be  moved  from  Lewiston,  and  such 
was  the  severity  of  Col.  V.  R.'s  wounds  that  the  transfer  could  not  be 
effected  in  any  carriage.  Then  a  cot  was  rigged  with  cross-bars  and  side- 
poles,  on  which  he  was  carried  on  the  18th  of  October  by  a  detachment 
.of  Major  Mosely's  Rifle  Battalion,  who  were  placed  under  the  command 
of  Ensign  Grosvenor,  on  their  shoulders  to  Schlosser.  There  they  pro 
cured  a  boat  and  the  following  day,  the  same  party  rowed  him  to  Buffalo 
and  then  carried  him  to  Landers'.  How  much  he  was  beloved  may  be 
inferred  from  the  fact  that  this  same  company  of  compassionate  soldiers 
volunteered  to  carry  him  on  their  shoulders  from  Buffalo  all  the  way  to 
Albany. 

"  The  most  intense  anxiety  was  felt  on  the  American  side  to  learn  the 
result  of  the  daring  attempt,  but  soon  came  painful  intelligence  that  the 
gallant  leader  had  fallen  covered  with  wounds.  And  upon  the  heels  of 
that  unpleasant  news,  the  report  came  that  Colonel  Fenwick  had  also 
fallen,  dangerously  wounded.  Then^too,  the  retreat  of  seventy-five  of  the 


260  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

detachment  under  Capt.  Lawrence,  and  Col.  Christie's  return  produced  a 
most  pernicious  effect  on  the  militia,  particularly  as  the  party  made  no 
immediate  attempt  to  effect  a  passage.  The  natural  reflection  produced 
by  this  spectacle  in  the  minds  of  the  yeomanry  was,  '  if  the  regular  troops 
cannot  cross  the  river,  surely  it  cannot  be  expected  of  us/  Thousands  of 
spectators  were  looking  on,  and  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  incident 
staggered  their  resolution  and  inclined  them  to  march  home  rather  than 
against  the  enemy." 


CHAPTER  XH. 

RESIGNATION  OP  MAJOR  GEN.  STEPHEN  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

"  General  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer  was  not  a  military  man.  He  was 
possessed  of  great  wealth,  extensive  social  influence  and  was  a  leading 
federalist.  His  appointment  was  a  stroke  of  policy  to  secure  friends  to 
the  war  among  that  party.  It  was  only  on  condition  that  Solomon  Van 
Rensselaer,  the  adjutant  general  who  had  been  in  military  service,  should 
accompany  him,  that  he  consented  to  take  the  post.  It  was  well  under 
stood  that  Colonel  Van  Rensselaer  would  be  the  general,  in  a  practical 
military  point  of  view.  Lieutenant  Colonel  Wiufield  Scott  had  arrived 
at  Schlosser,  two  miles  above  the  falls,  at  the  head  of  his  regiment  when 
he  was  informed  by  Col.  James  Collier  of  the  intended  expedition  against 
Queenston.  He  immediately  mounted  his  horse  and  dashed  toward 
head  quarters  as  speedily  as  the  horrid  condition  of  the  road  would  allow. 
He  presented  himself  to  the  commanding  general,  and  earnestly  solicited 
the  privilege  of  taking  a  part  in  the  invasion  with  his  command.  '  The 
arrangements  for  the  expedition  are  all  completed,  sir/  said  General  Van 
Rensselaer.  4  Colonel  Van  Rensselaer  is  in  chief  command,  Lieutenant 
Colonels  Christie  and  Fenwick  have  waived  their  rank  for  the  occasion, 
and  you  may  join  the  expedition  as  a  volunteer,  if  you  will  do  the  same.' 
Van  Rensselaer  wisely  determined  not  to  have  a  divided  command.  Scott 
was  unwilling  to  yield  his  rank ;  but  he  pressed  his  suit  so  warmly  that  it 
was  agreed  that  he  should  bring  on  his  regiment,  take  position  on  the 
heights  of  Lewiston  with  his  cannon,  and  co-operate  in  the  attack  as  cir 
cumstances  might  warrant.  Scott  hastened  back  to  Schlosser,  put  his 
regiment  in  motion,  and  by  a  forced  march  through  the  deep  mud  reached 
Lewiston  at  four  o'clock  in  the  morning  of  October  13th.  Again  he  im 
portuned  for  permission  to  participate  directly  in  the  enterprise,  but  in 
vain.  His  rank  would  be  equal,  on  the  field,  to  that  of  Colonel  Van 
Rensselaer,  who  had  originated  and  planned  the  whole  affair,  and  who  the 
commanding  general  resolved  should  have  the  honor  of  winning  the  laurels 
to  be  obtained  by  leadership. 

"  After  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  was  returned  to  the  American  side  dan 
gerously  wounded,  the  permission  to  cross  the  river,  was  given  by  Gen. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  261 

Van  Rensselaer  to  Colonel  Scott,  and  take  command  of  the  troops  on  the 
heights,  which  he  did,  and  fought  bravely.  Gen.  Wadsworth  was  already 
on  the  field,  having  crossed  without  orders.  The  generous  and  patriotic 
Wadsworth  promptly  waived  his  rank,  aud  said,  '  You,  sir,  know  profes 
sionally  what  ought  to  be  done.  I  ani  here  for  the  honor  of  my  country 
and  that  of  the  New  York  militia/  Scott  at  once  assumed  the  general 
command,  expecting  to  be  reinforced  by  the  militia  from  the  opposite 
shore.  He  was  doomed,  however,  to  most  profound  mortification  and  dis 
appointment."  Nine-tenths  of  our  forces  a4  Lewiston  operated  upon  by 
'  conscientious  scruples'  refused  to  listen  to  the  expostulations  of  the 
major  general  to  follow  him  to  the  support  of  their  gallant  comrades  who 
had  commenced  the  day  under  such  flattering  prospects.  Gen.  Wadsworth 
communicated  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer's  note  to  the  field  officers.  Escape 
was  now  impossible,  and  to  fight  longer  was  not  only  useless  but  madness. 
After  a  brief  consultation  with  Towson  and  Christie,  a  capitulation  was 
determined  upon.  A  flag  was  accordingly  sent,  with  a  proposition. 
After  waiting  for  some  time  without  any  tidings  another  was  sent,  and 
afterward  yet  another,  neither  of  which  returned,  they  had  all  been  shot 
by  the  Indians.  Scott  therefore  determined  to  go  with  the  flag  himself. 
Towson  aud  Christie  both  resolved  to  accompany  their  commander  ;  a 
white  neck-tie  taken  from  Capt.  Towson's  throat,  was  fixed  on  the  point 
of  Col.  Scott's  sword  which  he  bore  aloft,  being  the  tallest,  sheltering  them 
selves  behind  rocks.  "  Just  as  they  .gained  the  road,  two  Indians  who 
had  been  aiming  at  Scott  in  the  morning,  the  young  and  agile  chief  Brant 
and  the  more  muscular  Captain  Jacobs,  sprang  upon  them  like  tigers  from 
their  lairs.  Scott  remonstrated,  and  made  known  the  character  in  which 
he  was  seeking  the  British  commander,  but  to  no  purpose.  The  Indians 
grappled  with  them  fiercely,  and  Jacobs  succeeded  in  wrenching  the 
sword  from  the  colonel's  hand.  The  blades  of  Towson  and  Christie 
instantly  leaped  from  their  scabbards,  and  the  Indians  were  raising  their 
hatchets  when  a  British  sergeant  rushed  forward  hoarsely  exclaiming, 
'  Honor'  '  Honor  !'r  aud  having  a  guard  with  him,  the  combatants  were 
separated,  and  Colonel  Scott  was  conducted  to  the  presence  of  General 
Sheaffe,  to  whom  he  proposed  a  surrender,. arid  with  whom  terms  of  cap 
itulation  were  speedily  arranged,  the  general  at  once  saying  that  they 
should  be  treated  with  all  the  honors  of  war.  Orders  were  immediately 
given  that  the  firing  should  cease ;  but  these  orders  were  not  promptly 
obeyed,  which  caused  a  remonstrance  from  Col.  Scott,  aud  finally  a  peremp 
tory  demand  to  be  conducted  back  to  his  troops.  This  prolonged  fire 
was  from  the  Indians,  whom  Gen.  Sheaffe  admitted  he  could  not  control, 
as  they  were  exceedingly  exasperated  at  the  amount  of  their  loss,  but  they 
were  presently  compelled  to  desist.  When  Col.  Scott  under  the  protec 
tion  of  the  flag  of  truce  had  been  conducted  to  the  British  camp  and  com 
pleted  the. preliminary  capitulation,  then  Brigadier  General  Wadsworth, 
who  was  in  command  when  the  army  surrendered,  delivered  his  sword  to 
General  Sheaffe  in  person.  The  ceremony  of  formal  surrender  occurred 
at  near  sunset,  when  the  prisoners,  officers  aud  men  were  marched  to  the 
village  of  Newark  at  the  mouth  of  the  Niagara  river  the  same  evening, 
where  the  colonel  and  his  two  principal  officers  were  quartered  in  a  small 
tavern,  having  invitations  the  first  evening  to  dine  with  General  Sheaffe. 
"  While  waiting  for  the  arrival  of  an  officer  to  conduct  them  to  the 
general's  quarters,  there  was  another  incident,  equally  spirited  and  even 
more  startling  than  the  scene  with  the  two  Indians  by  the  road  side. 


262  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Just  at  twilight,  a  little  girl  entered  the  parlor,  with  a  message  that  some 
body  in  the  hall  desired  to  see  the  '  tall  officer.'  Colonel  Scott  thereupon 
stepped  out  of  the  parlor,  unarmed,  of  course,  into  the  hall  which  was 
dark  and  narrow,  and  withal  incommoded  by  a  stairway  ;  but  what  was 
his  astonishment  on  again  meeting  face  to  face,  his  evil  geniuses,  the 
brawny  Captain  Jacobs  and  the  light-limbed  chief!  The  colonel  had 
shut  the  door  behind  him  as  he  left  the  parlor ;  but  there  was  a  sentinel 
standing  at  the  outer  door,  who  had  improperly  allowed  the  Indians  to 
pass  in.  The  dusky  visitors  stepped  up  to  the  colonel  without  cere 
mony,  and  the  younger,  who  alone  spoke  English,  made  a  brief  inquiry 
as  to  the  number  of  balls  which  had  cut  through  his  clothes,  intimating 
astonishment  that  they  had  both  been  firing  at  him  almost  the  whole  day, 
without  effect.  But  while  the  young  Indian  was  thus  speaking,  Jacobs, 
rudely  seizing  the  colonel  by  the  arm,  attempted  to  whirl  him  round,  ex 
claiming  in  broken  English,  'me  shoot  so  often,  me  sure  to  have  hit 
somewhere.'  '  Hands  off,  you  scoundrel,'  cried  Scott,  indignant  at  such 
freedom  with  his  person,  and  adding  a  scornful  expression,  '  you  fired 
like  a  squaw/  thus  reflecting  upon  the  Indian's  skill  as  a  marksman,  as 
he  flung  him  from  him. 

•'  The  Indians  drew  instantly  both  dirk  and  tomahawk,  when,  with  the 
rapidity  of  lightning,  Scott,  who  had  fortunately  espied  a  number  of 
swords  standing  at  the  end  of  the  passage,  seized  one  from  its  iron  sheath, 
and  placed  himself  in  a  posture  of  defense  against  the  menacing  Indians. 
As  they  stood  in  this  picturesque  attitude,  Scott  with  his  sword  ready  to 
strike,  and  the  Indians  with  their  tomahawks  and  dirks  in  the  air,  frown 
ing  defiance  upon  each  other,  both  parties  awaiting  the  first  blow,  Colonel 
Coffin,  who  had  been  sent  with  a  guard  to  conduct  Scott  to  the  general's 
quarters  to  dinner,  sprang  into  the  passage,  and  cried  '  Hold  !'  Compre 
hending  at  a  glance  the  dangerous  position  of  Scott,  he  interfered  at  once, 
by  sharp  remonstrance,  and  also  by  weapon,  in  his  defense.  Jacobs, 
exasperated,  turned  upon  Colonel  Coffin,  and,  uttering  a  menace,  his 
companion  also  unguardedly  turned  to  observe  the  issue  of  the  new  com 
bat.  The  scene  was  of  "the  most  exciting  and  earnest  character.  The 
Indians  having  thus  turned  upon  Coffin,  one  of  them  exclaimed,  '  I  kill 
you  !  '  Scott  instantly  raised  his  sabre,  which  was  heavy  and  substantial, 
so  that  a  descending  blow  would  have  fallen  upon  both  the  savages  at 
once,  and  called  out,  '  If  you  strike,  I  will  kill  you  both  ! '  For  a  moment 
they  stood  frowning  j  the  piercing  eyes  of  the  Indians  gleaming  with  wild 
and  savage  fury,  while  Scott  and  Coffin  alike  looked  upon  both  with 
angry  defiance,  all  with  upraised  arms  and  glittering  steel.  Recovering 
somewhat  from  the  gust  of  passion  into  which  they  had  been  thrown, 
the  Indians  then  slowly  dropped  their  arms  and  retired.  The  officer  who 
thus  came  to  the  rescue,  was  the  aid  of  General  Sheaffe,  whose  errand 
was  to  conduct  the  colonel  to  dinner,  and  who,  by  this  tirnejy  arrival, 
probably^saved  his  life.  The  young  chief  John  Brant,  though  only  eight 
een  years  of  age,  had  that  day,  for  the  first  time,  led  his  tribe  upon  the 
war  path,  it  was  no  part  of  the  young  chief's  design  to  inflict  injury  upon 
the  captive  American  commander.  His  whole  character  forbids  the  idea, 
for  he  was  as  generous  and  benevolent  in  his  feelings  as  he  was  brave. 

"  Having  been  exhausting  much  ammunition  upon  the  colonel  during 
the  day,  this  visit  was  one  of  curiosity,  to  ascertain  how  near  they  had  come 
to  the  accomplishment  of  their  object.  Like  Cassius,  the  Indian  bears 
anger  as  the  flint  does  fire  though  not  always  cold  so  soon.  It  was  the 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  263 

same  with  Scott.  Neither  would  allow  of  personal  freedom,  the  colonel 
did  not  fully  comprehend  the  object  of  their  visit,  and  a  sudden  rencontre, 
that  had  well  nigh  proved  fatal,  was  the  consequence. 

u  Col  Scott  had  counted  his  own  men  and  knew  there  were  less  than 
three  hundred,  but  shortly  after,  the  general  order  of  Gen.  Sheaffe  ap 
peared,  it  was  announced  that  nine  hundred  Americans  were  taken  pri 
soners.  Col.  Scott  immediately  called  upon  Gen.  Sheaffe,  and  remonstrated 
against  such  an  exaggeration.  On  an  investigation  of  the  discrepancy,  it 
appeared  that  several  hundred  militia  had  crossed  over  during  the  morning. 
Two  hundred  of  them  under  Major  Mullany,  who  crossed  early  in  the  day, 
were  forced  by  the  current  of  the  river  under  the  range  of  Vrooman's 
battery,  and  were  captured.  Two  hundred  and  ninety-three,  who  were  in 
the  battle  were  surrendered,  and  the  remainder,  having  seen  the  wounded 
crossing  the  river,  the  painted  Indians,  and  the  '  green  tigers,'  as  they 
called  the  49th,  whose  coats  were  faced  with  green,  skulked  below  the 
banks,  not  engaging  in  the  battle.  But  they  were  a  part  of  the  invading 
army,  were  found  on  British  soil,  and  were  properly  prisoners  of  war. 
The  British  soldiers,  after  the  battle,  plucked  them  from  their  hiding- 
places,  and  made  them  a  part  of  the  triumphal  procession  with  which  Gen. 
Sheaffe  returned  to  Fort  George. 

"Taking  all  things  into  consideration  the  passage  of  the  river,  the  nature 
of  the  ground,  the  rawness  of  the  troops,  the  absence  of  cannon,  and  the 
first  military  combat  in  which  either  men  or  officers  (with  the  single  excep 
tion  of  Colonel  Van  Rensselaer)  had  been  engaged,  the  events  of  that  day 
were,  indeed,  a  display  of  intrepidity  rarely  exhibited  in  which  the  condcut 
and  the  execution  were  equally  conspicuous.  Under  all  the  circumstances, 
and  on  the  scale  of  the  operations,  the  impartial  soldier  and  competent 
judge  will  name  this  brilliant  affair  a  chef  d'oeuvre  of  the  war. 

"  After  the  fall  of  Colonel  Van  Rensselaer,  Captain  John  E.  Wool  became 
the  hero  of  the  day,  both  in  storming  and  carrying  the  heights,  notwith 
standing  a  flesh  wound,  and  in  causing  the  death  of  both  General  Brock 
and  his  aid.  The  names  of  the  officers  who  accompanied  Col.  Van  Rens 
selaer  on  this  hardy  enterprise,  (Major  Lush,  Lieuts.  Randolph  and  Gan- 
sevoort,  Lieut.  Rathbone,  Capts.  Malcolm,  Wool,  Armstrong,  Ogilvie  and 
Lieuts.  Kearney,  Sammons,  Carr,  Hugonin,  and  Ensign  Morris  of  the  13th 
infantry  of  whom  two  were  killed  and  four  wounded,  were  noble  men. 
The  conspicuous  gallantry  of  Lieutenant  Randolph  attracted  the  attention 
of  the  enemy  and  excited  the  admiration  of  his  brethren  in  arms)  they  all 
deserve  to  be  engraved  on  the  scroll  of  fame,  for  surmounting  obstacles 
almost  insuperable,  in  the  face  of  a  most  determined  enemy,  under  a  very 
heavy  fire,  and  dislodging  and  pursuing  a  superior  force,  composed  of  two 
companies  of  the  49th  British  regiment,  advantageously  posted,  with  a 
large  body  of  auxiliary  militia  and  Indians.  Here  true  valor,  so  often 
mistaken  for  animal  courage,  was  attested  by  an  appeal  to  the  bayonet, 
which  finally  decided  the  conflict  without  a  shot.  In  the  American  service, 
temerity  is  too  often  taken  for  bravery,  yet  the  distinction  between  them 
is  as  wide  as  between  blindness  and  vision  Marshal  Saxe  when  a  youth 
was  seen  to  court  danger  in  the  battle  of  Malplaquet,  and  afterwards  at  the 
siege  of  Bethune  in  Flanders,  for  which  he  was  complimented  by  the  tribe 
of  courtiers.  This  drew  from  Prince  Eugene  the  following  wholesome 
admonitions:  "La  temerite  ne-passera  pas  pour  bravoure,  vous  ne  devez 
pas  les  confondre,  car  les  connoisseurs  rie  s'y  meprendront  pas." 


264  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Gen.  Van  Rcnsselaer  to  Major  Gen.  Brock. 
Sir,  Head  Quarters,  Lewiston  13th  Oct.,  1812. 

Humanity  induces  me  to  request  your  permission  to  send  to  Queens- 
town  some  Surgeons  to  attend  the  officers  and  men  who  have  had  the  mis 
fortune  to  be  wounded  this  day,  and  are  prisoners  at  Queenstown. 

Agreeably  to  the  proposition  which  I  had  this  afternoon  the  honor  to 
receive,  as  coming  from  you,  I  have  agreed  to  a  cessation  of  firing  for 
three  days.  I  have  the  honour,  &c. 

Major  General  Isaac  Brock. 

Major  Gen.  Sheaffe  to  Gen.    Van    Rensselaer. 

Sir,  Fort  George,  13th  Oct.,  1812. 

I  lose  not  a  moment  in  acknowledging  the  receipt  of  your  letter  of  this 
date,  and  am  pleased  to  learn,  at  the  same  time,  that  the  officer  command 
ing  at  Queenstown,  having  opened  it.  had  acceded  to  your  proposal  of 
sending  surgeons  to  aid  the  wounded  prisoners,  without  incurring  the 
delay  which  would  have  been  occasioned  by  a  reference  to  me  ; .  but,  as 
our  means  of  affording  assistance  to  them,  as  well  as  to  our  own  wounded, 
may  be  inadequate,  I  beg  leave  to  propose  that  the  wounded  prisoners, 
whose  cases  may  admit  of  removal,  should  be  sent  over  to  you,  on  con 
dition  of  not  serving  again,  until  regularly  exchanged.  Though  the  pro 
position  which  I  had  the  honour  of  making  to  you  to  day,  did  not  go  to 
the  extent  which,  by  some  mistake,  you  were  led  to  suppose,  yet  I  readily 
concur  with  you  in  agreeing  to  a  cessation  of  firing  for  three  days,  and  I 
transmit  orders  to  that  effect  to  the  officers  commanding  at  the  several 
posts  on  this  line.  I  have  the  honour  &c. 

Major  General  Van  Rensselaer,  commanding  Lewiston. 

Major  Gen.  Sheaffe  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 

Sir,  Fort  George  13th  Oct.,  1812. 

Having  delayed  sending  my  accompanying  letter  to  give  General  Wads- 
worth,  and  the  other  officers,  who  are  prisoners,  an  opportunity  of  sending  for 
some  necessary  articles,  I  have  the  honor,  at  the  same  time  to  propose  an 
Exchange  of  Prisoners,  including  those  who  were  taken  some  days  ago  in 
the  two  Vessels  cut  out  from  Fort  Erie  Harbour.  I  have  further  to  pro 
pose,  Sir,  that  the  Militia,  taken  prisoners,  exceeding  the  number  that  may 
be  exchange,  shall  be  restored  to  their  homes  and  families  under  an 
engagement  not  to  serve  against  Great  Britain,  or  her  Allies,  during  the 
war,  or  until  regularly  exchanged.  I  have  the  honour  &c. 

Major  General  Van  Rensselaer. 

Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Major  Gen.  Brock.1 
Sir,  Head  Quarters  Lewiston  14th  Oct.,  1812. 

Agreeably  to  your  permission,  verbally  communicated,  last  night,  to 
Capt.  Dox,  I  send  Surgeons  for  the  purpose  proposed.  And  I  have, 
now,  to  request,  that  an  officer  and  Detachment  of  men,  sufficient  for  the 
purpose,  may  be  permitted  to  bring  the  Dead  Bodies  over  the  River  in  Boats. 
Also  to  send  the  officers,  who  are  prisoners,  their  Baggage  and  Cash. 

Major  General  Isaac  Brock.  .      I  have  the  honour  &c. 

1  Although  it  was  reported  and  believed  that  the  commander,  General  Brock,  had 
fallen,  it  was  not  yet  officially  known,  and  consequently  the  official  despatches 
were  still  addressed  to  the  dead  hero. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  265 

Capt.  J.  Dennis  to  Gen,  Van  Rensselaer. 
Sir,  Queenstown  14th  October,  1812. 

I  am  directed  to  inform  you,  by  Major  Gen.  Sheaffe,  that  the  service 
'  of  burying  the  dead  was  ordered  at  an  early  hour  yesterday  evening:  and 
in  consequence,  I  proceeded  with  that  duty  to  the  fallen  brave  at  an  early 
hour  this  morning,  which  wascompleated  as  far  as  they  could  be  discovered 
in  the  wood,  when  your  letter  of  this  date  arrived  this  forenoon.  Had  I 
known  of  your  wishes,  yesterday  evening,  I  should  have  given  every  assist 
ance  within  my  power  towards  their  satisfaction. 

I  have  the  Honor  to  be,  Sir,  Your  Obt.  Hble.  Sert., 

J.  DENNIS,  Capt.  49,  Gen.  Commanding. 
Major  General  Van  Rensselaer. 

Gen.  Sheaffe  to  Gen.   Van  Rensselaer. 

Sir,  Fort  George,  14th  Oct.  1812. 

I  have  the  honor  of  receiving  your  letter  of  this  date  respecting  the 
employing  an  officer  and  a  sufficient  number  of  men  to  collect  and  convey 
over  the  Bodies  of  the  Dead  for  the  purpose  of  burial,  this  service  is 
reported  to  me  to  have  been  nearly  completed,  in  consequence  of  orders 
which  I  gave  yesterday.  But  should  any  body,  or  bodies  still  remain  unin- 
terred  that  you  may  particularly  desire  to  have  possession  of,  the  officer 
commanding  at  Queenstown  shall  be  directed  to  afford  every  facility  for 
recognizing  and  removing  them.  I  have  the  honor  to  be 

Major  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer.  with  great  Respect. 

Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Gen.  Sheaffe. 
Sir,  Head  Quarters,  Lewiston  14th  Oct.  1812. 

I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  your  letter  of  this  date 
relative  to  the  Bodies  of  the  Dead.  I  know  of  no  particular  case  in  which, 
under  existing  circumstances,  I  ought  to  avail  myself  of  your  humane 
permission.  To  the  general  Proposition  contained  in  your  letter  of  yes 
terday,  respecting  the  Exchange  of  Prisoners,  I  readily  accede;  and  now 
send  Captain  Dox  who  will  immediately  meet  such  Agent  as  you  may 
please  to  appoint  to  confer  on  the  subject,  and  make  such  arrangements 
as  may  most  speedily  carry  the  agreement  into  effect. 

Major  General  Sheaffe.  I  have  the  honor  &c.,  &c. 

Gen.  Wadsworth  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Sir,  Newark,  Upper  Canada.. Oct.,  14,  1812. 

It  falls  to  my  lot  to  observe  that  myself  and  upwards  of  Forty  Officers 
are  prisoners  at  this  place.  Many  officers  and  soldiers  fell  yesterday. 
I  am  not  yet  made  acquainted  with  what  the  situation  of  my  Officers  and 
Soldiers  is  to  be.  We  arc  yet  in  much  confusion.  Much  difficulty  arises 
this  morning  for  the  want  of  Specie ;  the  Officers,  generally,  the  State 
Bank  Bills  will  not  be  received  at  all.  If  the  officers  could  be  relieved 
by  an  exchange  of  Bills  for  silver,  it  would  be  much  for  their  comfort. 
Excuse  me  from  saying  anything  further  at  this  moment.  I  hope  soon  to 
have  the  liberty  of  writing  you  again.  I  cannot  conclude  without  ex 
pressing  my  satisfaction  of  the  treatment  received  from  Gen.  Sheaffe  and 
his  officers  since  we  fell  to  his  possession.  I  have  the  honor  &c. 

Maj.  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 

34 


266  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 


Major  Lovett  to  Joseph  Alexander. 
Dear  Alexander,  Evening  of  the  14th  October,  1812. 

I  told  you  the  dreadful  day  of  Battle  was  at  hand.  Yesterday  was  that 
day  in  good  earnest.  I  lament  that  I  am  not  in  situation  to  detail  all 
particulars.  I  can  only  sketch  the  outline.  But  first  let  me  tell  you  that 
Gen.  Van  Eensselaer  was  placed  in  a  situation  where  he  had  only  the  al 
ternative  of  eternal  disgrace  upon  his  own  Character,  and  the  army,  or  to 
give  the  enemy  Battle,  this  I  can  demonstrate  to  the  world.  Thus  situated 
he  decided  for  Battle.  At  4  oclock  yesterday  morning  our  column  of  300 
Militia  under  the  command  of  Col.  Van  Rensselaer ;  and  one  column  of 
300  Regulars,  under  the  command  of  Lieut.  Col.  Christie  embarked  in 
Boats  to  dislodge  the  enemy  from  the  Heights  of  Queenstown,  opposite 
our  camp.  They  were  to  land  under  cover  of  a  Battery  of  2  Eighteen 
Pounders,  and  two  Sixes.  As  the  fire  from  this  Battery  was  all  important 
and  to  be  directed  by  very  scant  light ;  and  if  illy  directed  would  be  fatal 
to  ourselves,  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  did  me  the  very  great  honor  to  direct  it. 
The  River  is  rapid,  and  full  of  whirlpools  an<jl  eddies;  the  movement  was 
instantly  discovered  ;  the  shore  was  one  incessant  blaze  from  Musketry  ; 
three  Batteries  pelted  upon  the  Boats.  My  Baftery  pelted  alternately 
upon  the  Batteries,  and  upon  Musketry  on  shore ;  while  a  snug  little 
mortar  near  by  complimented  my  battery  liberally  with  shells.  In  a  word 
the  scene  was  tremendous.  The  Boats  were  a  little  embarrassed.  But  Col. 
Van  Rensselaer  made  good  his  landing  in  a  perfect  sheet  of  fire.  He  had 
advanced  but  a  few  steps  when  he  received  a  shot  through  his  right  thigh, 
entering  just  back  of  the  hip  bone;  he  still  advanced  with  his  van;  re 
ceived  another  shot  through  the  same  thigh  ;  he  still  advanced  and  re 
ceived  a  third  shot  thro'  the  calf  of  his  left  leg;  he  still  advanced,  then  a 
fourth  shot  contused  his  heel  badly;  he  still  advanced  till  he  was  really 
riddled  by  other  balls  through  his  legs  and  thigh.  Thus  bleeding  at  six 
holes,  and  very  lame  in  his  heel,  he  halted  in  fire,  and  with  perfect  pre 
sence  of  mind,  directed  his  officers  of  whom  Stephen  Lush  was  one,  who  is 
now  with  us  urfhurt  [Lieut,  Lush  was  subsequently  dangerously  wounded 
before  Chippewa  in  October,  1814,]  to  rush  forward  and  storm  the  first 
Battery.  It  was  gallantly  done.  Both  parties  reinforced  fast;  every 
Battery  played  its  best.  The  conflict  spread  wide  and  became  general 
over  the  Heights.  The  enemy  gave  way,  and  fled  in  every  direction.  A 
large  body  of  them  got  behind  a  stone  Guard-House,  in  which  was  mounted 
a  piece  of  heavy  ordnance.  I  directed  both  18-Pounders  against  it,  we 
raked  them  severely;  and  at  the  eighth  shot  tumbled  up  a  heap  of  men, 
and  1  believe  dismounted  the  Gun  ;  at  any  rate  we  silenced  it.  The  Squad 
then  fled  behind  Judge  Hamilton's  stone  house,  our  Eighteen 's  raked 
them  from  there,  and  what  could,  fled  ;  with  our  sixes  we  used  grape  as 
opportunity  offered.  By  this  time,  about  10  o'clock  the  enemy's  fire,  ex 
cept  one  Gun,  out  of  our  reach,  down  the  river,  was  silenced,  victory 
semed  complete. 

[The  British  forces  were  driven  from  the  battery  down  the  heights, 
and  the  rising  sun  shone  upon  the  American  flag  on  the  Heights  of 
Quecnston,  proclaiming  victory.  This  gallant  and  brave  act  had  re 
deemed  our  young  officers  and  soldiers  from  the  charges  which  had 
been  profusely  made  of  cowardice  and  treachery,  but  they  were  too 
few  in  number  to  retain  the  advantages  they  had  so  brilliantly  gained. 
This  iimlvaled  effort  raised  the  character  of  the  army  in  the  estimation 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS  267 

of  the  people,  and  in  some  degree  served  to  wipe  out  the  national  dis 
honor  of  that  campaign.]  The  battle  was  long  and  severe.  Many 
are  killed  and  many  wounded  on  both  sides.  The  General  had  passed 
over  to  the  Heights,  but  sent  me  back  to  urge  on  the  troops  which 
were  passing  over  to  support  the  two  columns.  Soon  after  the  General 
got  over,  and  was  taking  a  bite  of  bread  and  cheese  in  John  Bull's 
barracks  (for  he  had  eaten  no  breakfast)  a  Detachment  of  some  hundreds 
of  Indians  from  Chippeway  arrived,  and  commenced  their  attack  with 
great  fury  :  but  the  Rifle  and  the  Bayonet  scattered  the  sons  of  Belial  and 
drove  them  to  the  woods.  Still  the  Reinforcements  moved  over  very 
slowly  and  in  short  stopped.  [The  General  returned  to  accelerate  them, 
he  mounted  a  borrowed  horse  and  I  rode  with  him  every  where  urging 
on  the  troops,  for  not  one  half  of  them  had  passed  over.  But  the  name 
of  Indian  ;  the  sight  of  the  wounded  brought  off,  or  the  devil,  or  something 
else,  petrified  them.  Not  a  Regiment,  not  a  company,  scarcely  a  man 
would  go.  Lt.  Col.  Bloom,  who  had  returned  wounded,  from  the  Heights, 
mounted  his  horse,  exhorted,  swore,  prayed,  the  troops  who  were  standing 
paraded,  with  arms  in  their  hands,  to  advance.  Next  (but  from  whence 
he  came  I  know  not)  OLD  JUDGE  PECK,  appeared,  with  a  large  cocked 
hat,  and  long  sword  with  a  broad  white  belt.  He  preached  and  prayed, 
but  in  vain.]  By  this  time  Gen.  Brock  had  got  a  large  reinforcement  of 
regulars  on  their  way  from  fort  George.  Knowing  that  our  grand  Battery 
was  the  best  check  to  their  ascending  the  Heights,  I  ran  my  horse  there, 
about  one  mile,  to  put  again  our  round  and  grape  shot  in  motion.  The 
four  pieces  were  shotted,  but  to  my  mortification,  before  the  reinforce 
ment  came  within  our  reach,  they  obliqued  to  the  right,  went  in  the  rear 
of  the  woods,  formed  a  junction  with  the  Indians,  and  prepared  to  renew 
the  attack.  The  Ammunition  of  the  men  on  the  Heights  was  nearly  ex 
pended,  for  they  had  now  fought,  with  little  intermission  for  eleven  hours. 
The  General  sent  them  some  supplies,  which  I  think  could  scarcely  have 
reached  them,  when  at  about  half  past  four  commenced  a  furious,  obsti 
nate  and  tremendous  conflict.  On  both  sides  fixed  cannon,  Flying  Artillery 
and  roll  of  musketry,  the  mountains  seemed  to  shake  beneath  the  stride 
of  death.  It  continued  about  half  a  hour  —  when  the  brave  fellows  who 
had  waded  through  blood  to  victory,  exhausted  of  strength  and  ammuni 
tion  [and  overwhelmed  with  grief  at  the  conduct  of  their  brother  soldiers,] 
yielded  the  day.  I  cannot  say  how  many  have  fallen  —  how  many  wounded, 
and  how  many  may  have  taken  to  the  woods  to  escape  the  fury  of  the 
Indians,  and  swim  or  otherwise  cross  the  river  as  they  can.  The  British 
have  suffered  much  :  BROCK  is  slain  :  his  Aid-de- Camp  Col.  McDonald, 
mortally  wounded.  General  Van  Rensselaer  is  perfectly  well,  and  his 
conduct  through  the  whole  action  would  do  honor  to  an  old  Soldier. 

This  day  has  been  spent  in  burying  dead,  dressing  wounded  on  both 
sides  of  the  river  —  collecting  together  again  the  public  property,  negotiat 
ing  an  exchange  of  prisoners,  and  all  the  duties  consequent  on  such  an 
obstinate  and  bloody  battle.  Both  parties  have  suffered  severely,  but 
which  the  most,  in  slain  I  cannot  tell.  We  took  but  few  prisoners  —  they 
have  taken  a  very  considerable  number,  among  whom  is  General  Wads- 
worth.  Reports  are  so  various,  that  I  might  injure  more  than  I  should 
console  by  details.  Lush  is  well,  Gansevoort  is  well,  both  here.  Sweney 
late  of  Albany,  is  wounded  and  a  prisoner,  but  the  Surgeon  who  dressed 
him,  tells  me  he  will  recover.  Rathbun,  I  have  heard  is  pretty  severely 
wounded  and  a  prisoner.  Capt.  John  E.  Wool  of  Troy  got  over,  I  have 


268  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

seen  him,  shot  thro'  the  buttocks,  but  he  behaved  very  well  in  action. 
Now  mind  this,  young  Smith,  nephew  of  Walter  Van  Vechten,  behaved 
well  in  action;  is  prisoner  at  Fort  George  —  well,  he  wrote  me  to  day,  he 
will  be  exchanged,  on  parole  in  a  few  days,  as  I  expect  all  the  Militia 
will.  General  Sheaffe  has  made  that  proposition  to  day.  Major  Mullany 
is  prisoner  unhurt.  Col.  Stranahan  is  prisoner,  I  believe  wounded,  but 
not  badly.  Grosvenor  (brother  of  Tom)  had  his  Rifle  cap  shot  through 
and  all  round,  but  he  is  unhurt  here.  Lt.  Col.  Fenwick  of  the  Light 
Artillery  has  severe  wounds,  he  may  recover,  he  was  taken ;  Grosvenor 
retook  him,  and  then  he  was  taken  again.  We  have  lost  a  number  of 
brave  officers. 

Solomon's  wounds  are  severe;  but  he  is  well  taken  care  of,  sleeping 
now  by  my  side,  and  there  is  no  doubt  of  his  recovery.  As  for  myself,  I 
am  exceedingly  exhausted  —  two  nights  without  a  wink  —  30  hours  without 
a  morsel.  I  have  a  little  fatigue  fever,  but  shall  be  well  :  indeed  I  do 
my  duty  now.  I  am  a  little  fearful  that  my  hearing  is  hurt.  I  stood  for 
hours  between  the  two  18  Pounders,  and  they  have  strained  my  head  too 
hard.  The  Shells  I  could  shun  by  falling  in  the  mud.  Pray  console  my 
family,  tell  them  to  bless  God  that  I  am  safe.  1  have  preserved  for  them 
one  cannon  Ball  which  passed  my  head  by  20  inches,  and  I  gave  a  soldier 
50  cents  to  dig  it  up  for  me".  In  the  end,  you  will  find  we  had  a  hard 
fought  day.  Truly  Yours, 

Mr.  Joseph  Alexander,  Albany.  JOHN  LOVETT. 

Col.  Van  Rensselaer  to  his  Wife. 

My  dear  Harriot,  Lewiston  15th  October,  1812. 

The  day  before  yesterday  a  little  before  day-break  I  crossed  the  river 
with  a  Detachment  of  Troops  and  opposite  to  this  place,  under  a  heavy 
fire  of  the  enemy  carried  an  important  post  on  the  Heights  of  Queenstown, 
which  owing  to  my  being  wounded,  was  soon  after  retaken  by  the  British. 
Had  there  been  more  men  cool  and  deliberate  with  the  officers,  they  would 
have  maintained  it  with  ease.  Many  were  killed  and  wounded  on  both 
sides.  Genl.  Brock  was  killed  and  his  Aid  mortally  wounded.  I  received 
Balls  near  my  hip,  in  my  thighs,  leg  and  a  contused  heel.  There  are  no 
bones  broken,  and  neither  of  them  dangerous,  though  very  painful.  The 
General  and  Lovett  are  well.  Stephen  Lush  acted  as  my  Aid,  Gansevoort 
was  also  with  me,  they  are  not  hurt.  Adieu,  keep  up  your  spirits,  and 
rest  assured  I  am  in  no  danger.  Kiss  the  children  for  me  and  my  love 
to  all.  1  am  my  dear  Harriot  your  sincere  and  affectionate  Husband. 

TXT      TT     •  .  TT      ™         i       TVT  SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Mrs.  Harriot  Van  Rensselaer,  Mount  Hope. 

Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Gen.  Sheaffe. 

Sir,  Head  Quarters,  Lewiston  15  Oct.,  1812. 

Capt.  Dox,  whom  I  yesterday  sent  to  Fort  George  to  make  the  necessary 
arrangements  for  an  Exchange  of  Prisoners,  being  assigned  for  other 
duty  this  day,  I  now  send  Col.  Winder,  to  complete  the  business,  and  I 
flatter  myself  there  will  be  no  objection  to  this  substitution.  Col.  Winder 
is  further  instructed  to  communicate  to  you  my  wishes  upon  several  sub 
jects,  (a  continuation  of  the  Armistice)  and  by  any  stipulation  which  he 
may  enter  into  respecting  them  I  shall  be  governed. 

i  01      rr  I  have  the  honour  &c. 

Major  General  Sheaffe. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  269 

Agreement  for  the  Exchange  of  Prisoners. 

The  Militia  to  be  crossed  over  to  Fort  Niagara  on  their  parole  not  to 
serve  during  the  war;  or  until  regularly  exchanged.  Take  Capt. 
Leonard's  Receipt  for  the  Number  crossed  over.  The  officers  to  be  exchanged 
from  the  line,  to  be  drawn  by  lot,  or,  by  the  direction  of  Major  General 
Van  Rensselaer.  A  Medical  Person  will  be  sent  over  tomorrow  to  select 
from  the  wounded  those  individuals  to  be  crossed  over.  This  Medical 
Officer  will,  also,  determine  the  case  of  any  wounded  officer  that  it  may  be 
advisable  to  have  paroled.  The  British  Prisoners,  at  Black  Rock,  to  be 
set  at  liberty  as  soon  as  possible  ;  and  those  at  Lewiston,  tomorrow  morning. 
The  Commanding  Officers  at  Fort  Erie  and  Queenstown,  respectively,  to 
give  Receipts  for  those  who  may  be  crossed  over  to  those  places. 

James  Mallay.  conductor  of  King's  stores,  to  be  exchanged  for  a  Sub 
altern  of  the  line.  The  Thirty-seven  Voyagers  to  be  considered  exchanged 
as  Militia.  Signed,  at  Newark. 

Wm.  Winder  Col  l^  Reg.  U.S.  Army. 

Thos.  Evans  Brigade  Major  Kings  Regt. 

Colonel  Winder  wrote  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  that  Maj.  Gen.  Sheaffe 
had  mentioned  to  him  an  Indian  chief  in  possession  of  Gen.  V.R.  as  a 
prisoner.  He  was  willing  to  exchange  him  for  a  major  of  militia.  The 
answer  was  in  substance  that  Indian  for  Indian  was  the  fair  exchange. 

Major  General  Sheaffe  to  Major  General  Van  Rensselaer. 

Sir,  Fort  George,  16th  Oct.,  1812. 

I  have  heard  with  great  regret  that  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  is  badly  wounded. 
If  there  be  any  thing  at  my  command,  that  your  side  of  the  river  cannot 
furnish,  which  would  be  either  useful  or  agreeable  to  him,  I  beg  that  you 
will  be  so  good  as  to  have  me  apprised  of  it. 

I  have  the  honour  to  be,  sir,  with  much  esteem, 

Your  very  devoted  servant, 

R.  H.  SHEAFFE. 

Major  Gen.  Sheaffe  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Sir,  Fort  George,  16th  Oct.,  1812. 

As  the  period  assigned  to  the  cessation  of  hostilities  is  drawing  to  a  ter 
mination  ;  ajid  the  intended  exchange  of  prisoners  and  sending  over  the 
wounded  and  the  militia  will  require  much  more  time  than  remains  of  it; 
and  as,  moreover,  part  of  this  day  is  to  be  devoted  to  paying  the  last  offices 
of  humanity  to  the  remains  of  my  departed  friend  and  General,  I  feel  it  to 
be  my  duty  to  propose  a  prolongation  of  the  armistice  to  such  a  period  as 
may  be  necessary  for  the  complete  execution  of  those  humane  purposes. 
Lists  are  prepared  for  all  the  prisoners  here,  distinguishing  those  of  the 
line  frortj  militia;  and  Brigade  Major  Evans,  who  has  been  appointed  by 
me  to  arrange  the  business  with  Capt.  Dox,  will  be  ready  to  proceed  in  it, 
as  soon  as  that  officer  comes  over.  I  have  the  honour  &c. 

Major  General  Van  Rensselaer. 

Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Gen.  SJieaffe. 

Sir,  Head  Quarters,  Lewiston,  Oct.  IGth,  1812. 

I  have  this  moment  had  the  honour  to  receive  your  two  letters  of  the 
present  date.  I  most  cheerfully  agree  to  extend  the  cessation  of  hostili 
ties  for  a  time  amply  sufficient  to  discharge  all  duties  of  humanity  to  the 


270  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

brave  who  are  wounded,  or  prisoners;  and  the  just  tribute  of  respect  to 
the  gallant  dead.  For  these  purposes  I  agree  to  the  further  cessation  of 
hostilities,  until  4  o'clock  of  the  afternoon  of  the  19th  instant. 

I  shall  order  a  salute  for  the  funeral  of  General  Brock  to  be  fired  here, 
and  at  Fort  Niagara,  this  afternoon. 

You  will  please  to  accept,  sir,  the  grateful  acknowledgments  of  Col. 
Van  Rensselaer  and  myself,  for  your  kind  offer  of  anything  in  your  power 
which  might  contribute  to  his  comfort.  I  do  not  know  that  he  is  at  pre 
sent  destitute  of  anything  essential. 

As  this,  sir,  is  probably  the  last  communication  T  shall  have  the  honour 
to  make  to  you  from  this  station,  I  avail  myself  of  the  opportunity  to 
tender  you  the  assurance  of  my  great  esteem  and  consideration. 

Major  General  Sheaffe.  J  have  the  honour'  &c" 

Captain  N.  Leonard  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Sir,'  Fort  Niagara,  Oct.  16th,  1812,  4  o'clock  p.  M. 

I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  *  *  *  of  this  Instant.  The  Salute 
in  honor  of  Gen.  Brock  will  be  fired  at  Sun-set.  I  delivered  your  letter 
to  Col.  Winder.  I  am.  &c. 

Major  General  Van  Rensselaer. 

Major  Gen.  Sheaffe  to  Major  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Sir,  Fort  George,  16th  Oct.,  1812. 

I  feel  too  strongly  the  generous  tribute  which  you  propose  to  pay  to 
my  departed  friend  and  chief,  to  be  able  to  express  the  sense  I  entertain 
of  it.  Noble-minded  as  he  was,  so  would  he  have  done  himself. 

I  have  directed  the  prolongation  of  the  armistice  until  four  o'clock  in 
the  afternoon  of  the  19th  instant,  to  be  communicated  along  this  line. 

I  feel  a  perfect  confidence,  sir,  that  nothing  will  be  omitted  on  your 
part  to  ensure  a  strict  execution  of  the  agreement  respecting  the  militia 
officers  and  men,  as  well  as  any  others  not  yet  exchanged,  who  are  re 
leased  from  their  captivity. 

Allow  me.  sir,  to  express  a  hope  that  the  time  is  not  far  distant  when 
the  restoration  of  peace  and  amity  between  our  respective  countries,  may 
afford  me  an  opportunity  of  assuring  you,  personally,  of  the  respect  and 
esteem  with  which  I  have  the  honour  to  be,  sir, 

Your  most  obedient  and  devoted  servant, 

nr  •   n          i  Tr      r>          i  R.  H.  SHEAFE,  Mai.  General,  &c. 

Maj.  General  Van  Rensselaer.  J 

The  British  Major  General  Sheaffe  was  an  American,  he  resided  dur 
ing  the  American  revolution  in  Boston.  Earl  Percy  was  quartered  in 
the  house  of  young  Sheaffe's  widowed  mother,  at  the  time  when  Boston 
was  in  possession  of  the  British.  The  earl  became  greatly  interested  in 
the  boy  of  15  years  and  desiring  to  take  him  to  England,  he  was  per 
mitted  to  do  so,  giving  him  a  military  education  and  placing  him  in  the 
British  army.  When  young  Sheaffe  was  a  major  general,  at  the  com 
mencement  of  the  war  of  1812,  he  was  stationed  in  Canada;  he  did  not 
wish  to  serve  against  the  Americans  and  stated  his  objections  and  reluct 
ance  to  do  so,  requesting  to  be  transferred  to  some  other  country.  His 
solicitation  was  not  regarded.  For  his  exploit  in  capturing  Colonel  Scott 
and  his  little  band  at  Queenston  heights,  he  was  created  a  baronet,  and 
ever  afterward  was  known  as  Sir  Roger  Sheaffe. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  271 

"  His  sister  Margaret  Sheaffe  married  John  R.  Livingston,  then  a 
Boston  merchant,  in  1779  ;  and  died  in  Boston  1784,  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
four.  General  La  Fayette  visited  and  admired  her.  He  once  said  to 
her  lover,  '  Were  I  not  a  married  man,  I  would  try  and  cut  you  out/ 
After  his  return  to  France,  the  marquis  sent  her  a  '  satin  cardinal,  lined 
with  ermine,  and  an  elegant  silk  garment  to  wear  under  it/  The  relic 
was  long  preserved/' 

"  When  General  Sheaffe  inarched  in  triumph  from  Queenston  to  New 
ark,  he  took  with  him  the  'body  of  the  slain  General  Brock, .which  had 
been  concealed  in  a  house  near  where  he  fell.  The  march  had  a  two 
fold  aspect.  It  was  a  triumphal  and  a  funeral  procession.  At  Newark 
the  body  was  placed  in  the  government  house,  and  there  it  lay  in  state 
three  days,  when  it  was  buried,  on  October  16th,  in  a  new  cavalier  bastion 
in  Fort  George,  whose  erection  he  had  superintended  with  great  interest. 
By  the  side  of  Brock's  remains  were  laid  those  of  his  provincial  aid-de 
camp,  Lieutenant  Colonel  M'Donell.  When  the  funeral  ceremonies  were 
over,  the  Americans  at  Fort  Niagara  and  at  Lewiston  fired  minute-guns 
as  a  mark  of  respect." 

Hon.  Abraham  Van  Vcchten  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  sir,  Albany,  October  20th  1812. 

The  Dash  has  been  made.  I  am  relieved  from  much  painful  appre 
hension.  Harriet  bears  the  Shock  with  fortitude.  Your  letter  &  Dox's 
information  have  quieted  her  mind.  She  &  the  child  are  in  a  fair  way. 
Take  care  of  yourself.  Do  not  irritate  your  wounds  by  fretting,  and 
premature  exposure.  In  this  Injunction  I  am  not  single,  all  those  whose 
wishes  &  solicitude  for  your  speedy  recovery  claim  respect  concur  in'  it. 
Lovett  must  keep  you  in  good  Spirits  &  a  placid  humour;  but  refrain 
from  every  thing  that  may  produce  too  great  excitements.  He  will  be  a 
good  nurse,  if  he  does  not  present  an  old  Gen tleman  with  a  white  Sash, 
in  a  certain  moving  attitude  too  early  before  you.  Yours  &c., 

AB.  VAN  VECHTEN. 

Col.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Head  Quarters,  Lewiston. 

Major  Lovett  to  Hon.  Abraham  Van  Vechten, 
Dear  Sir,  Buffalo,  21st  Oct.,  1812. 

I  know  that  you  are  anxious  to  hear  from  us,  and  I  should  have  written 
you  several  days  ago  ;  but  really  I  could  not  command  a  single  moment  of 
time  to  do  it :  and  besides  the  privations  to  which  our  late  situation 
subjected  us  has  worn  me  down  a  good  deal.  The  preparations  for  the 
battle  were  extensive  — the  various  emergences  of  the  day  called  for  great 
effort  •  the  scenes  of  the  night  were  trying,  and  the  duties  of  the  following 
day  arduous.  It  is  over ;  and  as  I  have  but  little  time  now,  I  shall  write 
but  a  word.  The  Battle  was  by  no  means  a  matter  of  choice,  but  absolute 
necessity  with  Genl.  Van  Rensselaer  —  A  flood  of  circumstances  had  con 
vinced  the  Genl.  as  early  as  the  beginning  of  this  month  that  a  blow  must 
be  struck.  He  was  therefore  maturing  a  plan  to  close  the  campaign  in 
the  most  honorable  way  he  could.  But  the  impetuosity  of  not  only  men, 
but  his  first  officers  became  such  that  he  was  absolutely  compelled  to  go 
to  battle,  or  risk  such  consequences  as  no  man  could  endure.  *  *  *  The 
Army  are  immensely  attached  to  Genl.  Van  Rensselaer  and  Solomon  :  and 
they  are  almost  frantic  at  their  departure.  The  General  feels  all  the 
solicitude  that  a  Patriot  jealous  of  his  honor  can  experience;  but  he  is 


272  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

cheerful,  and  reposes  himself  on  solid  consciousness  of  having  done  all 
that  man  could  do  in  his  situation.  *  *  *  On  the  morning  of  the  18th  I 
mounted  Colonel  Van  Rensselaer  on  a  cot,  rigged  with  cross-bars  and  side 
poles  and  a  Detachment  of  Major  Mosely's  Riflemen  brought  him  by  hand 
to  Schlosser,  where  we  tarried  that  night.  As  we  passed  the  main  Battery 
at  Lewiston,  they  fired  a  sa  lute  of  six  guns  and  cheered  the  Hero  heartily. 
On  the  19th  I  embarked  him  on  board  a  Boat,  and  arrived  here  at  8 
oclock  in  the  evening. 

The  Genl.  is  here  in  perfect  health,  and  will  continue  here  till  he  can 
hear  from  Genl.  Dearborn,  and  then  I  expect,  he  will  return  home.  I 
shall  not  leave  Solomon.  He  is  badly  shot  to  pieces :  has  one  more  ball 
in  the  thigh  than  what  is  stated  in  the  official  paper;  but  he  is  in  quiet 
quarters  where  he  has  every  attention.  His  wounds  work  well,  he-  will 
recover  and  be  a  well  man  ;  but  I  fear  he  will  never  leave  off  fighting. 
Indulge  no  solicitude  as  to  his  recovery  *  *  *  Let  Solomon's  Wife  know 
all  about  him,  assure  her  1  shall  not  leave  him,  but  will  return  him  safe 
to  her.  *  *  *  I  am  Yours  very  truly, 

Abraham  Van  Vechten,  Esq.  JOHN  LOVETT. 

Colonel  Lovett  furnished  Col.  V.  R.  with  a  pair  of  white-top  boots,  his 
own  having  been  cut  from  his  legs,  filled  with  blood  on  the  13th,  and  his 
crutches  were  presented  by  a  French  gentleman.  The  first  time  the  in 
valid  entered  the  common  room,  quite  feeble,  pale  and  thin,  finding  it 
very  unpleasant  to  walk,  Lovett  while  assisting  him  to  do  so,  with  a  desire 
to  make  him  laugh  said  :  "  Well  Van,  here  we  go,  French  fore  legs,  Dutch 
hind  legs,  and  Yankee  boots." 

"  The  following  report  of  Captain  John  E.  Wool  will  put  to  rest  several 
controverted  points  regarding  the  sequel  of  the  affair  of  Queenston, 
about  which  there  has  been  so  much  misrepresentation.  Captain  Wool 
at  this  time  was  only  twenty-three  years  of  age,  he  had  never  been  under 
fire  before  that  morning,  and  was  already  wounded.  Elated  with  the  order 
to  capture  the  heights,  young  Wool  almost  forgot  his  bleeding  wounds. 
He  was  light  and  lithe  in  person,  full  of  ambition  and  enthusiasm. 

Capt.  Wool  to  Colonel  Van  Renssdaer. 

Dear  Sir,  Buffalo  Oct.  23,  1812 

I  have  the  honour  to  communicate  to  you  the  circumstances  attending 
the  storming  of  Queenstown  battery  on  the  13th  instant;  with  those 
which  happened  previously  you  are  already  well  acquainted. 

In  pursuance  of  your  order  we  proceeded  round  the  point,  and  ascended 
the  rocks,  which  brought  us  partly  in  rear  of  the  battery.  We  took  it 
without  much  resistance.  I  immediately  formed  the  troops  in  the  rear 
of  the  battery,  and  fronting  the  village,  when  I  observed  Gen.  Brock  with 
his  troops  formed,  consisting  of  four  companies  of  the  49th  Regiment  and 
a  few  Militia,  marching  for  our  left  flank.  I  immediately  detached  a 
party  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  men,  to  take  possession  of  the  heights 
above  Queenstown  battery  and  to  hold  Gen.  Brock  in  check,  but  in  con 
sequence  of  his  superior  force  they  retreated.  I  sent  a  reinforcement, 
notwithstanding  which,  the  enemy  drove  us  to  the  edge  of  the  bank, 
when  with  the  greatest  exertion  we  brought  the  troops  to  a  stand  and 
ordered  the  officers  to  bring  their  men  to  a  charge  as  soon  as  the  ammu 
nition  was  expended,  which  was  executed  with  some  confusion,  and  in  a 
few  minutes,  the  enemy  retreated.  We  pursued  them  to  the  edge  of  the 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  273 

heights,  when  Col.  McDonell  had  his  horse  shot  from  under  him,  and 
himself  mortally  wounded.  In  the  mean  time  Glen.  Brock,  in  attempting 
to  rally  his  forces,  was  killed,  when  the  enemy  dispersed  in  every  direc 
tion.  As  soon  as  it  was  practicable,  I  formed  the  troops  in  a  line  on  the 
heights  fronting  the  village,  and  immediately  detached  flanking  parties 
which  consisted  of  Captain  M'Chesney  of  the  6th  Regiment,  Lieut.  Smith 
and  Ensign  Grosvenor  with  a  small  detachment  of  Riflemen  which  had  that 
moment  arrived;  at  the  same  time  I  ordered  Lieut.  Gansevoortand  Lieut. 
Randolph  with  a  detachment  of  artillery  to  drill  out  an  eighteen  pounder 
which  had  been  previously  spiked,  and  if  possible  to  bring  it  to  bear  upon 
the  village.  The  wounded  and  prisoners  I  ordered  to  be  collected  and 
sent  to  the  guard  house.  About  this  time,  which  was  between  three  and 
four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  Lieut.  Col.  Christie  arrived  and  took  the 
command.  He  ordered  me  across  the  river  to  get  my  wounds  dressed. 
I  remained  a  short  time.  Our  flanking  parties  had  been  driven  in  by  the 
Indians,  but  Gen.  Wadsworth  and  other  officers  arriving,  we  had  a  short 
skirmish  with  them  and  they  retreated,  and  I  crossed  the  river.  The 
officers  engaged  in  storming  the  Battery,  were  Capts.  Wool  and  Ogilvie ; 
Lieuts.  Kearney,  Hugonin,  Carr  and  Sammons  of  the  13th  ;  Lieuts.  Gan- 
sevoort  and  Randolph  of  the  Light  Artillery,  and  Major  Lush  of  the  Mi 
litia.  I  recommend  to  your  particular  notice  Lieuts.  Randolph,  Carr  and 
Kearney,  for  their  brave  conduct  exhibited  during  the  whole  of  the  action. 
I  have  the  honour  to  be 

Your  most  obt.  humble  servt. 

JOHN  E.  WOOL, 
Col.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer.  Capt.  13th  Reg.  Inf. 

Major  Lovett  to  Joseph  Alexander. 
Dear  Alexander,  Sunday  Evening,  Oct.  25th,  1812. 

On  the  23d,  General  Van  Rensselaer,  by  permission,  resigned  his  com 
mand  to  Brig.  Gen.  Smyth,  and  tomorrow  morning  starts  for  Albany.  It 
was  my  intention  to  have  stolen  time  eno'  to  have  written  you  a  long 
letter  stuffed  with  important  truths  by  this  conveyance  ;  but  for  three 
days  past  it  has  been  nothing  but  Despatches,  copies  of  despatches,  and 
copies  of  copies  'till  my  brains  are  despatched.  These  things  by  day, 
and  Solomon  by  night  wear  me  down  pretty  close  to  the  old  stuff  which 
has  not  yet  failed,  and  I  trust  in  God  it  will  not  fail  me.  I  shall  now 
have  leisure  to  post  up  my  day  Book  expense  account,  and  put  my  travel 
ing  tabernacle  in  order.  When  I  shall  start  for  Albany  is  just  as  uncer 
tain  as  when  Solomon  will  be  able  to  travel.  His  wounds  are  deep  and 
severe  ;  but  he  is  heart-whole  and  will  recover  —  leave  him  I  cannot,  and 
will  not.  I  hope  he  may  move  in  four  weeks.  I  know  you  have  a  buzz, 
and  10,000  opinions  of  the  Battle  :  all  I  can  say  to  you  in  this  moment  of 
time  is,  don't  be  hasty  in  your  opinions  :  you  cannot  view  the  whole 
ground  yet,  but  you  will  soon,  and  be  satisfied.  I  tell  you  for  a  truth 
never  to  be  yielded,  there  was  no  middle  course  :  Battle,  or  wide,  personal, 
and  public  disgrace  was  the  alternative  :  this  /  know  was  the  truth,  and 
truth  must  ultimately  prevail.  I  hardly  know  what  I  wrote  you  in  my 
hurry  at  the  close  of  the  battle  ;  but  it  was  undoubtedly  the  truth  as  far 
as  I  then  understood  the  facts.  I  have  since  by  permission  forwarded  a 
lengthy  communication  to  Van  Vechten  on  the  subject,  to  be  used  at  his 
discretion.  But  there  are  facts  still  behind,  resting  on  documents,  which 

35 


274  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

the  General  lias  not  yet  communicated  to  any  one.  In  a  word,  be  patient, 
and  learn  the  whole;  and  then  you  will  have  no  occasion  to  complain. 
Wait  a  few  weeks,  and  the  Campaign  will  disclose  its  own  facts.  I  find 
not  an  officer,  not  a  soldier  who  was  in  the  battle,  but  justifies  the  whole  — 
indeed  the  complete  success  of  the  battle  justifies  itself;  we  carried  all 
that  we  proposed,  and  held  it  from  morn  'till  night,  and  had  double  the 
force  necessary  to  have  retained  it.  Never  were  men  braver  than  those 
engaged.  The  several  actions  were  sharp  :  but  all  the  world  was  not 
killed  nor  wounded  as  some  have  represented.  Exact  truth  upon  this 
subject  can  never  be  known  —  it  is  impossible  —  the  aggregate  of  our  in 
formation  would  about  warrant  this :  Killed  60  —  wounded  170  —  Prisoners, 
balance  against  us,  say  720.  As  to  numbers  the  slaughter  was  probably 
about  even  on  both  sides.  But  Characters  differ.  We  lost  no  officer  of 
higher  rank  than  Captain. 

All  Canada  mourns  her  truly  gallant  BROCK  and  Col.  McDonald,1  his 
Aid-de-Camp,  was  the  Attorney  General  of  the  Province,  their  second  Idol. 
I  knew  him.  Two  Indian  Chief 's  fell  —  we  took  one.  The  Armistice  which 
was  agreed  upon  after  the  Battle  for  three  days,  has  been  continued,  and 
now  exists :  when  it  will  end  I  cannot  say.  Since  the  Battle  every  thing 
has  been  conducted  in  that  character  which  will  forever  honor  civilized 
nations.  The  Salute  which  we  fired  at  Brocks  Funeral,  almost  over 
whelmed  General  Sheaffe.  With  sensibility  which  almost  choked  his  ut 
terance,  he  exclaimed  to  an  officer  standing  by  him  :  "  Noble  minded  as 
General  Brock  was,  he  would  have  ordered  the  same  had  a  like  disaster 
befallen  the  Enemy  " 

On  hearing  this  Genl.  V.  R.,  was  almost  overwhelmed.  My  friend, 
the  scenes  of  war  are  trying,  and  where,  \vhere  in  God's  name,  are 
they  to  end  ?  My  soul  is  in  agony  while  I  review  the  situation  of  our 
Country. 

Governor  Tompkins,  by  exceeding  hard  driving  has  so  managed,  and 
economized  his  time  as  to  be  able  to  be  in  season  to  get  here  too  late. 
He  arrived  here  this  day.  Why,  or  for  what,  is  more  than  I  can  tell  you. 
He  has  been  closeted  almost  the  whole  day  with  the  General ;  but  I  can 
not  learn  that  he  has  any  plan,  or  plan  of  a  plan,  or  copy  of  a  plan's, 
plan's  plan.  I  know  that  which  I  will  not  write,  wait  a  little,  I  say, 
wait,  do  not  descant,  nor  condemn  until  you  know  the  real  situation  in 
which  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  has  had  to  act.  At  bottom  you  will  find  the 
friend  —  the  Patriot,  and  the  Soldier. —  I  fear  my  hearing  is  ruined  :  it  is 
not  much  better  now  than  the  day  after  the  battle  —  the  Lord  deliver  me, 
I  say,  from  the  Music  of  18  Pounders,  with  bombs  for  the  rough  Bass, 
and  fcixes  for  the  treble. 

Tell  my  dear  family  all  you  know  of  us  —  and  my  love  to  all  my  old 
friends.  Last  of  all,  pay  your  General  that  Respect  and  attention  which 
his  toils,  privations  and  Soldiership  entitle  him  to. 

Your  assured  friend, 

Mr.  Joseph  Alexander,  Albany,  J.  LOVETT. 

"  Major  General  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer  found  much  that  was  offens 
ive  to  his  sensitive  feelings  in  the  absurd  rivalry  of  the  regular  officers 

1 "  Lieutenant  McDonell  was  a  brilliant  and  promising  young  man,  only  twenty- 
five  years  of  age.  He  was  wounded  in  five  places,  one  bullet  passing  through  his 
body,  yet  he  survived  twenty  hours  in  great  agony.  During  that  time  he  con 
stantly  lamented  the  fall  of  his  commander." 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  275 

and  the  heartless  conduct  of  the  militia.  This  truly  valiant  band  previous 
to  the  action,  he  well  knew  insisted  on  being  led  on  against  the  enemy  to 
drive  them  from  the  Niagara  peninsula,  so  that  they  could  return  home. 
Many  of  them  threatened  to  leave  the  camp  unless  led  to  immediate  action, 
and  now  what  a  disgraceful  change.  After  the  commencement  of  the 
battle,  thesight  of  the  wounded,  as  they  were  brought  across  the  river  covered 
with  blood,  and  the  groans  of  the  dying,  cooled  their  military  ardor. 
They  now  appeared  to  have  made  the  discovery  that  the  constitution  did 
not  require  them  to  go  beyond  the  limits  of  the  United  States.  Rather 
than  cross  over  to  an  enemy's  country  to  be  shot  at,  with  a  chance  of 
being  killed,  or  made  cripples  for  life,  they  determined  to  forego  their 
chance  of  obtaining  military  honors.  Several  hundred  of  the  militia, 
after  they  had  crossed  over  to  the  Canadian  shore,  availed  themselves  of 
the  darkness  and  other  facilities  to  hide  themselves  in  the  clefts  of  the 
rocks,  where  they  remained  in  concealment  during  the  day,  and  were  only 
dragged  by  the  legs  from  their  lurking  places  by  the  British  troops  after 
the  surrender  of  the  fighting  part  of  the  Americans.  All  this  had  been 
very  annoying  to  General  Van  Rensselaer,  and  having  obtained  permis 
sion  from  Gov.  Tompkins  to  retire  from  the  station,  on  October  23,  1812, 
he  resigned  his  situation  as  commander  and  General  Alexander  Smyth 
became  his  successor.  On  the  arrival  of  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  at  Albany 
October  31st,  he  was  justly  honored  by  a  public  reception.  Teunis  Van 
Vechten,  Isaac  Hauser,  and  Peter  Boyd  were  the  committee  appointed 
by  the  common  council  to  make  the  necessary  arrangement  for  the  event. 
The  reception  was  as  imposing  and  highly  gratifying  to  the  general  as  it 
was  pleasant  to  those  who  tendered  the  compliment.  General  Van  Rens 
selaer  never  forgot,  in  his  subsequent  unparalleled  prosperity  the  Almighty 
power  that  had  watched  over  and  protected  him  during  that  eventful 
struggle." 

Major  Lovett  to  JosepJi  Alexander. 
My  dear  Friend,  Buffalo  Nov.  2d,  1812. 

Anchored  as  we  are  in  this  infernal  region,  it  was  very  reasonable  for 
us  to  expect  letters  from  some  of  our  friends  by  the  last  mail,  but  we  got 
none.     Conscious  that  our  little  Family  have  done  all  that  they  could,  and 
more  than  any  other  three  Men  have,  or  can  do,  we  feel  tranquil,  and  how 
ever  the  world  may,  for  the  present,   attempt  to   dispose  of  the  Battle  of 
Queenstown,  in  the  end  I  do  know  that  Truth  will   prevail,  and  it  will  be 
acknowledged  that   all  that  could  be   done  has    been    done.     Every    day 
furnishes  new    evidence  of  the  astonishing  intrepidity  of  the  Americans 
engaged  in   the  action.     The  fact  is    repeated,  over   and  over  again,    by 
British  Officers,  that  in  the  first  place,  they  did  not  believe  we  would  fight 
at  all ;  and  in  the  next,  that  the   men  fought  more  like  Devils   than    any 
thing  else  ]  that  for  the  first  ten  hours,  all  resistance  opposed  was  perfectly 
idle.     Out  of  the  46  first  men  who  met  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  on  the  bank, 
it  is  admitted  but  Six  got  off.     Grosvenor  assures  me  that  in  one  instance, 
when  some  Infantry  and  his  Riflemen  got  a  cross  fire  upon  a  squad  of  the 
enemy,  he    counted    Sixteen  dead,  almost^  in  a  heap.     Indeed  the    oldest 
soldiers  on  the  line  say,  they  never  saw  such  sharp   shooting.     Lt.  Col. 
Fen  wick  is  an  old  Soldier ;  he  says,  he  does  not  believe  the  annals  of  war, 
furnish  such  an  instance  of  mark'smanship.    He  says  he  was  known  to  many 
of  the  enemy's  officers  :  that  he  was  instantly  clothed  with  bullets  —  one  in 
his  eye —  one  in  his  right  elbow  —  one  in  his  side  —  and  I  yesterday  counted 
nine  ball  holes  in  his  little  cloak.     Colonel  Van   Rensselaer  bade  his  boy 


276  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

bring  his  coat  the  other  day.  We  found  a  musket  ball  entered  the  cape, 
just  under  his  right  ear,  passed  about  three  inches,  and  out  again  ;  under 
his  right  wrist,  a  ball  cut  coat  and  lining  through  four  inches  ;  and  there 
are  several  others  thro'  the  skirt  of  his  coat.  The  stocking  which  was  on 
the  leg  that  was  wounded,  besides  the  two  holes  where  the  ball  went  in 
and  out,  has  no  less  than  five  holes  across  the  shin.  The  shots  in  Gen. 
Wadsworth's  clothes  shew  his  escape  to  have  been  next  to  miraculous. 
But  these  cotton  and  woolen  stories  are  too  many  and  too  long  to  write  ;  they 
may  do  to  talk  about  when  we  meet.  The  truth  is,  that  altho'  my  spirits  are 
not  depressed,  I  feel  sober — the  scenes  of  war,  to  a  thoughtful  mind,  are 
sobering.  Besides,  I  think  I  see  the  finger  of  Heaven  pointing,  in  a  manner 
not  to  be  mistaken,  in  that  poised  scale  of  success  which  swung  before  our  eyes 
at  the  end  of  the  battle.  I  am  satisfied  for  myself,  and  now,  but  not  till 
DOW,  I  have  a  desire  to  return  home.  I  call  myself  well ;  but  my  health 
is  not  just  as  rugged  as  it  was;  from  the  llth  Aug  to  the  26th  October,  I 
had  never  touched  any  thing  like  a  bed  —  been  by  no  fire ;  and  now,  sleeping 
in  a  bed,  and  sitting  by  a  warm  fire,  lets  me  down  from  the  tone  I  had 
acquired.  Besides  the  night  of  the  first  attack  (as  we  intended)  was  one 
of  the  most  trying  I  ever  experienced  —  incessant  storm  ;  half  snow,  half 
rain,  the  12th  was  all  duty;  the  13th  all  death  ;  and  the  subsequent  scenes 
have  been  trying  to  body,  and  soul.  But  I  shall  stand  it  thro'  and  get  home. 
The  General  is  before  this  with  you.  I  need  not  enlarge  upon  the  general 
subject.  I  have  only  to  charge  you  all  to  stick  to  the  man  who  has  stuck  to 
his  country  and  command,  until  passing  events  taught  him  that  his  further 
efforts  in  commanding  Militia,  as  things  now  are,  could  only  disgrace  him, 
without  serving  his  Country.  The  Colonel  is  doing  as  well  as  possible, 
and  we  hope,  this  day  week,  to  start  for  Albany  :  but  I  am  not  without 
some  fears  that  the  wound  where  the  ball  is  lodged,  will  yet  give  the 
Colonel  some  trouble. 

The  Editor  of  the  Buffalo  Gazette  and  your  letter  speak  pretty  much 
the  same  language.  The  hiss  of  Vipers  grows  feeble  here.  I  can  tell 
you  nothing,  certain,  of  what  Genl.  Smyth  intends  to  do,  but  I  will  tell 
you  what  I  think  he  may  attempt  if,  contrary  to  my  opinion  he  attempts  any 
thing.  I  think  he  may  attempt  to  cross  here,  and  the  result  I  will 
show  you,  when  I  return  home,  if  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  will  suffer  publicity 
of  an  opinion  which  he  long  ago  wrote  Gen.  Dearborn  on  that  subject,  the 
opinion  is  full  and  able.  The  world  must  and  shall  be  convinced  that  this 
Campaign  has  been  conducted  with  open  eyes,  directed  by  busy  brains. 
Guard  the  Character  of  your  General,  his  Papers  will  defend  him.  Col. 
Fenwick  says,  unreservedly  that  Gen.  V.  R.  has  done  all  that  could  be 
done.  There  was  yesterday  a  severe  Cannonade  below,  probably  on  Lake 
Ontario  —  we  have  no  intelligence,  possibly  a  Naval  Brush  on  the  Lake. 
Just  now,  Col.  Parker,  the  most  respectable  Officer  in  Smyth's  Brigade 
called  to  see  us:  he  says  the  Pennsylvania  Militia  will  not  cross  over  to 
Canada.  Let  Gen.  V.  R.  know  this  immediately.  Col.  Fenwick  desires 
me  in  the  most  affectionate  manner  to  present  him  to  the  General,  he  is 
now  next  door  to  us.  Do  you  ttjll  the  Genl.  I  wish  he  would  write  a  short 
consoling  line  to  Col.  Fenwick.  Yours,  ever  faithfully, 

Mr.  Joseph  Alexander.  J.  LOVETT. 

At  Buffalo,  Colonel  Van  Rensselaer  wrote  a  letter  to  his  wife,  filled 
with  expressions  of  gratitude  toward  General  Van  Rensselaer,  and  con 
cluded  by  saying,  "  I  congratulate  you  on  the  birth  of  our  little  boy.  That 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  277 

this  should  have  taken  place  on  the  same  night  I  made  the  attack  on  the 
British  is  singular.  He  must  be  a  soldier."  This  child  was  called 
Stephen,  after  the  Patroon,  but  he  only  lived  a  few  months. 

Buffalo  Gazette,  November  3rd,  1812. 

Colonel  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  whose  great  military  talents,  and  ex 
tensive  knowledge  of  service  are  admitted  by  all,  had  through  the  whole 
campaign,  so  assiduously  devoted,  as  it  were,  his  very  heart  and  soul  to 
forming,  disciplining,  and  managing  the  army  on  the  Niagara,  that  as  to 
him  the  last  whisper  of  party  malice  seemed  hushed.  He  was  determined 
that  whenever  a  descent  should  be  made  upon  Canada,  to  take  a  leading 
part  in  it;  and  he  governed  himself  accordingly.  The  descent  was  made, 
and  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  was  in  the  first  boat,  and  was  the  First  Man  on 
shore.  Sheeted  in  fire  he  advanced,  and  his  brave  heroes  tracked  him  by 
his  blood  up  the  heights  of  Queenstown  :  the  result  is  known  —  and  there  is 
not,  now,  an  officer,  or  soldier  admitted  to  the  bedside  of  the  wounded 
hero,  but  exclaims,  "  had  not  you  been  wounded,  we  should  have  taken  Fort 
George."  This  wounded  hero  now  lies  at  Landon's  in  this  village.  At 
this  same  place  Governor  Tompkins  had  his  quarters,  while  he  was  here. 
He  had  in  pocket  the  official  letter  of  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer,  stating  the 
gallant  conduct  of  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  and  other  officers  in  the  action. 
Yet  this  same  GOD.  Tompkins  never  called  on  Col.  Van  Rensselaer,  in  an 
adjoining  room,  nor  sent  him  a  consoling  message. 

"  Did  Gen.  Smyth  expect  to  rouse  the  people  of  the  State  of  New  York 
to  arms,  by  a  most  gross,  shameless,  and  arrogant  attack  upon  General 
Stephen  Van  Rensselaer,  than  whom  there  is  not  a  man  among  us  more 
endeared  to  the  people  ;  and  upon  Col.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  whose 
courage  and  firmness  have  made  him  the  idol  of  the  soldiery,  in  every  serv 
ice  in  which  he  has  been  engaged  ? 

Col.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 

"  All  will  recollect  the  prophetic  words  of  Mr.  Custis  in  his  celebrated 
oration  :  '  Perhaps  at  this  moment  some  fearless  sailor  climbs  the  shat 
tered  mast  to  nail  the  flag  of  my  country  to  its  stump/ —  affirming  on  his 
life  that  '  he  is  a  federalist  ! '  This  was  followed  by  the  annunciation, 
in  a  few  days  of  Captain  Hull's  conquest  of  the  Guerriere.  The  next  sen 
tence  in  the  oration  has  been  verified,  respecting  Canada  in  as  remark 
able  a  manner :  '  Perhaps  some  gallant  soldier  may  yet  scale  the  heights 
of  Abraham,  to  wreath  liberty's  standard  around  Montgomery's  tomb.  I 
tell  you  the  first  foot,  which  touches  that  classic  ground,  will  be  a  fede 
ralists.'  This  was  fulfilled  in  the  person  of  the  brave  Solomon  Van 
Rensselaer,  a  man  who  has  more  than  once  shed  his  blood  and  nearly  lost 
his  life  in  fighting  his  country's  battles,  though  he  was  ungratefully  re 
moved  from  office  by  Governor  Tompkins,  for  the  only  sin  of  being  a 
federalist. 

A  correspondent  has  handed  us  the  following  song  in  his  honor. 
Though  not  the  neatest  versification,  it  deserves  attention  for  its  object. 

A  New  Song,  to  the  tune  of  Anacreon  in  Heaven. 
"  When  our  army  prepar'd  to  capture  Queenstown, 
A  leader  was  chosen  of  gallant  renown, 
From  an  old  fed'ral  stock  our  hero  was  sprung, 
His  honor  unstain'd  but  by  Smyth's  lying  tongue  ; 
'Twas  Van  Rensselaer,  who  never  knew  fear, 
Always  found  in  the  Van,  never  seen  in  the  Hear. 


278  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

The  Columns  debark  upon  Canada's  shore, 
(Far  fam'd  for  heroic  achievements  of  yore) 
Not  fearing  to  combat  the  terrible  Brock, 
They  soon  gave  the  foe  an  impetuous  shock  : 
'Twas  Van  Rensselaer,  to  a  soldier  so  dear, 
.  Who  march'd  in  their  Van  —  never  found  in  their  Hear  — 

Bright  glory  now  perches  herself  on  his  head, 

Tho'  base  cowards  censure,  who  dare  not  be  bled, 

Those  Buffalo  Chiefs,  mere  scarecrows  in  war, 

Who  ne'er  heard  a  cannon,  unless  from  afar, 

With  the  heroes  of  Queenstown  they  dare  not  to  vie, 

For  though  mighty  good  Christians,  they  yet  fear  to  die." 

This  poetical  effusion,  written  sixty-two  years  ago,  adds  to  the  value  of 
our  historical  monument  for  the  benefit  of  posterity.  We  have  a  proper 
regard  for  the  preservation  of  worthy  materials  for  history  and  occasionally 
fancy  such  bright,  cheery,  and  breezy  words  to  enhance  the  historical 
value,  as  they  are  of  special  interest  from  their  reference  to  military  opera 
tions  during  the  war  of  1812. 

Major  Lovett  to  Joseph  Alexander, 
Dear  Alexander,  Buffalo,  4th  November,  1812. 

I  have,  somewhere,  heard  something  said  about  "  Man's  last  Speeches, 
and  dying  words'1  of  Dr.  Baxter  —  Again;  I  remember  that  stuttering 
Larrdbe  wanted  to  speak  a  few  words  before  he  began  ;  Now  why  may  not 
I,  upon  some  analogous  principle,  speak  a  few  words  after  I  have  done  ? 
In  my  last,  I  desired  you  not  to  write  any  more ;  surely  not  because  I  did 
not  wish  to  hear  from  Albany,  for  our  solicitude  is  a  perfect  Rock.  Even 
the  humblest  Satellites  of  Jupiter,  could  they  reason,  would  never  be  in 
different  to  the  fate  of  the  glorious  luminary  round  which  they  revolve  ; 
but  must  shudder  at  the  very  idea  of  an  eternal  eclipse  of  that  body  whose 
rays  they  once  had  the  glory  of  reflecting.  However,  reposing  ourselves 
upon  the  consciousness  of  having  faithfully  discharged  our  duty  to  our 
Country,  to  our  friends,  and  to  ourselves,  we  shall  meet  with  firmness 
whatever  decision  the  world  may  make  upon  the  conduct  of  General  Van. 
Rensselaer.  We  feel,  and  know  that  we  are  not  destitute  of  common 
sense  :  we  know  that  we  have  better  knowledge  of  the  Campaign  than 
any  other  men ;  and  this  enables  us  to  speak  with  confidence  as  to  the 
result  of  Genl.  Van  Rensselaer's  command.  Should  his  own  modesty,  or 
perseverance  in  his  determination  of  enduring  everything  himself,  rather 
than  to  expose  the  folly,  weakness  and  wickedness  of  others,  cast  a  mist 
over  him,  for  the  present  (which,  by  the  bye,  I  neither  expect,  or  believe), 
the  day  is  not  far  distant  when  the  Sun  of  truth  will  burst  thro'  and  dis 
sipate  the  fogs  of  error,  and  the  clouds  of  delusion.  I  repeat  it,  again, 
the  Campaign  will  explain  itself  ;  this  you  will  see  in  60  days  ;  and  say 
that  Geul.  V.  11.  did,  all  that  could  be  done  ;  saved  all  that  could  be  saved. 
Being,  now,  out  of  the  Cabinet,  I  know  nothing  that  is  in  it.  My  chance 
is  only  that  of  a  common  spectator,  and  hardly  that  :  for,  with  my  Ear- 
blinders  yet  tight  buckled  down,  I  can  only  hear  what  people  bawl,  and, 
tho'  Bawling  is  the  order  of  the  day,  it  becomes  very  necessary,  now,  I 
imagine,  to  "  bawl''  without  "  crying  aloud.'' 

I  understand  that  General  Smyth  is  getting  together  all  the  Boats  he 
can  [u  General  Van  Rensselaer  has  been  censured  for  not  having  boats 
enough.  It  was  no  fault  of  his.  There  were  only  thirteen,  but  this 
inadequate  number  of  boats  was  owing  to  remissness  in  Quarter-master- 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  279 

general  Porter's  department.  The  quarter-master,  then  stationed  at  the 
Fall,  had  written- to  Van  llensselaer,  '  I  can  furnish  you  boats  at  two  or 
three  days  notice  to  carry  over  1200  or  1400  men.'  A  sufficient  number 
for  six  or  seven  hundred  were  ordered,  but  he  had  forwarded  only 
thirteen  at  the  appointed  hour."]  That  the  Pennsylvania  Militia  are  looked 
for  with  solicitude,  in  short,  that  movements  warrant  the  expectation 
that  the  descent  upon  Canada  will  shortly  be  renewed  in  this  neighbor 
hood.  I  have  before  advised  you  as  to  an  opinion  upon  that  subject. 
Experiment  is  the  touchstone  of  opinion.  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  had  his 
opinion  as  to  the  best  place  for  crossing  the  Niagara,  he  tested  his  opinion  — 
the  result  is  known  ;  and  Gen.  Smyth  Jias,  certainly,  the  same  right  to  his 
opinion  that  Gen.  V.  R.  had  to  his  ;  and  when  both  are  tested  the  world 
will  be  prepared  to  decide.  I  have  but  one  hope  —  one  prayer  in  either 
case,  which  is  for  the  best  interest  of  the  service;  the  highest  honor  of 
our  arms  and  the  greatest  weal  of  our  Country. —  What  our  Militia  will 
come  to  I  know  not  —  a  daring  Mutiny  broke  out  three  days  ago  in  Miller's 
Brigade.  100  stacked  their  arms  and  marched  off;  100  more  stacked 
their  arms  and  stood  by  them.  The  Genl.  and  his  principal  officers  came 
forward,  and  with  great  efforts  persuaded  the  men  to  return  to  their  duty, 
on  the  Promise  of  Barracks  and  Letter  Quarters,  in  a  very  few  days. 
This  may  be  relied  on,  as  I  have  it  from  the  mouth  of  one  of  the  first 
officers  of  the  Brigade.  Genl.  Miller  is  dismissed,  and  has  retired  ;  his 
Brigade  is  now  consolidated  with  Col.  Dobbin's  Regiment.  The  Firing 
mentioned  in  my  last  was  a  Sham  Battle  of  Col.  Winder's  Regiment,  at 
Fort  Niagara. 

Colonel  Van  Rensselaer  hobbles,  on  two  Crutches,  in  great  style  — 
prospects  warrant  a  belief  that  we  may  leave  this  in  five  days.  I  confess 
to  you  T  am  all  alive  with  solicitude  —  public  and  private  —  the  Presi 
dential  Election  ;  our  Legislature,  the  war,  the  general  disturbance  of  the 
Country,  my  family ;  the  approach  of  winter,  the  uncertainty  of  my  hear 
ing  again,  all  close  in  upon  me,  and  require  all  the  firmness  I  can  muster. 
Altho'  your  solicitude  for  our  flesh  and  bones,  the  viler  part,  may  have 
subsided  ;  yet  I  trust  in  heaven,  that  as  far  as  the  conduct  of  the  Cam 
paign  is  justifiable  that  cavilers  will  be  met  in  the  gap  :  and  that  if  any 
thing  remains  doubtful  the  arm  of  Charity  will,  with  patience,  support  the 
beam  until  Justice  shall  have  cast  in  all  the  weights,  and  truth  shall  have 
footed  up  the  tally,  and  then,  my  head  to  the  block,  and  my  word  to  the 
wind  if  there  be  not  a  unanimous  verdict  of  honest  men  Should  any 
man  say  we  had  not  Boats  eno',  the  truth  is  not  in  him  :  the  river  is  not, 
where  the  troops  crossed,  300  yards  wide ;  a  passage  might  easily  be 
made  in  five  minutes  —  we  had  12  Boats  which  would  carry  30  men  each, 
and  2  which  would  carry  80  each.  If  on  the  Heights  of  Queenstown 
there  had  been  a  sight  to  gratify  curiosity,  every  man  of  the  Army  might 
have  been  over  before  11  oclock.  I  saw  the  Boats,  on  both  sides,  idle. 
The  Eternal  Truth  is  that  the  men  who  had  solemnly  pledged  themselves 
to  go  over,  would  not. 

I  saw  a  Field  Officer  [Major  Morrison]  who  had  yelped  his  lungs  sore, 
to  go  over,  tied  up  his  temples  on  the  day  of  battle,  and  at  night  told  me 
he  had  "hardly  been  able  to  keep  off  his  bed  the  whole  day."  But  eno', 
'eno',  the  General  is  with  you  :  he  has  all,  and  knows  all.  I  am  sick  of 
rolling  and  tumbling  in  the  frothy  billows,  with  fleet  Indians,  ragamuffins, 
vagabonds,  and  slubber-de-gullions  who  whirl  in  the  eddies  of  Niagara. 
Do  tell  my  dear  Wife  that  I  long  to  return  to  a  land  where  the  people 


280  LEGACY  OF  HISTOKICAL  GLEANINGS. 

fear  the  Lord  and  acknowledge  his  government.  That  the  cord  of  my 
affection  is  stretched  to  the  last;  I  will  reel  it  up  upon  my  heart  as  fast 
as  possible,  till  she  can  reach,  and  roll  it  upon  her  own  heart,  and  there 
let  it  continue  until  death  knots  off  skeins  to  warp  the  woof  of  eternal 
happiness.  Your  ever  true 

Mr.  Joseph  Alexander.  JOHN  LOVETT. 

Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Col.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 
My  dear  friend,  Water  Vliet  Nov.  8,  1812. 

I  cannot  describe  my  feelings  at  the  reception  I  met  with  in  my  journey 
home,  if  I  had  been  a  Victor,  I  could  not  have  been  .more  honored. 
Nothing  was  wanting  but  my  two  companions  or  dear  friends,  the  partners 
of  my  toil  and  anxiety  to  have  made  me  as  happy  as  ever  Man  was.  Our 
friends  at  Utica  are  determined  to  give  you  a  reception,  which  all  good 
men  say  you  merit. 

I  have  visited  your  Wife,  and  friend  Lovett's  —  found  them  well 
and  inquiries  innumerable  on  war,  natural,  which  I  faithfully  answered, 
sometimes  a  little  embelished.  I  have  visited  Gen.  Dearborn,  nothing 
new.  Gov.  Lewis  is  extravagant  in  his  encomiums,  he  says  you  are  to 
have  a  Regiment,  and  if  no  vacancy  occur,  one  will  be  raised.  I  have 
seen  the  official  Letter  of  the  British  by  the  Adj.  General,  it  differs  from 
mine  considerably  in  point  of  fact. 

Who  received  the  Flag  that  made  the  proposition  for  a  cessation  ? 
They  state  that  it  come  from  me,  you  know  to  the  contrary,  indeed  Gen. 
Sheaffe's  Letter  to  me  will  establish  the  fact. 

Pray  beg  Lovett  to  write  to  me  every  mail.  I  have  ordered  the  news 
papers  to  be  sent  to  you. 

Present  my  sincere  respects  to  Lovett  and  believe  me  ever  your  friend. 

S.  V.  RENSSELAER. 

Col.  Van  Rensselaer,  Buffalo. 

"Colonel  Van  Rensselaer  remained  in  Buffalo  until  the  9th  of  November, 
and  was  then  conveyed  to  his  home  at  Mount  Hope,  near  Albany,  ac 
companied  as  he  had  been  since  his  removal  from  Lewiston  by  Mr.  Lovett. 
They  were  met  in  the  suburbs  of  Albany  by  a  cavalcade  of  citizens,  and  Van 
Rensselaer  was  received  with  the  honors  of  a  victor." 

"  It  gives  us  the  most  sincere  and  heartfelt  pleasure  to  be  able  to  an 
nounce  to  our  fellow  citizens,  that  Colonel  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  who 
was  so  severely  wounded  in  the  attack  on  Queenstown,  has  so  far  re 
covered,  as  to  be  able  to  endure  the  long  and  fatiguing  journey,  from 
Niagara  to  Albany,  and  is  again  restored  to  his  amiable,  and  highly  en 
deared  family  :  and  is  in  a  fair  way  of  a  speedy  recovery  from  his  wounds. 
He  arrived  in  this  city  on  Tuesday  evening  November  17th,  accompanied 
by  Major  Lovett  his  friend  and  companion  in  arms,  who  has  faithfully 
attended  him  from  the  moment  he  was  brought  off  the  field  of  action, 
until  he  was  safe  in  the  bosom  of  his  family.  It  was  a  gay  time  pro 
cession,  flowers  and  all  conceivable  pleasures  have  been  lovinglj  brought 
into  requisition  to  contribute  to  the  general  rejoicing  and  they  went  home 
singing,  '  No  more  I'll  pant  for  glory's  wreath/  Every  thing  connected 
with  the  joyful  reception  was  most  satisfactory,  to  the  invalid  and  disabled 
officer,  for  even  the  very  atmosphere  of  home  was  invigorating.  The 
happy  return  on  that  occasion  did  not  fail  to  evoke  new  gratitude  in  that 
peaceful  mansion,  with  the  full  measure  of  glad  hearts,  sacred  to  the  ex 
pression  of  the  affectionate  relations  that  make  life  lovely.  The  festivities 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  281 

were  not  saddened  by  '  an  awful  sense  of  one  mute  shadow  watching  all/ 
as  a  bright  promise  of  returning  health  gave  a  buoyancy  to  anxious  hearts." 


Van  N  ss  to  Col.  Van  Remselaer  —  The"  Soldier's  Return." 
Dear  Sir,  Kingston  23,  November  1812. 

In  a  paper  which  I  have  just  seen  while  holding  a  Court  in  this  place, 
I  have  with  heartfelt  satisfaction  read  the  above,  your  safe  arrival  at  your 
own  house.  As  an  old  friend,  I  must  be  permitted  to  congratulate  you 
and  your  family  upon  the  pleasing  occurrence,  and  add  my  wishes  to  those 
of  your  many  other  friends,  that  you  may  be  speedily  restored  to  your 
usual  health,  strength  and  usefulness.  You  have  suffered  much,  and 
probably  will  suffer  more.  I  sympathize  with  you  most  deeply,  but  if  you 
shall  in  the  end  be  restored  to  the  use  of  your  bodily  powers,  your  past 
sufferings  will  be  forgotten  in  the  joy  which  such  a  consummation  will 
occasion.  As  soon  as  I  have  moved  into  my  new  house  and  can  leave 
home,  which  will  be  in  about  a  fortnight,  I  shall  go  to  Albany,  to  tell 
you  in  person  how  much  I  rejoice  that  you  are  still  in  the  land  of  the  liv 
ing,  and  in  the  bosom  of  your  family. 

With  unabated  affection  and  friendship,         Yours  &c. 

Solomon  Van  llensselaer,  Esq.  W.  W.  VAN  NESS. 

A  wide  circle  of  relatives  and  fiends  manifested  a  great  desire  to 
contribute  to  the  happiness,  of  Col.  Van  llensselaer  and  he  again  found 
there  was  "  sunshine  as  well  as  clouds"  around  him,  enjoyment  as  well  as 
misery  and  much  earthly  bliss. 

Albany  Dec.  1,  1812. 

If  the  Weather  and  the  State  of  Colonel  Van  Rensselaer's  health  will 
permit  an  Address  is  intended  to  be  delivered  in  Washington  Hall  on  Mon 
day  evening  next.  The  Committee  will  previously  oall  on  Cols.  Van  Rens- 
selaer  and  Lovett. 

To  Cols.  Solomon  Van  llensselaer  and  John  Lovett. 

Gentlemen,  The  deep  interest  which  your  fellow  Citizens  have  so  gen 
erally  manifested,  with  respect  to  your  Services  and  Sufferings  during  the 
last  Campaign,  sufficiently  indicates  the  exalted  rank  you  hold  in  their 
estimation.  Your  brethren,  the  Members  of  the  WASHINGTON  BENEVO 
LENT  SOCIETY,  '  participating  largely  in  the  public  sensibility,  and  impelled 
by  fraternal  affection,  and  by  the  sincere  respect  and  esteem  they  have  ever 
entertained  for  you,  beg  leave  to  present  you  with  this  expression  of  their 
sentiments  and  feelings. 

The  members  of  this  Society,  have  ever  had  the  fullest  Confidence  in 
the  prudence  and  discernment  of  Major  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer.  His  appoint 
ing  you  Gentlemen  to  important  and  Confidential  Stations  near  his  person, 
afforded  an  additional  proof  that,  that  confidence  was  well  founded,  and  it 
at  the  same  time  yielded  them  the  highest  gratification. 

It  is  not  intended  to  enter  into  an  examination  of  the  Question,  or  pol 
icy  of  the  present  War.  There  cannot  exist  in  this  place,  it  is  presumed, 
any  contrariety  of  opinion  on  these  points.  Your  brethren  cannot  however 
refrain  from  expressing  their  Sympathy,  for  the  mental  anguish,  you  must 
have  endured  when  you  came  to  examine  the  "attitude  and  armour"  in 
which  the  Country  had  been  placed  for  the  purpose  of  offensive  War,  when 
you  came  to  have  under  your  immediate  observation  (and  to  experience 

1  This  was  an  organization  opposed  to  the  war. 
36 


282  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

the  effects  of)  the  Ignorance,  the  imbecility,  the  want  of  preparation  and 
foresight,  the  distraction,  the  dishonesty,  the  Jealousy,  and  the  low  in 
trigues,  of  the  Government,  its  Officers  and  Agents;  and  when  you  could 
not  avoid  anticipating  the  result,  this  state  of  things  must  necessarily  pro 
duce  ;  the  sacrifice  of  lives  and  property  and  the  disgrace  of  the  Country. 

The  gallantry  displayed  by  you,  Colonel  Van  Rensselaer,  in  the  Attack 
on  Queenston,  is  the  subject  of  public  admiration  and  praise.  It  must 
have  endeared  you  to  such  of  your  brother  officers  as  are  capable-  of  duly 
appreciating  this  most  noble  trait  in  the  Character  of  a  Soldier;  and  in 
your  present  languishing  condition,  it  constitutes  at  once  the  pride  and 
the  Solace  of  your  friends. 

In  those  who  were  previously  acquainted  with  the  pupil  of  the  Intrepid 
Wayne,  this  act  of  bravery  occasioned  no  suprise.  They  were  persuaded, 
that  he  would  be  found  at  the  post  of  danger  and  that  he  possessed  the 
Spirit,  and  the  Skill  to  render  essential  Service  to  his  Country. 

Your  brethren  cannot  forbear  to  lament,  that,  that  attack  proved  in  the 
event,  so  disastrous  to  the  Nation  and  to  you;  they  however  hope,  that  it 
may  tend  in  som^  degree  "  to  revive  the  forgotten  dignity  of  the  American 
name." 

The  Wounds  of  a  Soldier  received  in  the  Service  of  his  Country,  have  ever 
been  considered  as  presenting  an  almost  irresistible  claim  to  attention  and 
respect.  Two  cases  only  are  recollected  in  which  this  claim  has  been 
wholly  disregarded.  By  the  Mob  at  Baltimore,  to  whom  the  unfortunate 
Genl.  Liugan  opened  his  bosom,  and  they  Stabbed  him  through  the  Scars 
of  the  Wounds  he  had  received  iu  fighting  for  the  Liberty  and  Independ 
ence  of  America  !  By  the  Chief  Magistrate  of  the  State  of  New  York,  who 
formerly  professed  to  be  your  personal  friend,  who  is  your  fellow  Towns 
man  and  Neighbor.  He  came  to  the  place  where  you  lay,  helpless, 
covered  with  wounds,  many  hundred  of  miles  from  your  family  and  your 
home.  These  wounds  too  were  received  in  battle  in  the  course  of  a  War, 
for  which  he  is  a  zealous  advocate.  He  lodged  beneath  the  same  roof 
with  you,  a  few  inches  only  of  lath  and  plaster  separated  you  from  each 
other,  and  he  did  not  deign  to  speak  to  you,  or  to  enquire  into  your  situa 
tion,  or  even  to  direct  his  eyes  towards  you.  And  yet  this  man  is  gene 
rally  reputed  to  be  mild,  humane,  and  affable.  The  appearence  too  of 
his  State  Coach,  every  Sabbath  at  the  door  of  the  house  of  Worship,  is 
calculated  to  induce  a  belief  that  he  is  pious  also.  But  the  Vail  is  now 
rent  asunder.  His  hypocrisy  is  manifest,  and  he  appears  in  his  true  Cha 
racter,  destitute  of  every  generous  and  manly  feeling,  Vengeful,  Malig 
nant,  and  Implacable. 

Colonel  Lovett, 

From  your  acknowledged  literary  talents,  independent  mind,  and  experi 
ence  in  life,  your  brethren  expected  with  confidence,  that  in  every  trving 
situation,  and  in  the  discharge  of  the  most  arduous  and  difficult  duties, 
you  would  promote  the  good  of  the  Service  and  advance  your  own  reputa 
tion.  They  also  looked  to  you  in  a  great  measure,  to  throw  light  on  the 
transactions  of  the  Campaign,  or  the  State  of  the  Army,  and  of  the  North 
western  Frontier.  Nor  have  they  been  disappointed  in  a  single  particular. 
Your  conduct  has  been  such,  as  fully  to  satisfy  the  highest  expectations 
of  your  warmest  friends.  When  it  had  become  public  that  General  Van 
Hensselaer  had  relinquished  the  command  of  the  Army,  it  was  supposed 
by  some,  (and  your  known  attachment  to  your  family  rendered  it  probable) 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  283 

that  you  would  immediately  return  home.  But  the  brave  ever  love  each 
other ;  you  chose  to  remain  with  your  friend  and  Companion  in  Arms  • 
nor  did  you  attempt  to  pass  the  threshold  of  your  own  dwelling,  until  you 
had  deposited  the  wounded  Hero  in  the  bosom  of  his  family.  It  is  im 
possible  to  avoid  doing  homage  to  a  proceeding  so  truly  noble  and  generous. 

Finally,  Gentlemen,  your  brethren  assure  you,  that  it  is  with  the  most 
sincere  pleasure  they  now  congratulate  you,  on  your  return  to  your  re 
spective  families,  and  the  comforts  of  domestic  life,  and  that  they  again 
behold  you  in  this  Hall,  in  the  midst  of  a  Society,  who  hold  in  reverence 
the  name  and  principles  of  our  beloved  WASHINGTON. 

UO  Washington!  the  brightness  of  thine  example,  and  the  superior 
lustre  and  dignity  of  thy  character,  are  too  far  beyond  the  reach  of  imita 
tion,  to  be  ever  the  objects  of  envy.  No  man  ever  deserved  so  much  of 
his  country.  No  other  man  ever  displayed  such  greatness  and  magnanimity 
of  character,  in  divesting  himself  of  power,  in  relinquishing  the  highest 
object  of  ambition,  and  retiring  from  the  chief  magistracy  of  a  free  people, 
to  the  state  of  a  private  Citizen." 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

MAJOR  JOHN  LOVETT'S  ELECTION  TO  THE  13TH  CONGRESS. 

J.  Robinson  to  Col.  Van  Rensselaer. 

Sir,  Buffalo  Dec.  2nd  1812. 

The  result  of  the  battle  of  Queenston  was  painful  to  all ;  but  language 
is  insufficient  to  paint  the  proceedings  of  Brig.  Gen.  Smyth's  pretended 
attack  upon  Canada  :  his  contemptible  proclamations  wounded  the  heart 
of  every  officer,  who  was  a  prisoner  at  Queenston  ;  yet  it  wag  hoped  that 
a  great  soul  would  do  great  things  —  what  is  the  result.  My  God  !  Hulled  ! 
no.  But  as  far  superior  in  turpitude,  baseness  and  cowardice,  as  Satan  is 
to  Michael  the  Arch-Angel  in  wickedness. 

That  pompous  proclamation  brought  volunteers  from  every  quarter ; 
and  on  the  27th  November  ult.  his  forces  were  more  than  eight  thousand 
men  :  and  his  boats  would  carry  three  thousand  eight  hundred  men,  be 
sides  eleven  pieces  of  Artillery,  with  as  many  ammunition  wagons  and 
forty-eight  horses  :  On  the  night  of  the  same  day,  three  hundred  Sailors 
and  regulars  crossed  the  river,  spiked  all  the  British  cannon,  took  thirty- 
one  prisoners,  and  returned.  The  morning  following  Col.  Wynder,  with 
his  regiment,  crossed  the  river,  and  were  repulsed  by  about  three  hundred 
British  ;  by  12  o'clock  all  the  boats  were  filled  and  passed  up  to  the  Rock, 
and  nothing  to  obstruct  their  landing  in  Canada  ]  but  a  six  pounder  which 
did  them  no  injury,  neither  could  bear  on  them  longer,  by  means  of  our 
batteries.  At  the  same  time  three  sailors  crossed  the  river,  set  two  houses 
on  fire,  plundered  a  store,  burned  it,  shot  fowls,  ducks,  and  pigs  without 


284  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

opposition  from  the  enemy,  who  in  attempting  to  approach  were  driven 
back  by  the  well  directed  fire  from  our  batteries ;  Notwithstanding  the 
ardor  of  the  troops  to  pass  the  river,  they  were  ordered  ashore  (to  disem 
bark  and  dine  !)  and  a  Flag  was  sent  to  Canada  ! ! 

Yesterday  at  three  o'clock  A.  M.  the  troops  were  again  ordered  to  embark, 
the  American  Flag  was  raised,  with  everything  ready  for  a  descent,  when  — 
Lo  !  the  Coward  appeared — and  —  the  remainder  cannot  be  described, 
but,  by  the  fallen  countenances  of  the  officers  and  the  fury  of  the  privates. 

I,  Sir,  have  been  anxious,  since  your  departure  from  this,  to  hear  of 
your  safe  arrival  in  the  bosom  of  your  family  ;  and  that  you  have  by  this 
recovered  of  your  wounds.     Be  assured  Sir,   that  I  feel  much  for  your 
welfare.     Lois  Le  Canteubx  Esqr.  presents  his  best  respects  to  you. 
I  am  Dear  Sir,  Your  most  obedient  humble  Servant, 

Col.  Solomon  Van  Reusselaer,  Albany.  JOSIAH  ROBINSON. 

"  The  scruples  of  the  Pennsylvania  brigade  had  been  overcome,  and 
they  would  have  invaded  Canada  cheerfully  under  other  auspices.  But 
distrust  of  their  leader,  had  demoralized  the  whole  army.  They  had  made 
so  much  noise  in  the  embarkation  that  the  startled  enemy  had  sounded 
his  alarm  bugle  and  discharged  signal-guns.  Smyth  called  a  council  of 
the  regular  officers  and  soon  an  order  was  received,  from  the  commanding 
general  to  General  Porter,  directing  the  whole  army  to  debark  and  repair 
to  quarters.  This  was  accompanied  by  a  declaration  that  the  invasion  of 
Canada  was  abandoned  at  present.  The  regulars  were  ordered  into 
winter  quarters,  and  the  volunteers  dismissed." 

Dr.  Chapin  to  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  —  A  Duel. 

Dear  Sir,  Buffalo  Dec.  13,  1812. 

This  part  of  our  country  seems  destined  to  be  the  theatre  of  events 
both  strange  and  new.  You  will  hardly  believe  me  when  I  tell  you  that 
our  two  doughty  Generals  —  Smyth  and  Porter,  got  into  a  boat  yesterday 
with  something  like  20  men,  and,  with  flying  colors  went  'over  to  Grand 
Island  —  burnt  a  charge  of  powder  at  each  other,  shook  hands,  and  came 
"  lock  ageii"  without  staining  the  ground  with  even  one  drop  of  their 
precious  blood.  The  challenge  was  given  by  Gen.  Smyth,  who  finding 
that  no  "  ungathered  laurels"  were  to  be  plucked  on  the  Canadian  shore 
this  winter,  even  condescended  to  seek  them  on  a  little  Island,  the  claim 
to  which  is  in  dispute  between  the  two  governments.  The  combatants 
were  to  have  met  between  the  hours  of  eleven  and  one  j  but  it  seems  they 
were  not  willing  or  ready  to  quit  this  world,  until  about  4  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon,  when  they  met.  The  cause  of  this  truly  important  and  war 
like  movement,  appeared  in  the  Buffalo  Gazette  of  last  week;  I  mean, 
Porter's  letter  to  the  Editors,  in  which  he  directly  calls  Smyth  a  coward, 
and  indirectly  a  liar.  The  conqueror  of  Canada,  at  first,  took  this  in  high 
dudgeon ;  but  one  shot  from  his  antagonist,  that  just  whistled  over  his 
head,  completely  satisfied  him  "  that  Gen.  Porter  was  a  man  of  honor, 
and  had  doubtless  labored  under.some  mistake,  or  misrepresentation,  when 
he  wrote  the  offensive  paragraph." 

Captain  Fitzgerald,  of  the  49th  Regt.  was  over  on  Saturday  after  Gen. 
Smyth  had  taken  Canada  by  his  white  flag,  and  told  a  number  of  our 
officers,  who  were  collected  round  him,  that  the  United  States  would  never 
conquer  Canada  until  some  of  their  old  Generals  rose  from  their  graves 


LEGACY  OP  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  285 

But  when  he  hears  how  Gen.  Smyth  has  the  courage  to  be  shot  at,  he  will, 
no  doubt,  consider  the  situation  of  Canada  as  desperate.      I  remain  dear  Sir, 

Your  sincere  friend  and  hble.  Servant 
Col.  Solomon  Van  llensselaer  Albany.  CYRENIUS  CHAPIN 

"  General  Porter  openly  attributed  the  abandonment  of  the  invasion  of 
Canada  to  the  cowardice  of  Smyth.  A  bitter  quarrel  ensued,  and  soon 
resulted  in  a  challenge  by  the  general  in  chief  for  his  second  in  command 
to  test  the  courage  of  both  by  a  duel.  In  direct  violation  of  the  Articles 
of  War,  these  superior  officers  of  the  army,  with  friends,  and  seconds,  and 
surgeons,  put  off  in  boats  from  the  shore  near  Black  Rock,  in  the  presence 
of  their  troops,  at  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  the  12th  of  December,  to 
meet  each  other  in  mortal  combat  on  Grand  Island.  They  exchanged 
shots  at  twelve  paces  distance.  Nobody  was  hurt.  The  expected  tragedy 
proved  to  be  a  solemn  comedy.  The  affair  took  the  usual  ridiculous  course. 
The  seconds  reconciled  the  belligerents,  the  hand  of  reconciliation  was 
offered  and  received.  Confidence  in  the  military  ability  of  Gen.  Smyth 
was  destroyed,  and  three  mouths  after  he  was  disbanded." 

In  1846,  the  Albany  Art/us  published,  "  from  the  pen  of  a  distinguished 
writer  and  author,"  an  account  of  the  battle  of  Queenston  which  was 
strangely  inaccurate  in  many  of  its  points ;  it  roused  the  ire  of  the  insulted 
old  soldier,  Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer  —  "  whose  manly  eloquence,  was 
characterized  by  the  rare  and  admirable  poise  of  his  statements"  as  pub 
lished  in  the  same  paper.  The  administration  had  seemed  pitiless  towards 
this  victim  of  injustice,  but  he  did  full  honor  and  manifested  equity  re 
garding  the  illustrious  services,  and  the  high  character  of  other  officers. 
"  I  am  not  ashamed  to  confess  that  I  have  some  natural  pride  left  in  the 
part  which  I  took  in  the  affair  of  Queenstown  —  though  the  fire  of  ambi 
tion  is  now,  at  the  age  of  threescore  and  ten,  a  little  burned  out  of  me  ; 
still  I  should  hardly  deem  it  necessary  to  say  a  word  in  reply  to  this 
article,  were  it  not  for  the  gross  injustice  which  it  does  to  others,  two  of 
whom,  as  gallant  young  men  as  ever  trod  a  battle  field,  were  of  this  city. 
I  published  in  1836,  a  Narrative  of  the  Battle  of  Queenstown,  fortified  by 
official  and  other  documents,  and  to  that  I  confidently  refer.  It  was  drawn 
from  me  by  an  invidious  publication  made  by  General  Armstrong,  and 
the  truth  of  its  facts  and  positions  has  never  been  assailed,  and  cannot  be 
gainsaid.  I  have  no  intention,  at  my  time  of  life,  of  being  drawn  into 
a  newspaper  controversy  on  this  subject.  I  rely  on  my  narrative. 
Perhaps  the  public  will  be  at  no  great  loss  to  discover  the  object  of  the 
article  in  your  paper,  whatever  may  be  thought  of  the  source  from  which 
it  emanates  when  this  brief  summing  up  of  the  narrative  is  read,  namely  : 
It  is  apparent  that  the  successes  of  any  importance  at  Queenstown,  were 
achieved  by  the  13th  infantry  and  a  few  drilled  state's  artillery,  in  all  not 
exceeding  240  men,  commanded  l>y  Capt.  Wool,  now  Gen.  Wool." 

Now,  Mr:  Editor,  I  am  of  opinion  that  this  writer  has  done  the  dis 
tinguished  soldier  whom  he  has  made  the  hero  of  his  romance  great  in 
jury.  When  histories  come,  I  hope  they  will  be  something  better  worthy 
of  the  name  than  this/awcy  sketch.  The  proper  exploits  of  Captain  Wool 
at  Queenstown,  long  and  perfectly  well  known  to  the  world,  and  perfectly 
appreciated,  were  sufficient  of  themselves  for  his  fame  and  glory;  and 
this  effort  to  falsify  history  in  his  behalf,  at  the  expense  of  others  who 
had  some,  share  in  that  affair,  is  calculated,  so  far  as  it.  has  any  effect,  to 
mystify  the  whole  transaction,  and  throw  doubt  over  the  merit  that  really 


286  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

belongs  to  him.  This  expedition  and  enterprise  was  under  my  command, 
and  not  under  Capt.  Wool's  or  any  body  else.  I  commanded  the  whole, 
not  a  detachment,  and  the  whole  were  formed  in  order  on  the  beach,  not 
on  the  plateau;  and  by  my  order  the  troops  charged  up  the  bank  ;  they 
were  not  allowed  to  load  their  pieces.  The  enemy  gave  way;  on  the 
plateau' the  engagement  took  place,  and  as  of  course,  the  13th  were  on 
the  right,  they  suffered  most.  But  I  have  some  reason  for  knowing  that 
this  fight  took  place  under  my  command,  and  not  under  Capt.  Wool's, 
and  that  I  was  not  quite  out  of  all  danger  during  the  engagement.  At 
any  rate  the  enemy  hit  me  with  six  bullets  in  the  course  of  the  fight,  one 
of  which  I  carry  now  in  my  body,  by  way  of  a  remembrancer. 

The  British  party  which  had  given  us  this  brush  retreated  towards  the 
village.  But  my  men  were  still  annoyed  by  some  shots  from  the  high 
grounds,  and  I  ordered  them  to  fall  back  under  cover  of  a  bank.  I  now 
found  myself  so  much  riddled  that  it  seemed  quite  impossible  that  I 
should  be  able  to  lead  the  troops  in  person,  to  any  further  enterprise  ; 
and  I  naturally  looked  about  for  Lieut.  Col.  Christie,  who  was  my  second 
in  command.  He  was  not  to  be  found.  In  fact,  as  is  well  known,  he  had 
retreated  without  touching  the  British  shore.  The  search  for  him  occupied 
some  time,  and  of  course  created  considerable  delay,  as  I  was  naturally  dis 
inclined  to  entrust  the  command  to  very  young,  and  very  inexperienced 
hands.  But  there  were  no  others  near  me,  and  finally  there  was  no  other 
alternative.  Capt.  Wool  was  the  senior  officer  on  the  ground,  and  he  received 
my  orders.  I  myself  arranged  the  order  of  the  column  for  the  ascent, 
and  marked  out  its  course  —  directing  its  movement  to  the  left  and  by  a 
point  of  rock,  which  would  avoid  exposure  and  bring  it  on  the  heights  in 
the  rear  of  the  battery.  I  ordered  Lt.  John  Gansevoort  of  the  artillery, 
assisted  by  Lt.  Randolph,  at  the  head  of  forty  picked  artillery  men  ;  to 
lead  the  column,  and  I  placed  Major  Lush,  one  of  my  aids,  in  the  rear, 
with  strict  orders  to  put  the  first  man  to  death  who  should  fall  back.  In 
this  order,  when  all  was  ready,  the  troops  filed  off  before  me,  and  it  was 
not  till  they  were  fairly  on  their  way,  that  my  strength  failed  me,  and  I 
sank  to  the  ground.  During  all  the  delay  that  had  occurred,  and  the 
arrangements  for  storming  the  heights,  I  had  not  quitted  my  feet ;  (except 
when  the  troops  were  screened  under  the  bank)  and  I  had  borrowed 
from  Major  Lush  a  great  coat  which  I  wore  the  whole  time  on  purpose  to 
conceal  the  extent  and  number  of  my  wounds.  Capt.  Wool's  official  ac 
count  of  the  matter  to  me,  is  in  the  Narrative,  dated  23d  Oct.,  1812. 
"  In  pursuance  of  your  order,  we  proceeded  round  the  point,  and  as 
cended  the  rocks,  which  brought  us  partly  in  rear  of  the  battery.  We 
took  it  without  much  resistance." 

I  must  not  omit  to  say  that  the  very  advantage  which  I  had  sought  to 
secure,  by  giving  the  artillerists  the  position  I  had  assigned  them  in  this 
enterprise  —  that  of  turning  the  battery  on  the  enemy  as  soon  as  taken  — 
was  lost  by  the  spiking  of  the  cannon.  Let  me  not  be  supposed  to  entertain 
a  disposition  to  detract  from  the  high  merits  of  any  brave  brother. 
Wherever  Capt.  Wool  was  engaged  on  that  trying  occasion,  he  acquitted 
himself  like  a  brave  soldier,  and  a  gallant  man,  and  as  such  I  have  spoken 
of  him  and  others  in  my  book.  But  while  ample  justice  is  accorded  to 
him,  let  no  pretended  historian  distort  facts  to  the  prejudice  of  others  who 
were  his  companions  and^rivals  in  arms  that  day.  Lush,  Gansevoort,  and 
Randolph  were  among  the  number  —  arid  more  daring  or  more  enduring 
men  never  faced  a  foe.  It  was  the  conspicuous  gallantry  of  llandolph  on 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  287 

that  occasion,  that  attracted  the  attention  of  the  enemy,  and  excited  the 
admiration  of  his  brethren  in  arms.  Let  no  slight  or  slur  be  put  on  the 
names  and  merits  of  such  men.  SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Albany,  Feb.  23,  1846. 

Lieut.  Randolph  was  a  lieut.  colonel  of  a  regiment  in  the  battle  of 
Buena  Vista  in  1847  when  a  son  of  Henry  Clay  was  slain  in  the  combat. 

Challenge  from  Peter  R  Porter  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 

Messrs.  Editors,  Mount  Hope,  Jany.,  1813. 

A  publication  in  the  Columbian  of  the  12th  inst.  has  imposed  upon  me 
the  task  of  making  a  statement  of  facts  to  the  public,  and  I  have  to  re 
quest  a  place  for  it  in  your  columns. 

The  appeal  of  an  individual  to  the  solemn  tribunal  of  public  opinion 
is  ever  unpleasant,  and  to  no  one  could  such  appeal  be  more  irksome  than 
to  myself  upon  this  occasion  :  To  ask  a  new  decision  against  a  man 
already  so  overwhelmed  with  public  execrations  as  is  General  PETER  B. 
PORTER  may  seem  unmerciful :  but  he  has  called  me  before  the  public, 
and  in  justice  to  myself  (for  he  is  unworthy  the  notice  of  any  honorable 
man)  I  shall  answer. 

General  Porter  complains  of  the  statement  of  an  affair  betweeti  him  and 
myself  lately  made  in  the  Northern  Whig.  That  Statement  was  made 
without  my  knowledge  or  approbation,  direct  or  indirect :  and  I  am  no 
more  answerable  for  it  than  I  am  for  the  palpable  falsehoods  in  the 
Columbian  to  which  I  have  referred.  It  is  true  that  upon  a  recent  occa 
sion  I  did  declare  to  General  Porter  that  I  would,  at  a  proper  time,  un 
mask  him  to  the  world  ;  and  at  that  time  it  was  my  intention  so  to  do. 
But  my  aversion  to  paper  warfare,  which  might  implicate  others;  and  a 
perfect  knowledge  that  this  same  Peter  B.  Porter  was  a  pitiful  Scoundrel 
and  coward  unworthy  of  my  notice,  had  induced  me  to  pass,  in  Silence, 
by  a  wretch  wallowing  in  disgrace. 

To  abuse  any  man  wantonly,  or  to  with-hold  the  merited  reprobation  of 
rascality  is,  to  me,  equally  impossible.  I  did  call  Peter  B.  Porter  a  Rascal ; 
and  whether  that  epithet  was  justly,  or  unjustly  bestowed,  I  submit  to 
candid  and  honorable  men  of  all  parties  to  decide  upon  the  following  state 
ment  of  facts.  In  stating  facts  I  shall  avoid,  as  far  as  possible,  any  disclo 
sures  unfavorable  to  the  Service,  or  the  unnecessary  implication  of  names. 

Soon  after  the  Armistice  was  concluded  [Aug.  21,  1812,]  and  the  honor 
of  the  Nation,  through  the  Commander  of  the  Army,  was  pledged  for  the 
cessation  of  hostilities,  and  General  Orders  to  that  purport  had  been 
issued,  General  Van  Reusselaer  received  a  communication  from  Major 
General  Hall  that  a  British  Sergeant  and  Six  privates  had  been  surprised 
and  taken  at  Buckhorn  Island  (where  they  had  been  sometime  stationed) 
by  a  detachment  of  Colonel  Swift's  Regiment.  I  was  ordered  to  make  in 
quiry  as  to  this  breach  of  faith  and  orders,  and  adopt  measures  instantly 
to  restore  the  British  sergeant  and  guard  to  the  place  from  whence  they 
had  been  taken.  The  duties  of  this  day  called  me  from  Lewiston  to 
Black  Rock.  I  stopped  at  General  Halls  quarters,  near  Niagara  Falls; 
he  proposed  to  accompany  me  ;  and,  while  he  was  getting  ready,  I  stepped 
over  to  Judge  Porter's,  where  I  found  Peter  B.  Porter,  and  inquired 
whether  he  knew  who  had  given  orders  for  attacking  the  British  guard 
on  Buckhorn  Island  ?  He  told  me  he  did  not  know  ;  but  said,  application 
had  been  made  to  him  for  a  boat  for  that  purpose  :  that  he  had  refused, 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

unless  an  order  was  obtained  from  General  Van  Rensselaer.  I  observed, 
that  he  knew  perfectly  well,  that  no  such  order  would  have  been  granted  ; 
and  that  had  he  said  one  discouraging  word,  the  enterprise  would  never 
have  been  attempted.  I  reminded  him,  that  by  stipulations  entered  into 
between  General  Van  Rensselaer  and  General  Sheaffe,  we  had  fortunately 
secured  the  navigation  of  Lake  Ontario;  that  General  Van  Rensselaer  had 
sent  an  express  to  Ogdensburgh  to  order  up  from  thence  to  Sacketts  Har 
bour  a  number  of  vessels  to  join  Capt.  Woolsey,  with  a  view  of  enabling 
that  gallant  officer  to  get  command  of  the  Lake;  that  Colonel  Fenwick 
was  on  his  way  from  Oswego,  with  cannon  and  a  large  quantity  of  military 
stores  for  Niagara;  that  all  this  property  was  put  in  jeopardy;  important 
arrangements  might  be  defeated,  and  the  campaign  rendered  abortive  by 
this  violation  of  faith  pledged  for  the  observance  of  the  armistice  ;  that 
if  we  violated  it,  the  British  might  retaliate  to  our  loss  and  sorrow. 

I  then  returned  to  General  Hall's  quarters.  We  proceeded  together 
to  Black  Rock,  to  which  place  (instead  of  Lewiston,  which  was  much 
nearer)  the  British  sergeant 'and  guard  had  been  sent.  On  our  way  we 
found,  with  mortification,  that  most  of  the  small  guards  had  been  engaged 
in  this  disgraceful  transaction.  We  arrived  at  Colonel  Swift's  quarters 
and  dined.  I  asked  him,  by  whose  orders  this  attack  had  been  made  upon 
the  Britfsh  ?  He  said  he  did  not  know  ;  but  it  was  by  Lieutentant 
Hewett  of  his  regiment,  and  the  guard  under  his  command.  I  told  Col 
onel  Swift,  the  British  prisoners  should  be  immediately  returned  to  the 
Island  whence  they  were  taken.  He  observed,  that  he  believed  they  did 
not  wish  to  go  back  ;  and  if  sent,  his  men  would  be  dissatisfied,  and  the 
prisoners  would  return  back  again,  in  this  opinion  Dr.  Wilson,  the  friend 
of  Peter  B.  Porter,  joined.  I  told  Colonel  Swift  that  should  the  prisoners 
return  to  our  shore,  he  must  immediately  send  them,  under  guard,  to 
Lewiston  ;  and  I  explained  to  him  the  necessity  of  adopting  this  course. 
Colonel  Swift  and  Doctor  Wilson  —  his  surgeon  —  walked  out  of  the 
room;  but  soon  returned,  and  reported  to  me,  that  the  captured  guard, 
excepting  the  sergeant,  would  not  return  alive.  I  observed  to  them,  with 
some  warmth,  that  dead  or  alive,  they  should  all  return,  and  ordered  Col 
onel  Swift,  by  command  from  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer,  to  return  them,  and 
sen  ddown  Lieutenant  Hewett,  the  next  day  under  arrest  for  trial.  1  then 
walked  into  the  adjoining  room  and,  to  my  surprise,  found  the  prisoners 
in  high  spirits,  dining  at  the  same  table  from  which  we  had  just  risen. 

To  this  shameful  affair  there  appeared,  to  my  mind,  disgusting  evidence 
that  Peter  B.  Porter  and  his  friends  were,  to  say  the  least,  accessories. 
A  palpable  violation  of  the  plighted  faith  of  the  Nation,  or  the  sacrifice  of  an 
army  must  have  appeared  as  incidents  of  minor  consequence,  to  a  man  so  eager 
for  the  prosecution  of  the  War  as  to  recommend  to  General  Van  Rensselaer, 
to  pass  over  from  Buffalo  with  a  handful  of  men  to  Fort  Erie,  and  march 
to  the  relief  of  Hull,  throiujh  a  fine  country,  and  good  roads  of  about  240 
miles;  with  Brock  and  Proctor  in  front,  and  Sheaffe  in  our  rear.  Such 
a  man,  among  a  thousand  other  crafty  hints,  might  even  venture  to  submit 
to  the  consideration  of  General  Van  Rensselaer,  the  expediency  of  per 
mitting  one  of  his  sloop  captains,  thrown  out  of  employ  upon  Lake  Erie, 
to  pass  over  into  Canada  on  his  parole  as  a  prisoner  of  war,  although  he 
might  have  been  a  staunch  loyalist,  and  never  in  any  shape  made  prisoner  ! 

On  my  return  from  Black  Rock  to  Lewiston,  1  rode  part  of  the  way 
in  company  with  some  of  Porter's  friends  ;  our  conversation  naturally 
turned  upon  his  conduct;  some  of  the  preceding  and  other  subjects,  not 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  289 

necessary  to  be  detailed,  were  discussed.  I  stated,  that  Porter  had,  upon 
every  occasion,  endeavored  to  throw  all  responsibility  upon  General  Van 
Rensselaer,  to  perplex  his  movements  and  embarrass  his  command  ;  that 
he  had  voted  for  the  War ;  but  now,  instead  of  being  the  first  man  to 
shew  his  zeal  in  the  cause,  he  neglected  his  duty  as  Quarter-niaster- 
General.  That  he  was  seldom  in  camp  ;  neglected  to  furnish  the  necessary 
•  supplies  for  bringing  the  war  to  an  honorable  termination  ;  that  he  cared 
not  how  long  it  might  last,  provided  he  could  make  his  fortune  by  it. 
That  he  would  not  even  furnish  straw  for  the  soldiers  to  lie  upon  —  that 
hundreds  of  poor  families  had  already  been  compelled  to  leave  the 
frontiers,  abandoning  their  little  all.  In  short,  a  view  of  the  calamities 
of  the  war,  which  this  same  Peter  B(elligerent)  Porter  had  exerted  him 
self  to  bring  on,  wrought  up  my  feelings  possibly  to  an  imprudent  height, 
and  I  did  say,  that  Peter  B.  Porter  was  a  DAMNED  SCOUNDREL. 

A  few  days  after  this,  Dr.  Wilson  came  down  from  Black  Rock  to 
Lewiston  with  a  note  from  Porter  inquiring  whether  I  had  bestowed  upon 
him  the  epithet  which  had  been  reported  to  him  as  above  stated.  I  told 
him  I  had.  After  a  pause,  he  asked  me  where  he  could  find  me  half  an 
hour  afterwards.  I  told  him,  in  my  tent.  He  withdrew,  and  in  a  short 
time  returned  again  and  requested  that  I  would  send  a  friend  to  meet  him 
at  seven  o'clock  that  evening,  at  Mr.  Barton's,  to  make  the  necessary 

arrangements.  I  told  him,  that  my  friend would  meet  him  at  that 

time  and  place.  Dr.  Wilson  then  began  to  talk  about  my  being  in  a  pas 
sion,  and  an  apology  I  told  him  I  had  no  apology  to  make.  The  neces 
sary  arrangements  were  made,  and  a  solemn  pledge  of  secrecy  given ;  but 
Porter  immediately  communicated  the  affair  to  his  partner,  Mr.  Barton, 
who  informed  General  Van  Reusselaer  thereof,  and  begged  him  to  put  a 
stop  to  it.  General  V.  R.  asked  Mr.  Barton  from  whom  he  obtained  his 
information  ?  He  answered  from  Porter  himself :  adding  that  I  had  been 
in  a  passion,  and  that  Porter's  friends  had  urged  him  to  the  measure. 

Agreeably  to  the  arrangement  entered  into  between  Dr.  Wilson  and 
my  friend,  they  were  to  meet  the  Saturday  following,  at  twelve  o'clock,  at 
a  house  near  Tonawanda,  where  Dr.  W.  promised  to  have  a  boat  in  readi 
ness  to  pass  over  to  Grand  Island  for  the  purpose  of  locating  a  particular 
spot.  My  friend  arrived  there  sometime  before  Dr.  Wilson  ;  but  found 
no  boat.  When  the  Doctor  arrived  he  was  pressed  for  the  immediate  dis 
patch  of  business  ;  but  Dr.  VV. —  after  some  excuses  for  not  having  provided 
the  boat,  and  objecting  to  going  a  mile  down  the  river  where  there  was  a 
boat,  asked  my  friend  to  go  with  him  up  into  a  chamber.  They  went  up 
The  expediency  of  postponing  the  meeting  was  submitted  by  Dr.  Wilson 
to  my  friend  for  various  considerations,  which  it  is  unnecessary  to  detail. 
The  proposition  was  at  first  rejected  ;  but  at  last  my  friend  agreed  to  re 
port  the  proposition  to  me  and  meet  Dr.  W.  at  the  tavern  near  Niagara 
Falls,  precisely  at  eight  o'clock  on  the  Monday  morning  following.  It 
was  also  agreed  that  if  any  urgent  call  of  professional  duty  should  prevent 
Dr.  Wilson  from  attending,  that  he  would  transmit  a  note  at  that  time  and 
place  with  the  single  word  •'  Deferred"  That  my  friend,  as  I  should  in 
struct  him,  would  then  finally  accept,  reject  or  qualify  the  proposition  : 
but  in  any  event,  should  the  proposition  be  rejected,  the  principals  with 
their  friends  should  meet  on  the  island  at  the  hour  which  had  been  pre 
viously  agreed  upon.  My  friend  returned  on  Saturday  evening  and  com 
municated  to  me  the  proposition.  I  charged  him  to  be  punctual  in  his 

37 


290  LEGACY  OP  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

attendance  at  the  hour  and  place  on  Monday  morning;   to  reject  the  pro 
position,  and  take  the  necessary  measures  for  deciding  the  affair  at  once. 

On  Sunday,  before  noon,  Mr.  Gray  called  on  my  friend  at  Lewiston 
with  the  following  note  from  Gen.  Porter. 

Sir,  Black  Rock,  Sept.  13,  1812. 

I  had  no  objection  for  the  public  reasons  operating  on  both  Sides  to 
the  principal  arrangement  being  mutually  entered  into.  But  the  very 
extraordinary  and  unexpected  shape  in  which  the  business  has  been 
placed  does  not  permit  me  to  let  it  remain  a  moment  on  its  present  foot 
ing.  General  Gray  is  th£  gentleman  whom  I  mentioned  to  you  and  is 
acquainted  with  every  particular.  To  whatever  arrangement  he  may 
make  I  shall  strictly  conform.  Yours  respectfully, 

Mr. PETER  B.  PORTER. 

This  is  incorrect,  General  Porter  had  never  given  my  friend  the  least 
hint  that  Mr.  Gray  was  to  take  part  in  this  affair.  He  had  indeed  once 
submitted  the  proposition  of  "  exchanging  his  friend  for  one  of  more  ex 
perience''  but  this  proposition  was  no  sooner  communicated  to  me,  by  my 
friend,  than  it  was  rejected,  and  at  the  same  time  I  observed  to  my 
friend,  that  Porters  only  object  was  to  give  publicity  to  the  affair.  My 
friend  after  expressing  his  surprise  at  the  violation  of  the  promise  of 
secrecy  on  the  part  of  General  Porter,  stated  to  Mr.  Gray  the  situation  in 
which  the  affair  was  then  placed  by  Dr.  Wilson  and  himself;  and  that  no 
deviation  from  that  course  would  be  acceded  to.  That  the  proceeding  on 
the  part  of  General  Porter  was  so  extraordinary  that  no  attention  would 
be  paid  to  his  note,  nor  Mr.  Gray  in  any  shape  recognized. 

Mr.  Gray,  after  contending  that  General  Porter's  note  vested  him  with 
full  power  to  annul  the  whole  arrangement  which  had  been  previously 
entered  into,  and  declaring  General  Porter's  intention  not  to  comply  with 
it,  departed. 

On  Monday  morning,  before  eight  oclock,  my  friend  was  at  the  house 
appointed  near  Niagara  falls  and  continued  there  for  more  than  an  hour; 
but  Dr.  Wilson  did  not  appear,  nor  did  lie  send  any  communication  what 
ever  !  My  friend  then  returned  to  the  camp  at  Lewiston  and  reported  to 
me  the  final  result  of  the  affair.  While  I  was  expressing  myself  with 
some  warmth  at  the  rascality  of  Porter,  General  Van  Reusselaer  came  up, 
and  with  some  pleasantry  rallied  me  and  my  friend,  saying  that  this  was 
a  pretty  affair,  indeed.  That  he  had  been  obliged  for  some  days  to  keep 
a  watchful  eye  over  us  ;  for  that  he  had  been  made  acquainted  with  the 
affair  by  one  of  Porter's  confidential  friends  from  the  first;  and  had  we 
attempted  to  leave  the  camp  together  he  would  have  arrested  us  both  ;  and 
would  still  do  it,  if  any  further  attempt  of  the  kind  should  be  made,  and 
that  he  would  immediately  write  Porter  to  that  effect  and  treat  him  in 
the  same  manner.  I  then  declared,  that  I  should  horsewhip  the  scoundrel 
for  disclosing  the  affair,  which  gave  rise  to  General  Van  Renesselaer's 
positive  orders,  to  me,  to  drop  the  matter;  his  letter  to  Porter  of  the 
14th  September,  which  contained  similar  orders,  was  delivered  the  same 
day.  Finding  that  I  had  been  trifled  with  by  Porter,  and  that  a  compli 
ance  with  his  demand  of  satisfaction,  on  my  part,  was  rendered  imprac 
ticable  by  repeated  and  pitiful  evasions  on  his,  I  addressed  the  follow 
ing  letter  to  him  which  was  delivered  the  same  day  by  a,n  officer  of  the 
U.  S.  Army,  to  which  no  answer  was  ever  made. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  291 


Col.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Gen.  Porter. 
Sir,  Lewiston  10  o'clock  A.  at.  Sept.  14,  1812. 

In  consequence  of  your  message  to  me,  several  interviews  were  had 
between  our  friends ;  it  was  at  length  agreed  between  them,  that  they 
should  meet  at  the  first  house  above  the  Ton  a  wan  da  bridge,  and  proceed 
from  then.ce  to  Grand  Island  to  select  a  spot  for  our  meeting.  On  their 
arrival  at  that  place  on  Saturday,  propositions  to  postpone  the  meeting 
were  made  on  the  part  of  your  friend  which  could  not  be  acceded  to  by 
mine  without  consulting  me,  and  with  that  view  they  were  to  meet  this 
morning,  at  8  o'clock,  at  the  Falls  of  Niagara.  At  this  place,  my  friend 
punctually  attended,  and  now  reports,  that  neither  your  friend,  or  any 
apology  appeared.  This  very  extraordinary  conduct  on  your  part,  together 
with  the  fact  of  your  having  disclosed  the  affair  [in  violation  of  the  most 
solemn  pledge  of  secrecy,  and  which  has  been  most  religiously  adhered  to 
on  my  part  and  that  of  my  friend]  to  two  or  three  persons  besides  your 
friend,  and  the  information  I  have  just  received,  that  Gen.  Van  Reusse- 
laer  was  made  acquainted  with  it,  and  in  consequence  of  which,  he  has 
kept  a  watchful  eye  on  all  my  actions  —  shews  conclusively  that  you  have 
trifled  with  me,  and  that  it  never  was  your  intention  to  meet  me.  And 
I  now  declare,  that  if  you  do  not  make  me  a  suitable  apology,  I  shall,  at 
a  proper  time  publish  you  to  the  world  as  a  Poltroon,  a  Coward  and  a 
Scoundrel  !  !  I  am  &c. 

SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Peter  B.  Porter,  Esq.,  Q  Master  Gen.  M.  S.  N.  Y. 

In  this  state  of  things  my  friend  wrote  to  Dr.  Wilson  the  following  note : 

Sir,  Lewiston  11  Qclock  A.  M.  Sept.  14,  1812. 

Agreeably  to  the  arrangement  entered  into  with  you  at  Tonawanda  on 
Saturday,  I  attended  punctually  at  eight  o'clock  this  morning  and  remained 
until  nine,  at  the  tavern  opposite  General  Hall's  late  quarters,  near  Niag 
ara  falls,  to  meet  you  or  receive  the  note  you  proposed  :  But  having  been 
disappointed  in  both,  I  have  reported  the  fact  to  Colonel  Van  Rensselaer : 
and  I  now  deem  it  my  duty  to  apprise  you  of  the  course  he  has  adopted 
thereupon.  This  you  will  fully  learn  from  his  letter  to  General  Porter,  a 
copy  of  which  I  will  furnish  you  if  required.  I  am  &c.  &c. 

Doctor  Wilson. 

About  the  same  time  General  Van  Rensselaer  wrote  to  Porter  a  letter 
of  the  purport  above  stated  ;  and  the  three  letters,  were  delivered  by  the 
same  hand. 

Dr.  Wilson  acknowledged  the  receipt  of  my  friend's  letter,  and  General 
Porter  the  receipt  of  Gen.  Van  Renssolaer's  letter,  but  I  received  no 
answer  from  Porter. 

Dr.  Wilson  to  Major  Lovett. 
Sir,  Black  Rock  Sept.  16,  1812. 

I  received  your  note  at  Tonawanda  on  Monday  4  oclock.  The  Official 
notice  given  you  by  Gen.  Gray  on  the  10th,  closed  my  duties,  and  rendered 

the  proposed  meeting  unnecessary.  0.  ,  ,,, 

J          I  am,  Sir,  your  h  ble  servt, 

Major  John  Lovett.  NATII'  WILSON. 


292  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Major  Lovett's  Statement. 

"  In  the  National  Intelligencer  of  the  17th  instant,  I  have  seen  Genl. 
Porters  statement  of  the  late  affair  between  him  and  Col.  Van  Rensselaer: 
It  is  so  grossly  incorrect  that  strong  reluctance  must  yield  to  that  just  de 
mand  which  my  friend  has  a  right  to  make  for  a  true  history  of  facts. 
Such  I  shall  give,  uninfluenced  by  my  private  opinion  of  the  parties, 
which,  probably  is  not  very  different  from  that  of  my  fellow  citizens  in 
general  : 

At  Lewiston  on  the  6th  day  of  Sept.  last,  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  came  to 
my  tent,  and  handed  me  a  letter  which  he  had  just  received  from  Gen. 
Porter  said  he  supposed  there  must  be  a  little  private  figliting  done  — 
wished  me  to  make  the  arrangements  soon  as  possible,  and  went  away. 
The  letter  was  long  —  a  hotchpot  of  respect,  friendship,  and  hostility.  The 
complaint  in  it  was,  that  Col.  V.  R-.  had  called  Gen.  Porter  a  "  d — d 
rascal. " 

Soon  after  I  had  read  the  letter,  Col.  V.  R.  came  and  handed  me  the 
following  note  : 

Dear  Sir,  Lewiston,  6th  September  1812 

I  hand  you  a  letter  just  delivered  to  me  by  Doct.  Wilson  from  Quar 
ter  Master  General  Porter.  You  will  readily  perceive  its  object.  1  used 
the  epithet  charged,  I  did  declare  that  he  had  been  the  means  of  bringing 
the  inhabitants  on  the  frontier  into  difficulty  and  then  neglected  his 
duty,  by  not  furnishing  the  necessary  supplies  to  carry  on  the  War  •  and 
have  agreed  that  a  friend  should  meet  Doct.  Wilson  at  Judge  Bartons 
at  Seven  this  Evening.  I  have  to  request  you  will  dome  the  favor  to 
meet  Doct.  Wilson,  punctually,  at  the  time  and  place  appointed,  and  act 
as  exigencies  may  require.  I  am,  very  respectfully  your  friend,  &c. 
John  Lovett,  Esq.  SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER, 

In  the  forenoon  of  the  7th,  after  General  Van  Rensselaer  and  Col.  V.R-. 
had  left  the  camp  for  Fort  Niagara,  Mr.  Barton  called  on  rne  in  camp, 
and  said  Gen.  Porter  was  at  his  house  and  wished  to  see  me.  I  went. 
He  said  he  had  ever  entertained  a  high  respect  for  Col.  V.  R.  —  never  had 
any  misunderstanding  with  him  before,  and  much  regretted  it  now.  Dr. 
Wilson  asked  me  if  I  did  not  think  that  he  and  I,  by  acting  a  magnani 
mous  part  could  preserve  two  valuable  men  for  the  Service  !  I  told  him 
the  object  of  our  meeting  was  single  and  definite  :  that  I  had  no  authority 
but  to  locate  the  place  of  meeting.  From  Tonawanda  returned  to  camp 
and  reported  to  Col.  V.  R.  the  proposition  for  postponement.  He  in 
stantly  rejected  it  saying,  "  all  the  fellow  wanted  was  to  paddle  off.  " 

[Mr.  Lovett's  statement,  which  is  quite  lengthy,  coincides  in  every  par 
ticular  with  Colonel  Van  Rensselaer's.]  In  conclusion  he  says  "  The  fore 
going  statement  is  tested  by  very  full  notes  taken  at  the  time.  To  those 
who  are  acquainted  with  Colonel  Van  Rensselaer,  it  may  appear  superflu 
ous  to  add,  that  through  the  whole  affair,  his  conduct  perfectly  comported 
with  the  character  he  has  ever  sustained,  was  such  as  might  be  expected 
from  a  gentleman — a  man  of  honor —  the  Soldier. 
Albany,  28th  Feb.  1813.  JOHN  LOVETT. 

"  Tlie  Soldier's  friend." 
Sir,  Albany  March  10,  1813. 

It  has  been  asserted  by  an  anonymous  correspondent,  through  the 
medium  of  my  paper,  that  while  the  brave  but  unfortunate  Col.  Van  Rens- 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  293 

£ 

selaer  lay  covered  with  wounds  at  a  public  house  at  Buffalo,  His  Excellency 
Gov.  Tompkins  stopped  at  the  same  house  for  several  days  :  and  that  al 
though  he  knew  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  to  be  in  the  house,  and  his  life 
endangered  by  his  wounds,  received  in  the  gallant  affair  of  Queeustown, 
yet  his  Excellency,  whose  partisans  represent  him  as  "  the  Soldier's  friend" 
left  the  house  without  expressing  a  wish  to  see  the  Colonel,  or  making 
even  the  slightest  enquiry  after  his  health. 

That  conduct  so  cold  and  unfeeling  on  the  part  of  the  Commander  in 
Chief  of  the  Militia  should  be  discredited  on  anonymous  testimony,  is  as 
honorable  as  it  is  natural  to  a  brave  and  a  generous  people,  and.  I  was  not 
therefore  surprised  to  learn,  that  many  of  my  readers  disbelieved  or  doubted 
the  statement  of  my  correspondent.  As  to  myself,  I  had  no  doubts,  because 
the  affair,  as  represented,  comported  with  what  my  own  experience  had 
brought  the  of  His  Excellency's  character,  both  as  a  man  and  a  Magistrate. 
It  is  my  wish,  however,  and  indeed  I  owe  it  to  the  public  as  an  editorial 
duty,  to  place  this  affair  in  a  true  light,  and  having  understood  that  you 
was  the  constant  companion  of  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  while  he  remained  at 
Buffalo  and  can  satisfy  any  doubts  that  may  exist  on  the  subject  of  this 
communication,  I  take  the  liberty  of  appealing  to  you  for  a  correct  state 
ment. 

A  speedy  answer  will  much  oblige  Sir,  Yours  very  respectfully, 
John  LoveU,  Esq.  S.  SOUTHWICK. 

Major  Lovett  to  Solomon  Southwick. 

Sir,  Albany,  March  10,  1813. 

This  morning  I  received  your  note  requesting  from  me,  information 
relative  to  the  conduct  of  Governor  Tompkius  towards  Col.  Solomon  Van 
Rensselaer  while  he  lay  wounded  at  Buffalo.  I  will  very  briefly  state  to 
you,  Sir,  what  1  know,  and  what  I  have  understood.  Such  was  the  sever 
ity  of  Col.  Van  Rensselaer's  wounds,  that  I  could  not  move  him  in  any 
carriage.  On  the  18th  of  Oct.  part  of  Major  Mosely's  Rifle  battalion 
generously  offered  to  carry  him  on  their  shoulders,  wherever  he  wished 
to  go,  if  to  Albany.  He  wished  to  go  to  Buffalo.  Those  generous  sol 
diers,  under  the  command  of  Ensign  Grosvenor,  carried  him  to  Schlosser  ; 
there  they  got  a  boat  on  the  19th  and  rowed  him  to  Buffalo.  We  put  up 
at  Landens.  Several  days  after  Gov.  Tompkins  arrived  there  —  put  up  at 
the  same  house.  I  dined  three  or  four  days  at  the  same  table  with  the 
Governor.  He  never  made  any  enquiry  of  me  respecting  Col.  Van  Rens 
selaer's  situation.  I  never  saw  him  in  our  room,  and  Col.  Van  Rensselaer 
has  often  told  me  that  the  Governor  never  came  near  him,  nor  did  he 
send  any  message  to  him. 

I  am  Sir,  very  respectfully  your  obt.  Servant. 

Solomon  Southwick,  Esq.  JOHN  LOVETT. 

Remarks. 

11  After  reading  the  above  correspondence,  the  public  will  be  at  no  loss 
to  determine  with  what  degree  of  justice  the  partisans  of  his  excellency 
Daniel  D.  Torapkins  have  styled  him  '  The  Soldier's  friend.' 

'*  If  there  is  a  spectacle  on  earth  calculated  to  excite  the  commiseration 
as  well  as  the  admiration  of  the  generous  and  the  brave,  it  is  that  of  a 
hero  nobly  bleeding  in  his  country's  cause,  and  suffering  the  fortune  of 
wounds  received  in  avenging  her  wrongs,  or  defending  her  rights.  And 
yet,  from  such  a  spectacle  did  the  commander  in  chief  of  our  militia, 


294  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

• 

while  on  a  professional  military  tour,  turn  with  averted  eye,  without  of 
fering  a  word  of  consolation,  or  the  smallest  aid  of  any  kind,  in  alleviation 
of  the  brave  man's  sufferings.  We  are  aware  that  the  tools  of  Tyburn 
may  suggest  as  an  apology  for  his  excellency's  conduct,  that  Col.  Van 
Rensselaer  is  a  political  opponent  of  his  excellency.  Be  it  so.  But  is  a 
mere  political  difference  of  opinion  to  stifle  the  dictates  of  humanity,  and 
render  the  commander  in  chief  of  an  army  callous  to  the  sufferings  of  his 
brave,  but  unfortunate  companions  in  arms  ?  Humanity  is  the  brightest 
gem  in  the  character  of  a  soldier,  and  in  vain  shall  he  who  does  not  possess 
it  lay  claim  to  that  exalted  character.  Had  not  our  public  councils  been 
guided  by  a  mean  and  narrow  party  spirit,  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  would 
have  had  the  command  of  a  regiment  in  the  regular  army  of  the  United 
States.  He  was  recommended  for  that  situation,  previous  to  the  declara 
tion  of  war,  by  several  republicans  who  thought  him  qualified  fo?  and  en 
titled  to  such  command,  but  as  we  were  then  informed  by  a  correspondent 
at  Washington,  his  appointment  was  defeated  by  the  petty  tyrants  of 
Tyburn  hill,  to  whose  remembrance  of  an  old  grudge  may  be  attributed 
an  interference,  on  that  occasion,  which  deprived  their  country  of  the  per 
manent  military  services  of  one  of  the  bravest  and  most  experienced 
officers  that  ever  wielded  a  sword  in  her  defense.  Such  is  the  narrow 
spirit  of  faction  which  is  ever  brooding  over  imaginary  distinctions,  or 
indulging  the  spirit  of  malignity,  to  the  sacrifice  of  the  best  interests  of 
community.  How  much  superior  to  that  of  our  self-styled  republican 
rulers,  was  the  conduct  of  the  Emperor  Napoleon  on  a  similar  occasion. 
He  wanted  an  engineer  and  had  fixed  his  eye  upon  a  man  well  qualified 
for  this  purpose.  But  he  had  no  sooner  manifested  his  intention 
than  some  sycophants,  like  those  that  swarm  about  Tyburn^  or  dangle 
at  the  levees  of  Mr.  Madison,  admonished  him  not  to  appoint  the 
man  he  had  his  eye  upon,  '  for  your  majesty,'  said  the  toad-eater,  '  may 
rest  assured  that  he  is  a  jacobin.'  '  It  is  an  ENGINEER  that  I  want/  replied 
Bonaparte  coolly,  and  thus  rebuked  the  impertinence  and  intolerance  of 
the  sycophant,  while  he  secured  for  his  army  the  services  of  a  skillful  and 
meritorious  officer.  Let  our  brave  militia-men  reflect,  that  if  Governor 
Tompkins  should  be  re-elected  he  will  continue  to  be  at  least  their  nomi 
nal  couiinander-in-chief.  But  as  their  suffrages  will  either  elevate  him 
once  more  to  the  pinnacle  of  executive  power,  or  consign  him  to  that  pri 
vate  station,  for  which  he  is  best  fitted  by  nature,  it  behooves  them  to  re 
member  his  treatment  of  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  for  the  private  soldier  will  seek 
in  vain  in  his  distresses  for  the  sympathetic  aid  of  the  man  who  could  thus 
coldly  and  inhumanly  avoid  the  languid  couch  of  the  wounded  officer. 
We  have  too  much  confidence  in  the  generous  feelings  of  our  honest  yeo 
manry  to  believe,  that  any  suggestions  of  private  pique  or  the  detestable 
influence  of  party  spirit,  will  be  received  by  them  as  an  apology  for  con 
duct,  thus  marked  by  every  lineament,  a  feature  of  cold  blooded  cruelty. 
The  testimony  before  them,  is  no  longer  that  of  rumor  —  it  rests  no  longer 
upon  the  basis  of  anonymous  authority.  Mr.  Lovett  was  the  aid-de-camp 
of  General  Van  Rensselaer,  and  the  constant  companion  of  his  wounded 
friend  and  fellow-soldier.  His  testimony,  therefore,  is  conclusive,  it  con 
victs  the  commander-in-chief  of  a  dereliction  of  humanity,  the  brightest 
ornament  of  valor —  it  fixes  the  seal  of  delinquency  upon  his  moral  as  well 
as  official  character  —  and  it  now  remains  for  the  ballot  boxes  to  punish  the 
delinquent." 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  295 

Gen.  Porter's  compassion  was  of  the  same  dye  :  "  In  his  fiend,  like  wish 
(when  he  heard  of  my  [Col.  V.  R.]  being  grievously  wounded)  '  that  I 
might  not  survive  my  wounds/  did  it  emanate  from  an  honorable  man  ?" 

Robert  Macomb  to  Solomon  Southwick. 
Sir,  March  22,  1813. 

Observing  that  the  conduct  of  Gov.  Tompkins  towards  Col.  Van  Rens- 
selaer,  whilst  at  Buffalo,  has  become  a  subject  of  much  animadversion  in 
your  paper,  I  feel  myself  compelled,  by  a  sense  of  justice  to  submit  to 
you  the  following  statement  of  facts.  Col.  John  W.  Livingston  and  myself 
accompanied  Gov.  Tompkins,  as  Aids-de-Camp,  on  his  late  tour  to  the 
frontiers;  and  in  this  character  we  arrived  at  Buffalo.  While  there  his 
Excellency  manifested  great  anxiety  for  the  brave  men  who  had  been 
wounded'  at  Queenston,  and  for  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  among  others,  about 
whose  situation  he  made  inquiries  of  the  officers,  and  particularly  of  Gen. 
Stephen  Van  Rensselaerl  Gov.  Tompkins  conceived  that  he  could  not 
with  propriety,  wait  personally  on  Col.  Van  Rensselaer,  without  an  invita 
tion,  as  there  was  every  reason  to  believe  that  a  visit  would  be  disagree 
able  to  Col.  Van  Rensselaer;  he  having  manifested  much  personal  hostility 
to  Gov.  Tompkins  on  several  occasions.  And  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer,  and 
Mr.  I^ovette,  who  were  perfectly  aware  of  the  delicate  situation  of  Gov. 
Tompkins  in  this  respect,  did  not  invite  him  to  see  Col.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Gov.  Tompkins,  however,  ordered  Col.  Livingston  and  myself  to  wait  on 
Col.  Van  R. ;  and  by  his  immediate  order  I  took  the  liberty  of  asking  Mr. 
Lovett,  with  whom  I  had  no  acquaintance  whatever,  whether  I  could  be 
permitted  to  see  Col.  Van  Rensselaer.  Mr.  Lovett  fixed  the  time,  when 
he  was  so  good  as  to  introduce  me  to  Col.  Van  Rensselaer  whom  I  had 
never  seen.  I  passed  part  of  the  evening  with  him,  and  was  happy  to  find 
him  in  all  respects  convalescent.  Col.  Livingston  was  also  ordered  to  call 
on  Col.  Van  Rensselaer. 

As  the  strictures  which  have  been  made  on  this  subject,  may  have  a 
tendency  to  impute  to  Gov.  Tompkius  an  unfeeling  neglect  of  our  gallant 
Countryman  who  suffered  at  Queenstown,  it  may  be  well  to  remark  (if 
the  character  of  Gov.  Tompkins  need  any  vindication  in  this  regard)  that 
immediately  after  his  arrival  at  Buffalo,  he  presented  to  the  hospital  de 
partment,  for  the  use  of  the  sick  and  wounded  Militia,  all  his  private 
stores  whatever,  consisting  of  tea,  sugar,  coffee,  liquors,  smoked  meats, 
and  a  variety  of  groceries  which  had  been  transported  for  the  use  of  him 
self  and  suite,  and  which  could  not  be  procured  on  the  Niagara  frontier. 
He  did  not  retain  a  single  article  for  himself. 

I  beg  you,  Sir,  to  publish  this  note  in  your  paper. 

Solomon  Southwick,  Esqr.  ROBERT  MACOMB. 

The  following  letter  from  Col.  V.  R.,  to»  the  editor  of  the  Albany  Re 
gister,  needs  no  comment.  It  speaks  for  itself  and  will  speak  home,  with 
irresistible  effect,  to  every  honest  and  independent  heart. 

Sir,  Mount  Hope,  24th  March,  1813. 

In  compliance  with  your  desire  and  to  enable  you  to  correct  some  errors 
in  Col.  Macomb's  statement,  which  was  published  in  the  last  Register,  I 
give  you  the  following  detail. 

The  conduct  of  Governor  Tompkins  in  not  calling  on  me  when  I  lay 
wounded  in  the  same  house  where  he  was,  when  at  Buffalo,  became  the 


296  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

topic  of  general  conversation  between  the  Citizens  and  Officers  at  that 
place.  Mr.  John  McComb  (who  so  gallantly  distinguished  himself  in 
assisting  to  cut  out  two  British  Sloops  of  War  off  Fort  Erie)  lodged  in 
the  same  house,  and  shewed  me  much  attention  and  friendship.  He 
heard  the  observations  made  on  this  subject  and  I  believe  felt  hurt  that 
his  relation,  Col.  Robert  McComb,  did  not  call  upon  me.  He  told  me  one 
afternoon  that  he  would  bring  his  Cousin  Robert  to  see  me  if  I  had  no 
objections.  I  replied  that  I  had  not  any,  accordingly  they  came  in  one 
evening,  and  remained  a  short  time  in  my  room.  This  visit  was  made 
the  third  or  fourth  day  after  the  Governor's  arrival,  and  I  believe  the 
very  evening  before  he  and  Col.  McComb  left  Buffalo  for  Albany.  But  I 
solemnly  declare,  that  Col.  McComb  did  not  communicate  to  me  any 
message  from  the  Governor,  nor  did  I  receive  one  from  him  through  any 
other  channel  whatever.  And  as  for  Col.  Livingston,  he  never  did  call 
upon  me,  although  he  remained  in  the  same  house  in  which  I  was  about 
a  fortnight  after  the  Governor  had  left  it.  While  I  am  again  very  un 
willingly  drawn  before  the  public,  I  deem  it  my  duty  to  correct  an  error 
which  many  minds  have  been  impressed  with  •  by  some  it  has  been  sup 
posed,  that  I  was  the  brother  of  General  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer,  by 
others  his  nephew,  &c.  But  the  truth  is,  that  the  relationship  between 
us  is  very  distant  indeed,  being  that  of  third  or  fourth  cousins  only.  My 
attachment  to  him  therefore  does  not  arise  from  this  cause,  but  from  an 
intimate  knowledge  of  his  Worth  •  he  is  amiable  and  brave,  his  feelings 
were  ever  alive  to  the  sufferings  of  the  inhabitants  on  the  frontier ;  to 
the  comforts  of  the  troops,  and  to  the  honor  of  their  arms.  After  the 
surrender  of  General  Hull,  when  a  retreat  was  proposed  to  him  from  high 
authority,  this  gallant  man  exclaimed  with  great  indignation,  "  What ! 
shall  I  abandon  the  inhabitants  to  their  fate  ?  No,  I  will  dispute  every 
inch  of  ground  and  sooner  die  !  " 

I  am  very  respectfully, 

Your  Obt.  Sevrt. 
Solomon  Southwick,  Esqr.  SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

"Justice  is  precious  in  all  things,  bub  a  man's  range  is  very  narrow, 
and  that  certainly  could  not  be  called  economical  justice,  however  com 
mendable  it  may  be  otherwise,  which  rights  the  wrongs  of  one  party  — 
or  of  both  the  parties  directly  involved  —  through  gross  inj  ustice  to  others. 
Often  these  very  efforts  are  decidedly  more  exasperating  than  edifying  to 
those  who  are  suffering  in  prison.  Alas  for  the  many  grievous  errors  and 
misrepresentations  that  come  in  ignoring  or  diminishing  the  happiness  of 
others;  without  once  realizing  that  while  promoting  the  happiness  of 
others  we  are  best  securing  our  own.  This  should  be  the  incentive  to 
right  action,  the  noblest,  the  most  heroic  and  self  sacrificing,  and  then  be 
drawn  near  enough  together  to  banish  opprobrious  epithets,  and  to  help 
each  other  in  a  friendly  spirit." 

"  Albany,  April  8,  1813.  Last  evening,  about?  o'clock  as  John  Lovett, 
Esq.,  clerk,  of  the  city  and  county  of  Albany,  was  leaving  his  office  in  the 
capitol,  he  was  followed  by  the  noted  Peter  B.  Porter,  who  addressed  him 
in  a  rude  and  ungentlemanlike  manner,  and  assaulted  him  with  a  cane. 
Mr.  Lovett,  who  is  well  known  to  be  by  no  means  deficient  in  manly 
spirit  soon  turned  upon  Porter,  and  with  a  small  walking  stick,  which  he 
usually  carries,  belabored  him  soundly. 

"  Darby  Noon,  a  young  Irishman,  residing  sometimes  in  this  city  who 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  297 

had  been  noticed  the  greater  part  of  the  afternoon  prowling  about  Mr. 
Lovett's  office  in  company  with  Porter,  was  attending  hard  by,  and  no 
sooner  saw  poor  Porter  reeling  and  staggering  under  the  well  administered 
strokes  of  Mr.  Lovett,  than  he  ran  up,  and  violently  seizing  the  arm  of 
the  latter,  declaring  himself  the  friend  of  both,  gaved  his  friend  Porter 
from  a  further  chastisement  which  he  richly  merited." 

The  severe  struggle  in  the  country  for  political  supremacy,  had  not  yet 
ceased,  but  these  days  were  memorable  for  the  asperity  and  violence  of  poli 
tical  parties.  Not  satisfied  with  discussing  the  principles  which  divided  the 
federal  and  democratic  cliques,  and  the  merits  of  the  respective  candidates, 
low  personal  abuse,  and  libelous  writings  were  employed  to  vilify  indi 
viduals.  Mr.  Lovett,  however,  was  remarkable  for  calmness,  when  others 
were  excited  ;  -his  -conversation  was  always  marked  by  good  sense,  ac 
companied  by  a  suavity  of  manner  that  made  a  favorable  impression.  His 
fracas  with  Porter  was  caused  by  the  statement. 

"Darby  Noon  was  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  a  man  of  great  personal 
worth.  When  Gen.  Van  llensselaer  received  the  news  of  General  Hull's 
surrender,  he  employed  Captain  Darby  Noon,  the  leader  of  a  fine  com 
pany  of  Albany  volunteers,  who  were  stationed  at  Niagara,  on  the  im 
portant  errand  of  going  with  information  of  the  disaster,  by  express,  to 
General  Dearborn,  the  senior  commander  in  the  army,  whose  head  quarters 
at  that  time  were  at  Greeubush,  opposite  Albany,  on  the  Hudson  river. 
Captain  Noon  was  a  man  of  great  energy,  and  he  performed  the  service 
in  an  incredibly  short  space  of  time.  He  rode  express  all  the  way,  chang 
ing  his  horses  by  impressing  them  when  necessary,  assuring  the'  owners 
of  remuneration  from  government.  He  neither  slept  ^on  the  way,  nor 
tasted  food  excepting  what  he  ate  on  horseback.  When  he  arrived  at 
Greenbush,  he  was  so  much  exhausted  that  he  had  to  be  lifted  from  his 
horse,  and  he  was  compelled  to  remain  in  his  bed  several  days.  He  raised 
and  equipped  this  volunteer  company  at  Albany,  almost  entirely  at  his 
own  expense,  and  in  1813  was  commissioned  a  major  in  the  41st  regiment 
of  New  York  State  Militia.  His  wife  was  Caroline  Broome,  daughter  of 
Lieutenant  Governor  Broome  of  New  York.  Major  Noon  survived  the 
war  only  eight  years,  dying  in  September,  1823." 

Mr.  John  Lovett  had  been  elected  a  representative  of  the  state  of  New 
York  in  the  13th  congress,  and  soon  after  proceeded  on  to  Washington. 
"  In  conformity  to  a  law  passed  February  26,  1813,  preceding  the  inaugu 
ration  of  Mr.  Madison,  the  thirteenth  congress  assembled  on  May  24th, 
and  Henry  Clay  was  chosen  speaker  of  the  house." 

Hon.  John  Lovett  to  Joseph  Alexander. 

Dear  Sir.  Philadelphia  18th  May,  1813. 

I  arrived  here  last  evening  in  good  health  and  spirits,  excepting  the 
miserable  hangings  upon  shoulders,  head,  hips  and  ribs  received  from  the 
constant  starboard  arid  larboard  lurches  of  the  stage  ;  a  considerable  part 
of  the  road  is  the  worst  I  ever  saw  in  a  Christian  land.  The  road  is  literally 
cut  hub  deep,  and  wagons  innumerable  passing  and  repassing  from  Tren 
ton  to  New  York  with  goods.  I  certainly  speak  within  bounds,  when 
saying  that  we  yesterday  passed  more  than  2000  Barrels  of  Flour  on  the 
way  to  New  York.  Kvery  hut,  blacksmith's  shop,  house,  shed  and  hovel 
is  filled  with  flour —  10,  20,  GO,  100  Barrels  in  a  place,  and  piled  on  the 
sides  of  the  road,  and  many  loads  thrown  down  in  the  mire.  Such  are 

38 


298  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

facts,  you  may  communicate  them  as  such  to  our  Wheat-holders,  they  may 
take  these  things  into  account  in  making  up  their  calculations.  Genl. 
Van  Rensselaer  is  in  the  city,  I  shall  try  to  find  him  this  afternoon  In 
the  present  awfully  distracted  condition  of  the  affairs  of  our  country,  it 
would  be  worse  than  idle  and  vain  for  me,  an  unfledged  politician,  to  risk 
any  opinion  as  to  the  mighty  events  which  will  most  probablv  be  com 
pressed  into  the  next  six  months.  As  to  the  great  question  of  Peace  or 
War,  Mr.  Parish  says  the  Administration  can  do  nothing  else  lut  make  a 
Peace. 

Washington  May  25,  1813. 

The  Papers  will  tell  you  all  I  can  write  of  general  news.  All  is  calm  as 
yet.  We  take  our  seats  and  look  most  significantly  grave  and  dignisi- 
inously  wise  at  one  another.  It  will  be  idle  for  me  to  send  you  the  Mes 
sage,  the  Birds  of  the  air  will  outfly  the  Mail.  Yours  &c.  JOHN  LOVETTT. 

JoJm  Lovett  to  Joseph  Alexander. 

My  dear  Sir,  Washington  June  12th,  1813. 

The  House  have  held  out  so  late,  in  an  awful  squabble  upon  the  Election 
between  Hungerford  and  Taliaferro  of  Virginia,  that  I  have  scarcely  time 
to  tell  you,  (after  swallowing  my  green  Beans  whole,)  that  I  am  alive  and 
well.  In  this  horrid  region  of  turmoil,  I  can  give  you  nothing  new  more 
than  what  you  see  in  the  Papers.  The  Budget  you  have  seen.  Whether 
the  People  will  quietly  back  it,  is  the  great  question.  I  think  I  can  dis 
cover  that  the  Majority  doubt :  doubt  whether  they  shall  win  the  Saddle, 
and  ride,  completely  caparisoned  to  the  d  —  1 ;  .or  loose  their  Horse,  and 
trudge  the  same  journey,  on  foot :  home  they  must  go,  This  stride  must, 
I  think  either  establish,  or  overthrow  their  power.  Poor,  deluded  Ame 
rica !  All  are  looking  to  Congress  for  relief!  Strange  infatuation  !  Dont 
they  know  that  we  came  together  for  the  express  purpose  of  increasing ' 
their  burdens  ?  Wretchedly  loyal  People  :  so  long  had  they  been  governed 
by  wisdom  and  integrity  :  so  long  had  they  been  accustomed  to  look  to 
the  God  of  their  Fathers,  and  to  their  Rulers  for  deliverance  in  times  of 
deep*  distress,  that  the  habit  is  rooted  in  their  very  souls  —  they  cannot, 
they  will  not  believe  that  the  sceptre  is  transferred  to  the  hands  of  knaves 
and  fools.  Like  the  affectionate  Mother  Bird,  so  attached  to  the  Nest  she  had 
built  with  great  toil,  and  where  her  darling  treasure  was  lately  deposited,  that 
when  robbed  of  all  by  some  ruffian,  she  still  abides  by  her  nest;  wailing, 
but  in  hope,  that  her  loss  may  be  restored,  her  grief  assuaged  and  her  joys 
rekindled.  Idle  hope ;  her  moan  is  vain,  she  but  wastes  her  strength  for 
naught,  and  when  feeble  and  emaciated,  the  ruffian  who  despoiled  the 
heart's  treasure  will  seize  and  cage  her.  But  my  heart  swells.  I  forbear. 

Presuming  that  Johnny  Cook  is  dead,  I  only  wish  to  know  if  his  friends 
mean  to  give  Scarfs  ? 

An  Express  tells  us,  there  are  27  of  the  Enemy's  ships  in  the  Chesa 
peake  and  mouth  of  the  Potomac  !  We  dont  mind  it,  for  one,  I  am  pre 
pared  to  fight  a  little^  then  run  as  usual.  I  will  put  this  in,  not  to  flatter 
you,  but  to  do  justice  to  the  good  heart  of  a  true  friend.  At  dinner  on 
Sunday  at  T.  Wallace's  house,  he  introduced  me  to  several  Merchants  from 
New  York.  Of  Green  Peas,  and  huge  Cucumbers  with  young  Potatoes  I 
say  nothing,  for  they  are  all  the  while  before  us.  Our  IJesert  was  Straw 
berries  as  big  as  grape  shot,  and  cream. 

Tommy  had  got  his  Bottle  of  Madeira,  in  the  cooler,  slyly  between  his 
feet.  He  raised  it  up  at  proper  time,  and  with  triumphant  hand,  urged 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  299 

me  to  take  a  glass,  I  declined,  saying  it  will  make  me  sleepy.  u  Never 
mind,"  says  Tommy,  "  we'll  drink  one  glass  to  Alexander."  With  this 
we  all  filled,  (I  understood  him.)  Our  Toast  was  given  —  the  Gentlemen 
made  some  observations  pointed  towards  Russia.  "  No,  no,"  savs  Tommy, 
"  that's  not  the  man  I  mean.  I  mean  Joseph  Alexander  —  my  worthy  friend 
at  Albany,"  so  we  all  drank  YOURSELF.  Now,  Sir,  as  you  have  become 
the  Toast  at  a  public  table  in  Washington,  I  advise  you  to  marry  as  soon 
as  possible,  otherwise  you  may  fare  the  same  fate  as  Tommy  says  I  must. 
He  says  I  stand  so  unreasonably  high  in  this  country  that  I  must  fall. 
Give  rue  my  hearing,  and  a  little  time  and  I'll  try  to  prevent  it. 

JOHN  LOVETT. 

June  17,  Hasty  Sketch  of  Proceedings. 

Mr.  Hopkins,  from  Ontario,  presents  the  petition  of  Pomeroy  of  Buffalo, 
praying  an  enquiry  into  the  conduct  of  the  Troops  who  destroyed  his  pro 
perty,  and  prays  remuneration  therefore.  Mr.  II.,  prays  it  may  be  referred 
to  a  Select  Committee.  Mr.  Fisk,  of  New  York,  opposes  the  reference,  and 
moves  that  the  Petition  lie  on  the  table  —  saying  that  this  House  has  no 
authority  to  enquire  into  "  Riots  committed  by  Soldiers  in  the  DISCHARGE 

OF  THEIR  DUTY  !"  * 

M.  Goldsborough. — Maty,  advocates  the  Reference,  and  givesa  humorous 
criticism  upon  Mr.  Fisk.  Mr.  Comstock  calls  for  reading  of  the  Docu 
ments.  Mr.  Hopkins  very  ably  and  eloquently  urges  the  reference  upon 
sound  and  broad  principles.  Mr.  Fisk  perseveres  in  his  opposition.  One 
(whom  I  don't  know)  adverts  to  the  Petition  presented,  last  session,  by  the 
inhabitants  of  the  Indian  Territory,  praying  remuneration  for  destruction 
by  Mounted  Riflemen,  that  petition  was  refused  —  and  the  Report  was  in 
favor  of  it.  Mr.  Fisk  having  insinuated  that  Pomeroy  produced  the  Riot 
by  intemperate  expressions  respecting  the  war ;  upon  this,  Mr.  Grosvenor 
animadverts  with  some  severity.  Motion  that  Petition  lie  on  the  table 
negatived;  Riot  motion  for  reference  to  Common  Claims  carried  by 
small  majority. 

The  business  of  the  morningbeing  disposed  of,  Mr.  Webster's  Resolutions 
are  called  up.  Gen.  Wright  takes  the  floor.  I  hear  his  noise,  but  under 
stand  him  not,  nor  do  I  think  he  understands  himself.  I  have  just  been 
across  the  house,  out  of  curiosity  to  hear  Wright ;  and  I  can  with  great 
truth  say,  as  the  honest  German  did  of  the  smell  of  the  Polecat :  "  ven  I 
vas  kood  vays  ofl"  I  stuell'd  em  mighde  sdrong :  ten  I  comes  up  glose  py 
em,  and,  py  der  divils  kite,  he  sdankt  so  dat  I  coud  zrnell  nodiug  unter 
Cot's  heavens."  Wright  having  blown  out,  as  Furnace  men  say,  Farrar 
raises  his  quaudom  ministerial  tone  ;  but,  forgetting  that  he  has  changed 
the  desk  for  a  legislative  floor,  he  makes  a  little  too  free  with  Man's  Motives. 
Mr.  Speaker  calls  him  to  order  !  He  concludes  by  motion  for  indefinite 
postponement,  [Henry  Clay  was  speaker.]  Mr.  Oakley  —  will  not  attempt 
to  reply,  to  the  observations  of  the  Hon.  Gentleman  from  Maryland,  hav 
ing  understood  that  the  Hon.  gentleman  has  been  considered  as  privileged 
to  say  many  things  to  which  no  gentleman  on  this  side  the  House  is  under 
any  obligation  to  reply.  I  can  assure  you  that  this  is  a  proud  day  on  the 
floor  for  New  York.  Not  a  man  on  this  floor  has  been  listened  to  with 
more  attention  than  Mr.  Oakley  ;  and  Mr.  Hopkins  acquitted  himself  very 
handsomely. 

More  and  more  :  Oakley  has  both  Heels  and  Bottom,  he  is  in  ;stcrly. 
He  is  prompt,  luminous,  pointed.  In  the  most  shrewd  and  cunning 


300  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

manner,  he  assails  the  President,  yet  in  such  cautious  phraseology,  that 
no  old  Foxes  can  check  him.  In  discussing  the  question  whether  the 
Executive  of  the  U.  S.  has  been  in  the  habit  of  brooking  insult,  Oakley, 
in  the  happiest  manner  reviews  the  scene  with  Jackson,  he  paints  to  us 
the  fire  and  rage  excited  even  by  the  "  suspicion  of  an  INSINUATION  of 
an  INSULT  ! "  I  confess,  says  Oakley,  that  it  would  give  me  heartfelt 
satisfaction,  to  see  the  Forehead  of  the  French  Government  branded  with 
a  Falsehood.  Oakley  consumes  oue  hour.  And  more  glory  to  New 
York,  Grosvenor  takes  the  floor  in  style.  I  stand,  says  G.,  on  the  freehold 
of  the  Constitution,  and  so  standing,  I  will  speak  plainly,  but  decorously, 
and  from  my  stand,  I  will  never  be  removed  without  one  hard  struggle. 
I  find  so  much  to  admire  in  the  comprehensive  view  which  Grosvenor 
takes,  that  I  note  not  particulars  —  he  is  as  usual  able,  and  elegant.  The 
little  French  Secretary  sits  shrugging  his  shoulders  while  his  Court  is 
branded  with  every  kind  of  epithet.  Grosvenor  occupies  the  floor  for 
half  an  hour.  It  is  hotter,  in  this  house,  than  purgatory.  I  can  no 
more,  only  say  that  it  is  now  3  p.  M.  —  the  Majority  are  sorely  pressed. 
The  Speaker  has  placed  a  substitute  in  the  Chair  and  I  suspect  has  been 
half  an  hour  canvassing  with  the  heads,  of  his  Squad  how  they  can  get 
out  of  this  scrape  with  least  disgrace  ;  for  disgraced,  you  may  rest  assured, 
they  must  be  in  the  result  of  this  discussion.  Should  we  carry  the  Reso 
lutions,  they  must  cut  —  should  they  strangle  them,  the  Nation  must  draw 
the  inference.  Democracy  sees  and  dreads  the  daily  increasing  difficulties ; 
it  is  visible  in  our  house,  and  in  the  Senate  there  are  serious  divisions. 
The  disasters  which  1  know  must  happen  on  the  Frontiers  in  this  campaign 
must  shake  the  Nation  to  the  centre.  Our  expenditures  are  now  $6,000,000, 
yes  Six  Million  per  month  !  Grosvenor  closes  near  4  P.  M.  Mr.  Grundy 
says  the  question  has  taken  a  vast  range  and  nine  on  both  sides  ought  to 
have  an  opportunity  to  speak.  Move  is  for  adjournment  —  the  question 
will  occupy  one,  if  not  two  days  more.  I  am  a  little  afraid  Grosvenor 
has  taken  some  grounds  a  little  too  high,  and  that  he  may,  possibly,  be 
assailed.  As  one  of  the  Executors  of  Johnny  Cook,  you  will  tell  our 
friends  all  I  know.  JOHN  LOVETT. 

Mr.  Joseph  Alexander. 

One  of  Mr.  Lovett's  early  friends  "  Mr.  Herman  Knickerbocker,  author 
of  the  veracious  history  of  New  York,  was  another  gentleman  of  the  law  — 
a  lineal  descendant  of  Dederick  Knickerbocker ;  he  was  well  known  as 
1  the  Prince  of  Schaghticoke.'  When  in  1812  he  represented  the  county 
of  Rensselaer  in  congress,  it  was  quite  natural  that  Mr.  Madison,  then 
president,  should  have  inquired  of  one  representing  not  only  the  county, 
but  the  Dutch  dynasty,  what  was  the  difference  between  the  Reformed 
Dutch  church  and  Presbyterians  ?  The  reply  could  not  have  been  im 
proved  by  Dederick  himself;  as  veracious  as  anything  contained  in  the 
history  of  his  venerable  ancestor,  he  said  :  '  The  one  sang  long  metre,  the 
other  sang  short  metre.' "  J 

1  Representatives  of  the  state  of  New  York  in  the  13th  Congress  :  John  Lefferts, 
Ebenezer  Sage,  Egbert  Benson,  Jotham  Post,  Jan.,  Peter  De  Noyelles,  Thomas 
J.  Oakley,  Thomas  P.  Grosvenor,  Jonathan  Fisk,  Abraham  Hasbrouck,  Samuel 
Sherwood,  John  Lovett,  Hosea  Moffitt ;  Oliver  C.  Comstock,  Samuel  M.  Hopkins, 
Morris  S.  Miller,  Daniel  A  very,  Nathaniel  W.  Ho  well,  James  Geddas,  Moses 
Kent,  Alexander  Boyd,  &c.,  &c. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  301 


lion.  John  Lovett  to  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer. 

My  dear  Colonel,  Washington,  June  22,  1813. 

A  thousand  times  you  have  exclaimed,  "  Why  in  the  name  of  friend 
ship,  don't  Lovett  write  me  ?  "  Ah  !  and  two  thousand  times,  Lovett  says, 
"  to  day,  I  will  write  the  Colonel."  But,  precisely  what  old  Doctor  Flavel 
said  of  his  conduct  in  a  shipwreck,  any  member  of  Congress  might,  with 
great  propriety,  say  here  :  "  We  were  all  busy  in  doing  nothing,  and  did, 
we  knew  not  what/'  Again,  I  did  not  like  to  write  you,  until  I  could 
say  something  as  to  the  material  point:  and,  as  to  that.  I  assure  you, 
there  is  such  diversity  of  sentiment,  as  really  embarrasses  me.  Mistake 
me  not.  All  admit  the  merit,  the  claim,  the  justice,  the  talents  :  all  are 
willing,  and  wish  to  serve;  but  most  doubt  as  to  what  will  really  serve. 
Judge  Benson  says,  "  0  yes,  Sir  —  yes,  yes,  Sir  —  something  must  be 
done  in  that  business:  but,  Lord,  Sir,  you  see  nothing' can  be  done,  Sir, 
this  Session  :  not  at  all,  Sir,  that  matter,  Sir,  must  rest  until  the  Winter 
Session,  Sir,  yes;  nothing,  now,  Sir." 

German  says,  "  I  hardly  know  what  is  best,  we  must  consult  'round  a 
little  and  see  how  matters  are  like  to  turn."  I  could  have  wished  to  see 
Mr.  King  [Rufus  King]  on  the  subject,  for  I  can  assure  you  he  is,  here, 
the  very  Oracle  even  with  Democracy.  I  think  they  would  be  heartily 
glad  to  hustle  poor  Madison,  [James  Madison,  President]  and  this  scant- 
patterned  old  skeleton  of  a  French  Barber,  Gerry  [Elbridge  Gerry,  Vice 
President]  offhand  and  make  Mr.  King  factotum  in  all  things.  But  un 
fortunately,  I  missed  the  General,  in  Philadelphia,  and  missed  a  single 
line  to  Mr.  King,  which  I  had  intended  to  solicit.  The  plain  truth  is, 
that  Federalists  do  not  like  to  have  you  go  into  the  Army  :  especially  as 
they  calculate,  with  moral  certainty  that  the  campaign  is  to  close  with 
defeat,  and  total  disgrace.  One  thing  has  settled  my  mind  as  to  the  course 
I  ought  to  pursue  :  it  is  asserted,  upon  high  authority,  that  Wilkinson  is 
soon  to  be  here.  Dearborn's  blunders  in  this  Campaign,  particularly  in 
suffering  the  little  army  at  Fort  George  to  escape,  thereby  laying  the 
foundation  for  the  capture  of  Gens.  Winder  and  Chandler  on  June  6th, 
and  leaving  the  way  open  for  Proctor's  Retreat,  and  junction  with  the 
army  at  the  head  of  the  Lake,  create  great  heart  burnings  here  :  and  you 
may  rest  assured  I  make  the  most  of  them  —  indeed  some  say,  that  my 
particular  knowledge  of  the  country  enabled  me  to  begin  them.  But  you 
will  instantly  say,  "  what  can  you  say  on  the  subject  ?  "  Why,  Sir,  people 
here,  love  Pork  so  well  that  they  eat  Piy- Yokes :  not  a  man,  here,  will 
dispute  a  Military  opinion  advanced  by  a  soldier  who  has  served  three 
months  under  GENERAL  VAN  RENSSELAER  and  served  as  half  a  Second, 
in  more  than  half  a  Duel  with  Col.  Van  RensseUier  !  Zounds,  Sir,  this  is 
thought  service,  complete  Military  Education  at  Washington.  But,  to 
the  point,  Wilkinson  did  make  every  effort  for  you,  here,  last  spring:  he 
did  assure  the  Administration  that  there  was  not  an  Officer  in  the  United 
States  so  competent,  as  yourself,  to  Command  a  Regiment  of  Dragoons. 
I  shall  wait  Wilkinson's  arrival,  and  although  I  despise  the  wretch,  in 
my  soul,  will  try  to  use  him.  You  know  that  no  calculations  can  be  made 
as  to  the  movements  of"  the  Powers  that  be:"  the  whole  play  is  Blunder 
upon  Blunder;  and  who  can  tell  where  a  blunderer  will  fall?  But  from 
present  appearances,  I  think  it  very  probable  that  Wilkinson  will  super 
sede  Dearborn  :  I  shall  watch  this  movement :  for  if  Wilkinson  goes 
to  the  North,  you  will  doubtless,  I  think,  go  with  him  :  and  you  will 


302  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

• 

both: but  I  had  better  reserve  my  prophecy  until  I   see  you.     At 

present,  I  will  only  quote  the  expressions  of  old  Colonel  Lewis,  the  St. 
Regis  Chief  when  last  winter  with  us;  "  Crooked  war  —  crooked  war  — 
this  is  a  DREADFUL  CROOKED  WAR  !  " 

Although  you  write  me  nothing,  still  I  know  your  movements,  on  the 
14th  instant,  in  the  morning,  you  and  your  Daughter  left  New  London  ; 
and  what  do  think  the  fools  here  say  you  went  for  ?  Why,  to  fight  Ad 
miral  Hardy  !  [of  the  British  Squadron.]  "  Ah,  ha;"  say  they,  "  Hardy 
will  have  wit  enough  to  keep  off  as  long  as  Col.  Van  Rensselaer,  Decatur, 
and  Hunting-ton  are  there  with  Continental  Troops."  On  the  whole,  if 
you  were  not,  constitutionally,  just  as  you  are,  absolutely  insatiable  of 
military  fame,  I  should  most  heartily  advise  you  never  again  to  step  foot 
in  the  field  of  Mars ;  for  you  must  have  great  good  fortune  ever  to  get  a 
single  peg  higher  ;  to  say  nothing  of  the  chances  of  falling  lower.  I 
think  any  modest  man  ought  to  be  satisfied  with  the  place  you  hold  in 
the  Battle  of  Queenstown,  as  it  is  now  exhibited  in  Boston.  Do  you  know 
why  they  didn't  put  me  in  too  ?  Why,  the  poor  stupid  devils  could  find 
no  Artist  who  knew  how  to  represent  a  Deaf  man  !  Curse  their  stu 
pidity  :  why,  could  not  they  have  represented  me  as  I  sit  in  the  House, 
here,  with  one  hand  behind  my  ear,  with  my  neck  twisted  one  way,  and 
my  eyes  the  other  ?  And,  if  that  were  not  sufficiently  intelligible,  hang 
a  Label  upon  my  ear  with  a  "  this  is  the  Deaf  old  Soldier."  But,  to  be 
serious :  I  hear  something  better  than  I  did,  but  almost  despair  of  my 
right  ear  coming  to ;  at  any  rate,  I  would  at  a  venture  commute  my  left 
arm  for  it. 

I  can  assure  you,  Sir,  that  could  I  lay  aside  the  solicitude  inseparably 
connected  with  the  deplorable  state  of  our  country  I  should  find  my  situa 
tion  this  summer  very  different  from  the  last.  I  have  located  myself,  by 
myself;  1  mess  with  no  one;  have  an  excellent  cool  chamber;  a  never 
failing  fountain  of  good  water  at  the  foot  of  the  piazza  stairs  ;  cold  and 
warm  baths  only  twenty  rods  off  at  the  moderate  rate  of  85  for  the  Session. 
The  furniture  of  my  chamber  was  the  British  Minister  Jacksons ;  then 
used  by  Mr.  Quincy  and  now  mine.  There  are  a  number  of  Democrats 
who  lodge  under  the  same  roof.  I  am  sociable  with,  but  we  neither  eat 
nor  drink  together.  Among  them  is  old  Gen,  Tannehill  and  Col.  Piper 
of  the  Pennsylvania  Militia  who  were  at  Buffalo  last  fall;  they  possess  the 
highest  esteem  for  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer,  and'  wonder  how  he  ever  got 
along  so  well  as  he  did.  Indeed  I  have  never  heard  the  tongue  of  man  speak 
of  the  General  here,  but  with  great  respect.  The  other  day,  when  Stephen's 
presentation  to  the  Empress  of  France  was  announced,  they  came  all  cack 
ling  round  me  to  ask  if  he  was  not  the  Son  of  the  General  V.  R.  General 

now  of  Pittsburgh,  fomerly  Quarter- Master  of  Wayne's  Army,  was 

lately  here,  and  charged  me  to  mention  him  to  you.     Let  me  hear  from  you. 

Colonel  Solomon  Van  Reusselaer,  JOHN  LOVETT. 

Adjutant  General,  Albany. 

John  Lovett  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 
My  dear  Sir,  Washington,  July  16,  1813. 

1  have  this  moment  received  your  letter  of  the  llth  instant.  I  have 
but  a  single  minute  to  answer  it.  nor  am  I  in  writing  mood  —  after  we  had 
been  steeped  in  Tax  Bills  for  five  hours,  the  doors  were  closed  and  we 
were  boiled  and  roasted  three  hours  longer;  almost  to  suffocation  ;  and 

1  St.  llegis  was  an  Indian  village  on  the  '  Line  'attacked  Oct.  1812. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  303 

the  cursed  old  fashioned  Militia  popping  of  the  Sentinels,  through  the 
night,  deprived  me  of  sleep.  You  know  we  had  war  all  day  yesterday  in 
the  District  of  Columbia  :  to  day  we  have  pretty  peaceable  times  again. 
As  to  the  rniiin  point  Wilkinson  is  constantly  expected  here  ;  and  the 
voice  of  all  here  is  that  he  must  command  at  the  North.  I  advocate  it, 
provided  that  Boyd  and  you  will  serve  under  him.  I  can  make  a  power 
ful  party  for  this,  should  Wilkinson  arrive  before  I  leave  this. 

In  a  Democratic  Paper  published  at  Alexandria,  to  day,  I  saw  from  an 
English  account,  the  character  of  Brock  —  comments  on  his  glorious  fall  j 
and  the  desperate  valor  of  those  who  made  the  attack.  I  can't,  again,  find 
the  paper.  I  think  we  shall  adjourn  in  ten  clays. 

Don't  you  know  that  in  the  Panorama,  at  Boston,  they  have  the  Battle 
of  Queeustown  ;  and  the  full  length  Portrait  of  YOURSELF  ?  Do  you  under 
stand  ? 

Stop — Slap  :  here  comes  closed  doors  again  at  4  oclock.  We  shall  all  get 
thin  at  any  rate,  steeping  8  hours  per  day.  Y(mrg  ^^  mQgt  ^^ 

Col.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer.  JOHN  LOVETT. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

INTERESTING  LETTERS  FROM  WASHINGTON. 

John  Lovett  to  Joseph  Alexander. 

My  dear  Sir,  Washington,  July  17,  1813. 

I  shall  write  you  but  a  line  to  day.  We  have  for  several  days  been 
bamboozled  for  7  or  8  hours  per  day  with  closed  doors  &c.  &c.  And  as 
many  niyhts  by  the  yells  and  popping  of  our  undisciplined  Patrols  ;  this 
kind  of  life  has  thrown  a  number  of  us  aback  and  myself  among  the  rest. 
1  am  not  sick,  but  so  far  from  being  well,  that  for  the  first  time  during 
the  Session,  1  had  to  hire  myself  hacked  to  the  Capitol.  I  shall  be  well 
in  two  days,  probably  in  one.  As  to  our  alarm,  it  has  not  entirely  sub 
sided  :  the  enemy's  ships,  five  or  six  of  them,  lay  about  70  miles  below 
us  —  at  anchor  —  wind  ahead.  I  have  always  supposed  that  if  an  attack 
should  be  made  upon  this  place,  it  would  be  from  the  vicinity  of  Annapolis. 
It  is  said  the  enemy  are  now,  in  considerable  force  in  that  neighborhood,  I 
therefore  think  it  rather  probable  that  an  attack  is  still  intended,  and  that 
the  two  movements  are  in  concert.  Notwithstanding  the  Report  of  our 
Com.  on  Military  Affairs,  we  are,  here,  almost  as  defenceless  as  Albany. 
A  few  hours  will  probably  decide  whether  we  shall  sit,  run,  orfiyht.  The 
enemy  back  of  Fort  George  have  lately  driven  in  our  Picket  Guard,  killed 
some,  and  took  40  or  50  men  attempting  to  reinforce  the  guards.  They 
have  also  crossed  over  to  Black  Hock  arid  destroyed  the  stores  we  had  there 
and  done  other  mischief.  The  Post  Master  General,  this  morning  relating 
these  things  exclaimed  "It  does  seem  as  if  the  very  Devil  is  our  luck!" 


304  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

The  Chairman  of  the  Com.  on  Naval  Affairs  has  this  morning  introduced 
a  Resolution  to  hold  out  strong  encouragement  to  private  armed  ships  :  or 
stript  of  disguise,  to  bore  a  hole  through  the  Non  importation  Law,  large 
enough  to  throw  a  little  money  (enough  to  pay  funeral  charges;  in  the  hands 
of  the  Admin,  and,  the  Monopoly  into  the  hands  of  Ships  Cousins.  And 
now  we  come  to  a  Division  on  the  adoption  of  the  Resolution  —  Ayes 
56  — Noes  52. 

This  Resolution  embraces  leave  to  bring  in  a  Bill,  and  when  it  shall  come 
in  there  will  be  kicking.  We  want  Peace,  or  War,  no  niungrel  state  of 
Hostile  Commerce,  calculated  at  once  to  debase  ourselves,  and  to  answer, 
precisely,  the  object  of  Great  Britain.  I  don't  know  but  I  deceive  myself, 
but  it  appears  to  me  this  is  going  to  open  a  hole  to  crawl  out.  Only  ad 
vert  to  the  practicability  of  an  understanding  between  Importers  and  Pri 
vateers  &c  &c.  . 

Ques  :  Is  this  the  way  to  get  Blankets  and  Coats  for  our  Soldiers  ?  Good 
Moses  !  if  a  man  wants  to  learn  about  a  Dilemma  place  him  in  a  situation 
like  the  present.  On  a  motion  for  the  indefinite  postponement  of  this 
Bill,  Grosvenor  rises  again,  and  you  may  rest  assured  that  by  a  peculiar 
species  of  candor,  facetiousness  and  accommodation  :  a  sort  of  indescribable 
mixture  of  tenderness  and  severity  •  of  nettles  and  cookies  ;  daggers  and 
balsam  he  is  heard  with  great  attention,  and  if  any  body  could  be  regarded 
he  would  gain  headway.  18th.  Although  I  verily  believe  there  is  not 
upon  the  face  of  the  earth  a  nation  which  would  fee^  less  solicitude  at  the 
jeopardy  of  their  Capitol  than  the  U.  S.,  still  as  I  cannot  be  sure  that  you 
all  feel  &  perfect  indifference,  I  endeavor  to  keep  you  apprised  of  the  wag 
of  the  war.  As  yet  the  Capitol  is  standing,  and  Congress  are  neither 
killed  nor  taken  ;  but  many,  I  may  say  a  disgraceful  number  are  missing. 
I  have  all  along  said,  if  the  enemy  meant  to  attack  this  place  at  all,  it 
would  be  from  the  vicinity  of  Annapolis,  and  that  the  sounding*  and  bouy- 
ing  the  Potomac  was  a  preparatory  measure  for  securing  their  Retreat  by 
that  route  should  it  be  necessary.  Now,  Sir,  the  enemy  are  all  out  of  the 
Potomac.  Possibly  before  T  close  this  letter,  at  evening,  we  may  hear 
more  on  this  subject.  If  the  Dogs  are  coming  at  all,  I  hope  it  may  be 
before  adjournment,  that  we  may  at  least  get  the  honor  of  a  peep  at  them. 
We  shall  probably  adjourn  the  2nd.  of  August.  I  think  present  appear 
ances,  in  the  movements  of  the  enemy,  rather  warrant  the  conclusion,  that 
they  mean  to  harrass,  weaken  and  wear  down,  rather  than  risk  much  in 
bold  and  hazzardous  dashes  ;  they  will  try  to  tucker  out  the  Antient  Dom 
inion.  I  understand  they  have  an  excellent  Rendezvous  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Potomac,  on  an  Island,  where  they  have  plenty  of  Beeves,  Sheep  &c. 
All  accounts  agree  that  they  are  recruiting  rapidly  from  the  Plantations ; 
the  Negroes  desert  in  droves,  and  are  kindly  received,  put  in  companies, 
uniform,  armed  and  all.  Possibly  they  will,  by  and  by,  be  able  to  march  a 
Regiment  through  some  sections  of  the  country  collecting  more  Volunteers. 
At  any  rate  there  begins  to  be  loud  howling  on  this  subject.  You  have 
seen  Coleman's  comments  upon  the  present  state  of  New  London.  I  was 
going  to  say  there  is  a  deep  game  playing  on  this  subject.  But  I  have  almost 
done  imputing  to  the  Heads  of  Departments  any  thing  like  deep  game, 
scheme,  or  plot.  Every  day  their  movements  convince  me,  more  and  more, 
that  (excepting  some  plan  and  concert  as  to  the  preservation  of  their  Popu 
larity)  all  is  blunder  upon  blunder;  the  blind  result  of  sheer  ignorance, 
stupidity  and  total  incapacity. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  305 

Now  I  will  tell  you  what  I  know  as  to  the  arrangements  at  New  London. 
On  the  llth  inst.  Gen.  Huntington  arrived  here  with  instructions  from 
Gen.  Smith  to  enter  into  certain  arrangements  with  the  Secretary  at  War, 
as  to  the  future  defense  of  New  London  and  the  Squadron.  On  the  morn 
ing  of  the  12th,  he  called  upon  the  Sec.  of  War,  to  know  when  the  subject 
would  be  taken  up.  9  oclock,  on  the  morning  of  the  13th  was  agreed 
upon.  Gen.  Huntington  with  Messrs  Dana  and  Dagget  of  the  Senate, 
attended.  Payment  to  the  State  of  Connecticut  for  the  Expedition  was 
pretty  readily  acceded  to  —  the  Pay-master  was  to  be  immediately  sent  on, 
and  the  Commissary,  and  Quarter  Master's  accounts  to  be  adjusted  &c. 

The  proposition  from  Gen.  Smith  was  to  land  the  crews  of  the  Squad 
rons  ;  post  part  of  them -at  the  forts,  and  part  on  the  high  grounds  back 
of  the  Squadron,  and  dismiss  part  of  the,  Militia,  retaining  part  still  in 
service.  The  Sec.  of  War  would  not  do  this  without  consulting  the  Sec. 
of  the  Navy  —  he  was  called  in  j  but  did  not  choose  to  decide  the  matter 
until  he  could  advise  with  Com.  Decatur.  And  so  the  Council  broke  up; 
and  on  the  morning  of  the  14th,  Gen.  Huntington  left  this  for  New  York 
and  Poughkeepsie,  from  there  to  cross  over  to  Sharon,  and  report  to  Gen. 
Smith.  Now  you  find  that  on  the  1st  of  this  month,  the  Sec.  of  War  had 
ordered  the  commanding  officer  at  New  London  to  dismiss  all  the  Militia  ; 
and  that,  too,  while  the  State  of  Connecticut  was  actually  drafting  a  new 
Detachment  to  relieve  the  old.  I  have  been  the  more  particular  on  this 
subject  that  you  may  be  prepared  to  vindicate  the  conduct  of  Conn,  and 
place  the  blame  where  it  ought  to  fall,  should  any  disaster  befal  the  squad 
ron,  as  present  appearances  warrant  apprehensions.  Conn,  don't  mean  to 
defend  the  Navy  without  money  that's  the  business.  I  believe  there  is 
no  doubt  of  the  affair  at  Fort  George  and  Black  Rock ;  old  Varnum  has 
got  a  squally  letter  from  his  son  at  Niagara,  but  he  will  tell  none  of  us 
the  particulars. 

2.  p.  M.  —  Trouble,  trouble,  trouble  again.  Here  comes  a  foaming  Express ! 
the  enemy's  fleet,  strongly  reinforced,  "  48  Sail  are  standing  up  the  Po 
tomac  with  a  fair  wind  ! "  The  President  and  Secretary  of  War  [Gen. 
Armstrong]  both  wrote  answers  —  and  away  went  the  return  Express,  full 
speed  ;  And  to  enhance  the  terror,  the  natural  world  seemed  to  lend  its 
aid  to  the  military ;  for  we  were  in  the  midst  of  a  tremendous  thunder 
gust.  I  said,  "  I  mean  to  keep  cool  at  least  until  I  can  see  the  enemy ;  and 
then  I  will  promise  one  of  three  things  ;  to  fight  ;  run  ;  or  adopt  Sancho's 
creed,  and  take  care  of  my  wallet."  I  think  the  latter  corps  will  get  the 
most  Volunteers  from  Congress.  To  show  how  well  we  manage  every 
thing,  we  need  only  observe  movements  ;  an  excellent  Company  of  Rich 
mond  Volunteers  marched  by,  an  hour  ago,  on  their  way  to  SACKETTS 
HARBOR.  There  may  be  a  squally  night  ahead  — but  thank  heavens,  not 
worse  than  I  have  seen  and  much  less  responsibility. 

Yours  ever  truly 

Mr.  Joseph  Alexander,  Albany.  JOHN  LOVETT. 

John  Locctt  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Colonel,  Washington  July  27,  1313. 

I  hope  you  will  do  me  the  justice  to  recollect  that  I  am  literally  buried 
up  in  correspondence  and  other  duties.  We  may  adjourn  within  a  week. 
It  is  my  determination  to  wait  here  until  Wilkinson  arrives  j  which  will  proba 
bly  be  by  the  10th  August  —  it  may  be  before.  It  is  time,  both  on  account 

39 


806  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

of  your  years,  interest,  inclination,  and  every  thing,  to  "have  the  matter  set 
tled  whether  you  shall  be  restored  to  the  Army,  or  confine  all  your  future 
views  and  arrangements  to  civil  life.  Vibrating  between  the  two,  has  long 
injured  you  essentially,  and  will  continue  to  injure  you  until  settled.  You 
may  think  me  rash  to  attempt  this  affair  alone,  but  after  all  is  said  and 
done,  I  am  the  only  one  who  knoivs  you,  and  that  insatiable  thirst  for  Mili 
tary  Fame,  with  which  Nature  has  blest,  or  curst,  (call  it  as  you  please)  you. 
What  may  be  the  influence  of  Tompkins,  Spencer,  and  Jenkins  here,  I 
know  not;  I  shall  try  it. 

You  will  notice  in  the  Intelligencer  of  yesterday,  Gales  animadversions 
upon  the  conduct  of  the  Democrats  in  the  Senate,  relative  to  Gallatin  —  this 
is  a  fire  brand  —  they  call  Gales  ad  —  d  little  mischief  making  "  English 
man."  "  Tha's  na  look  about  the  oose,"  to  day.  Nelson  and  Eppes  are 
by  the  ears  —  Nelson,  as  Chairman  of  the  Committee  on  Naval  Affairs,  has 
brought  in  a  Bill  for  remitting  duties  on  goods  taken  by  "  Privgfte  Armed 
Vessels."  He  thunders,  and  stamps,  and  slaps  his  desk,  and  tells  us  the 
"spirit  of  Privateering  is  paralyzed,  and  never  will  rise  without  GREAT  en 
couragement."  Now  all  this  is  admitted.  Alarm,  has  blown  over;  our 
troops  returned  from  below  to  day.  We  have  passed  the  Bill  authorizing 
another  Loan  of  $7, 500, 000.  As  this  bill  sailed  thro'  the  house  it  was  raked 
fore  and  aft,  until  hardly  a  Democrat  would  stay  at  his  quarters.  Pitkin 
entered,  at  length,  into  the  situation  of  our  Finances.  The  awful  tale  made 
long  faces.  The  poor,  poor,  poor  devils  do  not  know  what  to  do.  When 
pressed  on  every  side  with  damning  truths,  the  usual  expedient  is  for  some 
Bawler  to  rise,  strain  his  eyes  open,  slap  his  desk,  and  in  distracted  Screams 
to  appeal  to  us  all  to  know  if  we  will  give  up  our  rights  —  surrender  our 
Independence,  and  become  eternal  slaves  to  Britain  ?  I  think  they  will 
adopt  the  sentiment  in  Armstrong's  toast  :  "  Sink  the  Ship  rather  than 
give  it  up."  Wilkinson  will  command  the  Northern  Army. 

Chapin,  I  see,  has  made  his  escape  with  his  company,  he  may  tell  us  some 
truths.  On  a  number  of  pretty  important  party  questions  lately  decided, 
Taylor,  Nasbrook  and  Comstock,  of  our  State  —  Durall,  a  fine  spunky 
little  fellow  from  Kentucky  —  Calhoun  and  some  of  their  cyphers  voted  with 
us  —  nay  they  fought  their  brethren  Black  Snake  and  Crow.  In  one  very 
important  instance  (no  matter  what  or  when)  the  Committee  of  Foreign 
Relations  reported  in  the  very  teeth  of  a  Recommendation  of  the  President ! 
This  was  the  d  —  1.  Mr  Speaker  stared  —  expressed  his  astonishment.  So 
servile  are  the  Majority,  that  the  little  booby  at  the  palace,  is  as  much  a 
despot  as  the  Dey  of  Algiers.  Our  House  have  this  day  agreed  to  the 
amendment  proposed  by  the  Senate  to  the  Direct  Tax  bill  as  respects  the 
City  of  New  York ;  the  Senate  took  off  about  870,000  from  the  City  and 
divided  it  among  the  counties.  I  think  it  will  remain  as  it  is  —  on  New 
York  :  alias  on  De  Witt  Clinton.  The  News,  confirmed,  from  Europe,  re 
lative  to  Armistice^  you  doubtless  have. 
July  27th. 

"  And  all  is  hush, 

"  Save  the  dull  roar,  which  previous  to  the  storm, 
"  Rolls  o'er  the  earth,  disturbs  the  flood,  and  shakes 
"  The  forest  leaf  without  a  single  breath." 

So  the  sweet  Bard,  Thompson,  sung  of  the  Natural  world  :  and  so  the 
Supaan-fed  bard  would  this  morning  sing  of  the  Military  and  Political 
world.  Nothing  stirring.  The  Senate  sat  all  day  yesterday  with  closed 
doors  —  we  are  every  moment  expecting  to  hear  from  them. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  307 

Now  let's  you  and  I,  old  soldiers,  talk  war  a  little.  You  know  (for  I  take 
it  you  know  every  thing  which  I  do,  and  a  great  deal  more.)  Here  comes 
a  Dash!  go  on  —  go  on  —  uo  on  —  and  borrow  money  —  $16,000,000, 
87,500,000  —  and  as  much  more  as  you  please,  and  the  "  Ships  Cousins" 
will  take  a  liberal  Toll  of  every  grist.  Here  comes  a  Bill  making  appro 
priation  for  the  Outfit  of  our  Minister  to  Russia;  and  among  the  rest; 
"  ho  :  began,  Monsieur  Thompson  come  again  !"  About  the  year  '98  John  Q. 
Adams  was  sent  to  Berlin  —  an  Outfit  of  $9000  :  then  to  Russia,  an  Outfit 
of  $9000  ;  and  now,  while  the  same  Scamp  J.  Q.  A.  is  naturally  Ixjitted 
at  Russia  at  a  salary  of  $9000  per  annum,  he  must  have  an  Owifit  of 
$9000  more  !  While  this  same  Brat  was  Charge  de  Affairs  at  Holland 
he  had  a  semi  out  Jit  of  $4.500.  President  Washington  appointed  him  as 
Minister  to  Lisbon:  his  father,  Old  John,  came  into  power,  and  changed 
the  destination  of  his  son  ;  he  sent  him  to  Berlin  —  his  other  half  of  the 
outfit  was  then  added,  to  wit,  $4,500  more,  and  this  same  J.  Q.  A.,  ex 
pressed  his  entire  satisfaction  therewith,  and  this  good  old  Timothy 
swears.  When  Mr.  Thomas  Pinckney  was  sent,  after  Jay's  Treaty,  to 
Spain,  to  adjust  with  the  Spaniards  the  Navigation  of  the  Mississippi  and 
Deposit  at  New  Orleans,  then  he  had  an  additional  salary,  but  no  outfit. 
The  Constitution  speaks  of  outfit  to  a  Minister  going  from  the  U.  S. 
When,  in  1795,  it  became  necessary  for  us  to  have  a  Minister  in  England 
to  exchange  the  Treaty  then  lately  negotiated,  President  Washington 
ordered  Old  John  Adams  from  the  Hague  to  London  for  the  purpose 
aforesaid.  Money  was  then  placed  in  the  hands  of  a  Banker  to  pay  (Md 
John's  EXPENSES;  but  no  OUTFIT.  After  being  beat  and  banged  all 
round  by  the  few  stiff  barked  Feds  who  remain,  the  Bill  passes  to  allow 
Adams  $4500,  for  just  a  great  0.  Thank  Heaven,  the  House  adjourns, 
and  no  news  from  the  Senate  !  every  day  counts. 

This  afternoon,  Nelson,  otherwise  called  ^Eolus  moved  a  Resolution  for 
the  appointment  of  a  Committee  to  report  the  Honors  to  be  conferred  on 
the  Memory  of  the  Heroes,  who  laid  down  their  lives  for  their  country, 
and  Provision  to  be  made  for  their  Families.  But  as  we  had  previously 
voted  all  our  money  away  to  buy  Furniture  for  Mrs.  Madison,  and  gew 
gaws  for  J.  Q.  A.,  we  let  Nelsons  Resolution  lie  on  the  TABLE. 

Hear  ye  —  hear  ye  —  hear  ye  ! 

All  grades  of  Heroes  who  wish  to  lay  down  their  lives  for  their  country 
in  this  righteous  and  honorable  war,  are  desired  to  repair  immediately  to 
the  Standard  of  their  Country  and  repeat  the  creed  of  the  noble  Scotch 
Laird  Louat  "  Dulce  et  decorum  est  pro  patria  mori ;  "  then  back  their 
creed  by  death,  and  they  shall  share  the  same  fate  with  LAWRENCE  and 
Pike. 

My  dear  Colonel,  Washington  August  2,  1813. 

We  adjourn  to  day  —  every  thing  is  in  such  buzz  that  I  can  write  you 
nothing  of  general  concerns,  indeed  we  have  nothing  new.  Let  me,  how 
ever,  tell  you  and  our  friends  a  great  truth  in  a  very  few  words.  I  know 
you  will  only  say  Lovett  is  always  too  ardent,  and  credulous;  but  my  life 
for  it  you  will  find  me  correct.  Never  have  the  weights  been  so  rapidly 
shifted  from  the  bad  to  the  good  scale  as  within  the  last  week.  While 
Executive  Omnipotence  could  hurl  the  bolts  of  destruction  to  any  man  who 
dared  resist,  men  dared  not  speak,  or  vote  their  opinions.  But  now,  since 
the  Embargo  Law  [lt  Which  prohibited  the  sailing  of  any  vessel  for  any 


308  LEGACY  OF  HISTOKICAL  GLEANINGS. 

foreign  port ;  except  foreign  vessels,  with  such  cargoes  as  they  had  on 
board  when  notified  of  the  act,  was  speedily  followed  by  a  supplement 
prohibiting  exportations  by  land,  whether  of  goods  or  specie"]  has  been 
killed,  and  the  cursed  substitute,  Non  Exportation  Act  strangled,  in  our 
house,  Democrats  do  talk  and  act  like  men  I  assure  you.  Not  another  act 
for  Commercial  Restriction  can  be-  carried.  The  Bow  has  been  over 
strained,  and  mark  me,  will  never  carry  again.  Duvall,  of  Kentucky,  one 
of  the  noblest  fellows  they  have,  and  Bibbs  the  Senator,  agreed  that  it 
would  not  do  to  oppose  Commerce  any  longer,  and  say  that  now,  nine- 
tenths  of  the  Western  and  Southern  People  will  vote  Navy  and  Commerce. 
General  Wilkinson  arrived  here  in  the  night  of  the  31st,  On  the  morn 
ing  of  the  1st  (yesterday)  I  addressed  him  a  note,  getting  no  answer,  I 
this  morning  addressed  another  note  to  him,  I  -received  the  answer  in 
closed.  ["  Genl.  Wilkinson  will  have  the  Honor  to  wait  on  Mr.  Lovett 
in  one  Hour,  or  perhaps  half  an  hour.  8  oclock,  Monday  Morning."] 

To  show  myself  very  gracious,  instead  of  waiting  his  call,  /  called  at 
his  lodgings  :  met  him  at  the  door,  on  his  way  to  my  lodgings.  He  was, 
in  a  moment  all  gaiety,  debonair,  and  polite,  though  pressed  with  com 
pany,  he  excused  himself  and  took  me  to  a  private  room.  He  would 
hardly  permit  me  to  introduce  you  to  him  ;  saying  that  I  must  permit  him 
to  say,  he  knew  Colonel  Van  Rensselaer  better  than  any  other  man.  Par 
ticulars  are  needless;  suffice  it  to  say,  he  is  head,  heart  and  hand,  most 
devotedly  yours.  He  is  making  up  his  mind  as  to  taking  command  of  the 
Northern  Army,  considers  the  responsibility  infinite,  that  he  must  con 
quer  or  die  ;  lose  all  his  fame,  or  acquire  more ;  that  he  will  not  under 
take  until  he  can  be  assured  of  the  means  to  be  put  into  his  hands.  He 
says  thus,  "  If  I  am  to  assume  that  command  I  must  have  1000  fine  fellows 
mounted,  with  Muskets,  and  commanded  by  just  such  an  Officer  as  Solomon 
Van  Rensselaer."  I  hinted  softly,  at  some  reasons  why  the  administration 
had  not  called  you  to  the  field ;  and  expressed  the  sense  you  entertained 
of  the  General's  regard  for  you  while  your  pretensions  were  under  con 
sideration.  He  said  he  would  avail  himself  of  an  early  opportunity  to 
inform  me  of  the  reason  why  you  were  not  appointed.  Mutual  engage 
ments  parted  us,  he  will  call  on  me  this  evening.  Now  keep  yourself  cool, 
don't  expect  any  thing,  then  all  that's  gotten  will  be  clear  gain.  I  regret 
that  Wilkinson  had  not  been  here  a  day  or  two  sooner,  that  we  might 
have  so  modified  the  laws  we  have  been  passing  authorizing  more  force, 
as  to  have  embraced  such  a  Corps  as  he  contemplates  j  but  I  believe  we 
have  an  act  that  will  substantially  embrace  it,  with  less  stretching  than  is 
customary  in  these  days.  At  any  rate  I  have  now  got  the  subject  fairly 
in  hand,  and  I  will  not  quit  it  until  I  have  seen  a  fair  trial  of  the  influence 
of  your  friends,  against  that  of  Tyburn.  I  told  you  I  would  try  it,  and 
tried  it  shall  be.  As  I  may  stay  here  yet  several  days,  I  leave  it  to  you 
to  explain  the  reason  as  far  as  you  may  think. proper.  It  is  impossible  to 
write  —  all  is  bustle.  You  (and  I  have  been  often  disappointed  that  once 
more,  will  be  but  once  more,  therefore  keep  quiet  till  you  hear  from  me 
again  —  Interim.  Truly  Yours, 

Col.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  Mount  Hope,  Albany.         JOHN  LOVETT. 

General  Wilkinson  while  in  command  at  New  Orleans  had  received  a 
letter  from  the  Secretary  of  War,  John  Armstrong —  to  proceed  with  the 
least  possible  delay,  to  the  head  quarters  of  Major  General  Dearborn. 
These  are  now  at  Sackett's  Harbour,  on  Lake  Ontario,  Gen.  W.  says,  I 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  309 

obeyed  the  order  with  complacency,  and  did  not  waste  a  moment  in  my 
preparation,  to  take  a  long  farewell. 

Gov.  Tompkins  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 

Albany  Sept.  3,  1813. 

The  Adjutant  General  is  requested  to  Sign  the  Commissions  and  Gen 
eral  Orders  organizing  the  Detachment  required  by  General  Orders  of 
31st  July.  If  the  return  for  promotions  in  the  Chenango  Brigade  (Geril. 
German's)  are  in  his  possession,  the  Commander  in  Chief  wishes  to  see 
them  or  to  be  informed  whether  Col.  Balcom  of  that  Brigade  has  resigned  ? 

Solomon  V.  llensselaer,  Esq.,  Adjutant  General. 

"Every  history  has  one  quality  in  common  with  eternity.  Begin  where 
you  will,  there  is  always  a  beginning  back  of  the  beginning.  And,  for  that 
matter,  there  is  always  a  shadowy  ending  beyond  the  ending.  Only  be 
cause  men  may  not  always  begin,  like  our  Knickerbocker,  at  the  founda 
tion  of  the  world,  is  it  that  they  get  courage  to  break  somewhere  into  the 
interlaced  web  of  human  histories,  of  hopes  and  fears,  of  successes  and 
disappointments,  of  gettings  and  havings  and  spendingsand  losings.  Yet, 
break  in  where  they  may,  there  is  always  just  a  little  behind  the  begin 
ning,  something  that  needs  to  be  told.  " 

And  thus  it  was  after  the  re-election  of  Governor  Tompkins,  for  the 
nobly  re-instated  Solomon  Van  Kensselaer  in  his  old  office  of  adjutant 
general,  being  as  he  well  knew  an  honest  man  of  elevated  and  untarnished 
character,  and  never  did  any  odium  fall  on  the  whole  State  by  reason  of 
his  personal,  misdoings.  « 

I  have  preferred,  dear  Hattie,  in  compiling  the  narrative  of  the  war  of 
Queenstoh,  to  give  almost 'exclusively  my  honored  father's  own  words,  as 
every  line  written  by  him  is  precious  to  his  children  ;  they  could  not  be 
improved.  These  truths  were  like  "  household  words."  I  could  scarcely 
have  recounted  it  differently ;  they  cannot  be  contravened,  for  we  have 
all  the  requisite  papers  and  letters  in  our  possession  to  establish  every 
word  he  uttered.  He  entered  the  army  at  an  early  age,  bearing  himself, 
as  we  are  proud  to  know,  in  a  manner  worthy  of  his  country  and  ancient 
lineage.  In  the  last  brilliant  charge  at  the  Miami,  in  1794,  he  contri 
buted  something  to  the  success  of  our  arms,  and  won  'for  himself,  the 
entire  confidence  and  esteem  of  his  military  brethren.  His  conduct  in 
the  war  of  1812,  and  the  services  which  he  rendered  at  that  important 
and  critical  period  in  the  memorable  contest,  are  written  in  the  history 
of  the  republic ;  his  abilities  as  a  military  leader,  and  his  courage  as  a 
soldier  alike  bore  the  scrutiny  and  secured  for  him  the  admiration  of  his 
countrymen.  He  retired  from  the  service,  disabled  for  labor;  and  the 
seven  wounds  he  bore  charactered  on  his  person  while  they  told  of  the 
dangers  through  which  he  had  passed  in,  the  service  of  his  country,  made 
sure  also  his  incapacity  for  the  active  business  of  life;  crippled  his  re 
sources  and  left  him  a  poor  man  in  his  declining  years.  The  filial  devotion 
of  a  daughter,  that  prompts  this  labor  of  love  in  portraying,  even  in  this 
cursory  manner,  the  record  of  the  brilliant  military  and  civil  services  of 
one  so  eminently  distinguished,  as  Gen.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  requires 
no  apology. 

"His  military  deeds,  which  he  promptly  and  satisfactorily  executed  are 
part  of  the  imperishable  authentic  register  of  the  country  he  loved  so  well, 
served  so  long  and  defended  so'heroically."  Those  who  knew  him  best, 
loved  him  most,  for  those  noble  qualities  of  head  and  heart,  which  conspic- 


310  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

uously  marked  him  in  all  his  domestic  relations :  to  his  children,  he  was 
endeared  by  all  the  holiest  and  strongest  affections  of  the  human  heart ; 
his  estimable  private  character  and  his  worth  as  a  man,  they  knew  and 
appreciated.  Our  heroic  Father's  name  stands  second  to  none  in  self  sacri 
ficing  true  patriotism  ;  and  in  noble  daring  deeds,  which  gave  additional 
lustre  to  the  renown  and  glory  of  our  Arms;  he  was  an  illustrious  scion 
of  his  most  heroic  Sire.  His  name  will  justly  stand  recorded  on  the  pages 
of  history  as  the  virtuous,  honorable,  and  valiant  defender,  or  asserter  of 
his  country's  rights;  and  posterity  will  read  of  his  exploits  with  delight. 
And  it  is  always  well  to  remember  that  to  transmit  the  honors  of  one  age 
to  another  is  our  duty;  to  neglect  the  merits  of  our  fathers  is  a  direful 
disgrace.  Unfortunately,  "  the  public  good"  required  that  this  upright  Fede 
ralist  should  be  sacrificed  to  the  Democrats,  being  the  dominant  party  of 
the  day,  and  to  that  party  he  became  obnoxious  because  he  defended  those 
who  were  wronged,  and  consequently,  justice  has  been  measured  out  with 
but  a  meagre  hand.  And  he  found  more  than  one  barrier  to  the  accom 
plishment  of  his  wishes,  because  he  held  in  utter  abhorrence  the  intrigues 
of  democracy  and  the  spirit  of  mob  government.  His  own  words  are  re 
corded  thus  :  "  After  the  battle  of  Queenstown,  General  Dearborn,  profess 
ing  to  be  satisfied  and  pleased  with  my  conduct,  told  my  friends  General 
Lewis  and  Van  Rensselaer,  at  Greenbush,  that  a  separate  corps  would  be 
organized  for  me,  of  which  they  informed  me  by  letter  while  still  confined 
with  my  wounds  at  Buffalo;  but  owing  to  the  public  defence,  which  as  a 
man  of  honour,  I  found  myself  obliged  to  set  up  against  the  political  attacks 
on  th^ conduct  and  character  of  General  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer,  who 
then  was  a  candidate  for  the  governorship  against  Governor  Tompkins,  I 
became  obnoxious  to  the  dominant  party  of  the  day,  and  the  intention  was 
never  carried  into  effect. 

Dr  Eustis,  before  he  resigned  as  secretary  at  war,  entered  nay  name  upon 
the  list  for  the  appointment  of  Brigadier  General.  He  afterward  told  me, 
when  in  Congress  together,  that  he  was  astonished  that  his  successor 
General  John  Armstrong  had  not  appointed  me. 

The  present  venerable  Mayor  of  Baltimore,  General  Samuel  Smith  and 
the  Hon.  D.  R.  Williams,  chairman  of  Commitee  on  Military  Affairs  in 
Congress,  called  together  of  their  own  accord,  upon  the  Secretary  of  War, 
to  urge  my  appointment  in  the  army.  General  Harrison,  with  whom  I 
had  served  in  General  Wayne's  army,  also  solicited  my  appointment,  as 
his  second  in  command  in  the  northwestern  army.  It  will  be  recollected 
that  I  never  resigned  my  commission  in  the  regular  service,  but  lost  it 
when  the  army  was  curtailed  ;  my  claim  to  promotion,  therefore,  was  valid 
still,  whenever  any  augmentation  took  place.  Beside  this,  the  validity  of 
such  claims  was  admitted  in  the  case  of  other  officers*of  Wayne's  army, 
and  they  were  promoted  accordingly.  Harrison,  who  was  a  lieutenant 
when  I  commanded  a  troop,  was  commissioned  a  major-general ;  Covington, 
a  subaltern  in  our  corps,  a  brigadier-general ;  Ball,  my  cornet,  a  lieutenant 
colonel  &c.  &c.  Yet,  the  above  applications  in  my  behalf —  and  they  were 
certainly  entitled  to  some  consideration,  on  the  score  of  the  character  of 
the  applicants  —  were  all  superciliously  denied,  on  the  ground  asvalleged  to 
Wilkinson  and  others  —  that  1  was  too  unpopular  to  raise  a  corps.  Where 
is  the  evidence  of  this  fact  ?  Was  Gov.  Tompkins,  with  whom,  unfortunately, 
I  had  been  at  political  variance,  aware  of  it  when  I  accepted  his  invitation, 
as  a  member  of  his  own  family,  to  assist  him  in  defending  the  city  of  New 
York  from  an  expected  invasion  ?  [As  Adjutant  General,  Solomon  Van 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  311 

Renssclaer  was  superseded  for  a  few  months  antecedent  to  and  during  the 
late  War,  but  when  1).  1).  Toiupkins,  Ksqr.  reascended  the  gubernatorial 
chair,  he  was  re-instated  in  that  office.]  Was  it  indicated  in  the  resolution 
unanimously  passed  by  the  council  of  appointment,  to  confirm  my  brevet 
as  Major  General,  in  the  militia  of  this  state. 

Copy. 

"  The  commander  in  chief  having  raised  by  brevet  Solomon  Van  Rensse- 
laer  to  the  rank  of  major  general  in  the  militia  of  this  state,  ou  account  of 
his  distinguished  gallantry  and  public  spirit  in  the  military  service  of  his 
country,  and  especially  during  the  late  war  on  the  Niagara  frontier,  there 
fore  resolved,  that  the  said  Brevet  be  confirmed,  and  that  a  commission  be 
issued  to  him  as  major-general  accordingly,  in  the  militia  of  this  State. 

DEWITT  CLINTON,  Governor. 
(Signed;         STKPIIEN  BAKNUM,      "| 

WILLIAM  Ross,  AT     ,       „ 

GEORGE  ROSECRANTZ,  fMembers- 
STEPHEN  BATES,         J 

Or  was  my  election  to  congress  by  my  neighbors,  without  opposition  in 
one  instance,  and  by  a  triumphant  majority  in  another,  any  evidence  of 
it  ?  No,  it  only  existed  in  the  brain  of  a  calumniator. 

General  Armstrong  was  at  that  time  governed  by  the  basest  of  feel 
ings  and  motives,  and  in  the  antipathies  engendered  in  times  long  past, 
and  by  circumstances  which  should  be  forgotten,  is  to  be  found  the  whole 
secret  of  his  present  peculiar  hostility,  both  to  General  Van  Rensselaer 
and  myself. 

When  the  much  persecuted  and  unfortunate  General  Wilkinson  was 
ordered  by  General  Armstrong,  then  Secretary  of  War,  from  New  Orleans 
to  take  command  of  the  Northern  army,  he  too  urged  my  appointment 
but  was  refused.  On  his  arrival  at  Albany,  however,  he  sent  for  me  and 
wished  me  to  accompany  him  to  the  frontiers.  I  replied  that  I  would 
willingly  do  so,  if  I  even  thought  he  had  the  least  chance  to  effect  any 
thing  of  consequence  ;  but  knowing  that  the  deficiency  of  almost  every 
necessary  article,  and  the  want  of  a  proper  organization  in  any  department, 
of  the  army,  would  prevent  his  descent  upon  Montreal  that  season  I  de 
clined.  When  informed  by  me,  of  the  state  of  his  command,  he  could 
hardly  credit  it.  for  General  Armstrong,  in  reply  to  written  queries  put  to 
him  on  the  subject,  had  stated  everything  to  be  in  complete  order;  after 
he  had  visited  his  line  of  posts,  however,  he  wrote  me  that  things  were 
not  only  as  bad  as  I  had  represented,  hut  much  worse, ^t  was  a  "wretched 
state  in  which  he  found  the  army  in  all  its  departments." 

Col.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Gen.  Wilkinson. 
My  Dear  Friend.  Mount  Hope  3rd  October  1813. 

I  received  your  very  interesting  letter  several  days  since,  and  I  beg  you 
will  do  me  the  justice  to  impute  the  delay  of  my  answer  to  the  true  cause. 
It  is  hard  sitting  in  judgment  when  inclination  and  a  sense  of  duty  are 
opposing  advocates;  it  requires  time,  and  mature  deliberation.  But  I  have 
made  my  decision  ;  and  after  tendering  you  the  renewed  assurances  of  my 
gratitude  and  respect  for  the  repeated  evidence  of  your  friendship  and 
honorable  notice,  1  will  state  that  decision,  and  the  considerations  which 
have  contrained  me  to  make  it.  A  Soldier's  candor  will  pardon  a  Soldier's 


312  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

frankness.  After  the  most  charitable  review  I  can  make  of  the  relative 
discharge  of  duties  between  myself  and  Country,  I  find  insuperable  bar 
riers  against  resuming  my  sword. 

You  Sir,  know  the  general  history  of  my  life  j  I  will  spare  you  the 
trouble  of  minute  detail  and  only  glance  at  prominent  points. 

The  sufferings  endured  by  my  Father  1'rom  wounds  received  in  the 
Revolutionary  war,  was  one  of  the  first  serious  subjects  of  my  puerile  con- 
temptation  and  why  it  should  have  been  so,  Nature  alone  must  tell ;  but 
the  more  I  witnessed  his  sufferings,  the  more  I  became  enamored  of  arms. 
As  I  advanced  in  years,  the  charms  of  a  Military  life  brightened  upon  my 
view,  and  at  18  years  of  age,  I  resolved  on  the  Profession  of  a  Soldier,  and 
entered  upon  it.  In  the  School  of  the  gallant  Wayne  and  yourself  \  was 
happy.  I  found  the  camp  was  my  home,  my  sword  my  companion,  and 
my  duty  my  pleasure  j  particulars  are  unnecessary.  At  the  close  of  that 
War,  I  was  unfortunate  and  suffered  much  •  but  a  consciousness  that  the 
Sword,  bequeathed  me  by  the  brave  Campbell  was  sheathed  untarnished ; 
and  that  my  Commissions  which  bore  the. sacred  name  of  Washington  had 
never  been  dishonored,  bore  me  above  all  considerations  of  loss  of  property 
or  blood. 

It  is  true,  I  received  the  necessary  vouchers  to  entitle  roe  to  that  re 
muneration  from  my  Country  which,  while  disabled  by  wounds  was  very 
necessary  for  the  support  of  myself  and  growing  family.  But,  intending 
to  devote  my  life  to  my  Country,  in  my  profession,  I  disdained  to  ask  for 
the  pittance  allowed.  I  have  not  done  it.  I  loved  service,  but  hated 
the  Pension  List.  I  wished  only  the  restoration  of  my  Rank  when  my 
Country  might  call  for  service.  I  confess  I  thought  I  had  a  right  to  ex 
pect  it,  but  in  Vain. 

"The  Administration  have  called  to  the  field,  and  honored  with  Colonel's 
and  even  Brigadier's  Commissions,  men  who  were  not  in  service,  and  some 
who  only  ranked  as  Subalterns  in  the  Army,  when  I  was  a  Major  of  Cav 
alry  !  In  Silent  mortification  I  witnessed  the  progress  of  events  ;  at  last, 
under  the  impression  that  the  Administration  might  still  have  supposed 
me  incapacitated  for  service  by  wounds,  I  took  measures  to  have  intimated 
to  them  both  my  ability  and  willingness  to  return  to  the  Army. 

The  result  you  know.  I  here  too  forbear  particulars  but  too  well  cal 
culated  to  add  indignation  to  mortification.  To  have  been  long  neglected 
was  enough  —  but  to  be  proscribed,  and  that  too,  at  the  instance  of  pri 
vate  pique,  in  men  whose  lives  are  but  a  tissue  of  baseness  and  intrigue  is 
too  much.  Of  the  part  I  acted  during  the  last  Campaign  in  the  capacity 
of  Aid-de-Camp  to  Maj.  Gen.  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer,  suffice  it  to  say 
that  I  yielded  partly  to  the  earnest  request  of  a  friend,  whose  wishes  with 
me,  could  have  no  less  influence  than  legitimate  command;  and  partly  to 
the  universal  solicitation  of  the  Soldiery  who  had  long  known  me  as  their 
friend  .in  the  capacity  of  Adjutant  General.  Of  that  Campaign  I  will  only 
say  that  after  all  the  shameful  mismanagement  of  those  whose  imbecility 
attempted  to  direct  its  operations,  it  would  have  been  closed  with  a  splen 
did  victory  had  I  not,  in  the  hour  of  trial  been  deserted  in  the  most  das 
tardly  manner  by  wretches  who  had  pledged  every  thing  sacred  to  stand 
by  me  while  I  was  acting  in  obedience  to  their  irresistible  importunities 
to  General  Van  Rensselaer.  Indeed  with  the  few  brave  lads  who  remained 
with  me,  I  could  have  preserved  the  won  victory  but  for  the  severe  wounds 
which  compelled  me  to  quit  the  field.  Although  lor  the  past  year  I 
have  nursed  my  wounds  in  silence,  yet  I  ani  assured  through  sources  not 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  313 

to  be  questioned,  that  the  claims  to  my  own  rank  in  the  Army  have  been 
urged  upon  the  Administration  by  influential  men,  without  distinction  of 
political  parties,  yet  the  decree  of  proscription  remains  unrescinded,  al 
though  at  the  close  of  the  late  Session  of  Congress,  the  Senate  was  "liter 
ally  burned  up  with  nominations  !  "  This  my  dear  Sir,  is  a  compressed 
statement  of  my  situation  ;  and  the  facts  here  stated,  must  I  am  persuaded, 
in  your  judgment  justify  the  decision  I  have  made. 

It  cannot  hardly  be  necesssary  for  me  to  add  that  self  respect  is  the  only 
solid  base  which  can  possibly  support  the  respect  of  others.  A  Soldier 
must  be  a  Soldier,  or  he  is  nothing,  whose  character  like  the  walls  of  a 
safe  citadel  must  be  defensible  in  every  point  I  a  single  vulnerable  angle 
will  destroy  that  proud  Spirit  of  conscious  worth,  which  is  of  the  very 
essence  of  an  officer,  and  which  alone  renders  his  character  worthy  of  imi 
tation. 

My  brief  application  of  these  sentiments  are,  that  such  has  been  the 
treatment  of  the  Administration  towards  me,  that  in  their  service  I  cannot 
respect  myself. 

Therefore  my  dear  old  friend,  I  must  once  more  beg  you  to  accept  my 
most  cordial  thanks  for  the  very  partial  notice  I  have  received  from  the 
Soldier  whom  the  general  voice  of  the  United  States  has  now  declared 
most  competent  to  Command  her  Armies. 

That  you  may  never  have  occasion  to  repine  at  the  ingratitude  of  your 
Country,  and  that  your  Career  may  be  honorable  to  the  end,  is  the  fervent 
prayer  of  Your  unalterable  &c.  Sincere  Friend. 

SOLOMON  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

P.  S.  why  not  pass  Kingston,  throw  one  or  two  light  vessels  of  the  fleet 
in  a  situation  to  prevent  Sir  George  following  you  by  water,  descend  the 
River  and  carry  Montreal,  my  heart  is  with  you. 

Major  Genl.  James  Wikinson,  Commander  in  Chief  of  the  N.  A. 

Gov.  Tompkins  to  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer. 
Sir,  Albany  January  12,  1814. 

I  have  notified  a  meeting  of  the  Council  of  appointment  on  Saturday 
the  22nd  Instant  for  the  purpose  of  enabling  them,  if  they  think  proper 
so  to  do,  to  make  the  Military  Appointments  which  were  omitted  at  their 
last  Session.  It  is  therefore  desirable  that  I  should  be  furnished  with  the 
returns  and  other  papers  touching  other  military  appointments  which  may 
be  in  your  possession,  in  time  to  submit  them  to  the  Council  on  the  before 
mentioned  day. 

I  am  Sir,  yours  &c. 


Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  Esq.  Adjutant  General. 

General  Hull  was  summoned  to  appear  before  a  court  martial  convened 
at  Albany,  New  York.     "It  met  on  the  3rd  of  January,  1814.     General 

40 


314  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Dearborn  was  the  president,  and  he  was  assisted  by  three  brigadier  gen 
erals,  four  colonels,  and  five  lieutenant  colonels.  General  Hull  was 
charged  with  treason,  cowardice,  and  neglect  of  duty  and  unofficer  like 
conduct.  After  a  session  of  eighty  days,  the  court  decided  on  March  26th 
that  he  was  not  guilty  of  treason,  from  the  evidence  brought  forward,  but 
found  him  guilty  of  all  the  other  charges.  He  was  sentenced  to  be  shot 
dead,  and  his  name  to  be  struck  from  the  rolls  of  the  army.  The  presi 
dent  of  the  United  States  approved  the  sentence  on  the  25th  of  April.  The 
court  recommended  him  to  the  mercy  of  Mr.  Madison  who  pardoned  him." 

Hon.  John  Lovett  to  Solomon  Van  Ilensselaer. 

My  dear  Colonel,  Washington,  28th  Jany.,  1814. 

Don't  chide  my  silence,  I  do  declare  to  you  I  never  was  so  wholly 
buried  up  as  I  ana  at  present.  I  have  to  aid  Harson  all  I  can  :  there  are 
a  number  of  the  first  members  in  the  minority  who  really  seem  to  think 
much  more  of  my  poor  services  than  I  can  possibly  think  they  are  worth. 
Never  did  you  see  a  finer  corps  of  fellows  than  our  Minority,  and  the  poor 
fellows  are  almost  worried  out.  We  are  upon  the  Army  Bill  and  pre 
paration  for  a  great  campaign.  Argument  has  for  some  days  past  assumed 
an  almost  unlimited  range,  and  every  one  says  pretty  much  what  he 
pleases.  The  day  before  yesterday,  Taylor,  of  Saratoga,  attempted  to 
prove  the  War  in  the  State  of  New  York  was  popular ,  and  he  endeavored 
to  prove  it  by  the  great  partiality  which  had  been  manifested  towards 
Gen.  Van  Ilensselaer  —  yourself —  and  me.  He  noticed  the  manner  in  which 
the  General  was  received  on  his  return  ;  your  appointment  to  the  office  of 
Adjutant  General ;  and  my  election  to  Congress,  Clerk's  office  &c.  This 
of  course,  drew  collaterally  the  affair  of  Queenstown  into  debate.  Taylor 
and  Fisk  slapped  at  it  a  little.  You  know  I  have  for  many  reasons,  been 
very  desirous  to  keep  silence  on  this  subject.  But  the  discussion  now, 
assumed  such  shape  that  the  duty  I  owed  to  the  General,  yourself  and 
myself  would  no  longer  allow  me  to  be  silent.  I  refuted  all  Taylor's 
arguments,  and  then  touched,  not  minutely,  but  pretty  generally  at  the 
occurrences  of  the  Campaign  which  could  in  any  shape  invade  character. 
Upon  this  occasion  I  availed  myself  of  the  opportunity  to  say  a  few  words 
of  your  history,  merits,  wrongs  and  sufferings.  I  perceived  I  was  listened 
to  with  much  attention  both  by  the  members  and  a  vastly  crowded  gallery, 
I  therefore  ventured  on  a  little  further,  and  stated  your  removal  by 
Tornpkins;  the  deaf  ear  of  the  Administration  to  all  applications  for  your 
appointment  —  pointed  out  the  real  cause. 

But  I  must  close  :  you  may  rest  assured  that  the  General  and  liis  Aids 
Stand  well  on  the  floor  ;  and  as  I  took  the  liberty  of  throwing  out  some 
pretty  bold  menaces  of  telling  ugly  tales,  I  think  they  will  be  willing  to 
let  us  alone  and  respect  us  in  future. 

Augustus  Porter  tells  me  his  Account  is  settled ;  he  has  had  a  $7000 
writ  tucked  on  him  here. 

I  enclose  you  the  Intelligencer  —  see  the  Generals  and  Colonels  marked 
on  the  margin;  Also  Armstrong's  project  for  Conscription. 

Ever  truly  yours, 

Col.  Solomon  Van  Ilensselaer.  JOHN  LOVETT. 

Dear  Colonel, 

I  have  not  a  moment  to  spare,  enclosed  is  a  Skeleton  of  what  was  said. 
No  one  attempted  a  Reply.  Suffice  to  say,  our  friends  here,  are  not  only 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  315 

satisfied,  but  gratified.  They  are  pleased  to  say  it  was  delivered  in  the 
spirit  of  a  soldier.  I  hope  I  have  said  nothing  which  you  or  the  General 
will  disapprove.  If  aught  agreeable,  use  it  as  you  please.  In  two  days  I 
hope  to  get  the  floor  in  my  own  way ;  not  complete. 

Ever  yours,  undaunted, 
Col.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany.  JOHN  LOVETT. 

Hon.  John  Lovett  to  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer. 

My  dear  Colonel,  Washington,  Feb.  20,  1814. 

I  have  this  moment  received  yours  of  the  13th.  As  our  friends  here 
have  expressed  their  high  gratification  at  the  matter  and  manner  of  the 
Re-fighting  of  the  Battle  of  Queenstown,  I  needed  nothing  more  to  put 
my  heart  at  rest,  on  that  subject,  but  the  approbation  of  the  "  little  Mili 
tary  Family"  You  give  me  that ;  saying  that  "  the  members  of  it,  will 
on  ALL  occasions  support  each  other,  at  every  hazard,  with  truth  and  jus 
tice  on  their  side."  My  heart  responds,  Amen,  I  am  satisfied. 

You  express  your  solicitude  lest  my  "  Speech  and  strictures  on  the  War 
may  bring  me  into  a  scrape  ;"  and  express  an  ardent  desire  to  be  with  me 
in  such  event.  Thank  ye;  In  such  event  you  shall  be  with  me.  Long 
ago  I  wrote  our  dear  General  that  plunging  in  among  a  set  of  rap-scallions 
wearing  long  swords  was  a  very  pokerish  kind  of  business ;  but  that  in 
case  of  emergency  my  privilege  would  protect  me  until  I  could  send  for 
Solomon  to  do  the  fighting.  The  truth  is  there  is  no  milksop,  middle 
course  left  for  us ;  the  rascals  in  power  must  be  ousted,  ousted,  or  we  are 
undoue.  This  is  my  sincere  opinion,  and  under  this  conviction  I  think, 
speak  and  act.  The  Federalist  that  will  not,  now,  keep  the  deck,  or 
mount  the  maintop,  to  give  or  receive  shot,  as  occasion  may  offer,  is  not 
worthy  of  his  hammock  onboard.  I  have  been  threatened,  but,  as  yet, 
remain  undisturbed.  The  truth  is  that  what  is  here  called  "  the  Albany 
Quill"  is  somewhat  dreaded.  "  Inchequin"  has  been  slain,  and  some 
others,  deservedly,  (we  wage  no  wanton  war)  been  severely  wounded. 
And,  being  a  companion  of  yours,  they  all  think  I  may  fight  like  a  very 
devil  !  In  short  I  do  not  apprehend  anything  serious  :  should  that  happen 
you  will  know  it  of  course.  The  nearest  I  have  come  to  a  squabble  you 
may  learn  from  a  late  letter  I  wrote  the  Mayor.  I  capped  it  confidential, 
but  he  will  shew  to  you.  You  know  little  Brisban,  of  Batavia,  and  that 
cowhide  headed  Col.  Thomas  who  was  Dep.  Q.  Master  at  Buffalo.  Thomas 
and  his  Agent,  one  Simpson,  talked  saucy,  and  did  knock  poor  Brisban 
down  :  but  they  graciously  spared  me,  and  have  fled,  but  I  am  pressing 
measures  to  have  them  brought  back. 

Augustus  and  Peter  Belligerent  Porter,  are  here.  Augustus  is  very 
civil  —  says  Gen.  Van  Reusselaer  is  the  only  Commander  who  kept  things 
in  order  upon  the  frontier.  Peter  B.  I  apprehend,  keeps  close.  I  have 
not  seen  him,  he  dreads  such  little  papers  as  Augustus  has  had  put  upon 
his  shoulders  since  here.  How  they  will  come  out  I  know  not.  I  have 
just  received  a  line  from  Gen.  Huntington,  he  says:  "  Who  is  the  Hero 
of  Wallamsack  that  dandled  Solomon  V.  K.  upon  his  wounded  knees;  I 
never  understood  that?"  Never  mind,  thats  easily  explained  —  I  in 
tended  to  have  transmitted  you  Morris  S.  Miller's  speech  upon  that  occa 
sion.  Southwick  will  show  you  a  pamphlet,  and  some  patriotic  efforts  I 
am  trying  to  make  in  Kentucky. —  I  say,  am  for  all,  these  fellows  must 
give  up  the  reigns  to  wisdom,  or  despotism  will  usurp  them, —  pull  away 
and  assert  your  creed  thus  expressed. 


316  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

•"  Thy  spirit,  Independence,  let  me  share, 
Lord  of  the  Lion's  heart,  and  Eagle  eye, 
Thy  steps  I  follow,  with  my  bosom  bare, 
Nor  heed  the  storm  that  howls  along  the  sky." 

Respects  to  the  family  and  the  Bethlehem  Member  of  Assembly. 

JOHN  LOVETT. 

Dear  Colonel,  Washington  Feb.  23,  1814. 

You  know  I  have  been  laboring  all  winter  to  get  the  Administration 
and  their  Generals  to  play  a  game  of  Billiards,  and  to  use  Heads  for  Balls. 
I  have  no  doubt  the  game  has  commenced  two  hours  ago,  and  that  your 
old  friend  Wilkinson  is  the  first  ball  played  at;  but  whether  with  intent 
to  pocket  him  or  to  play  for  a  cannon  at  Armstrong  and  Hampton,  I  know 
not.  But,  as  I  have  but  one  moment,  figures  must  be  dropt  and  I  will 
speak  plain.  I  do  not  understand  what  it  means,  but  an  Express  left 
here,  two  hours  ago,  to  arrest  General  Wilkinson  !  1  do  verily  believe  it ; 
I  may  be  deceived,  but  I  cannot  believe  I  am.  My  Ariel  who  never  has 
deceived  me,  assures  me  it  is  so.  Tell  our  General  what  I  say. 

11  oclock  P.  M.  —  My  dear  Colonel,  In  my  way  I  have  a  little  game 
blood  as  well  as  you  :  You  love  powder,  ball  and  steel :  them  1  hate  as 
poison;  but  /love  to  play  my  pen,  ink  and  paper  battling  with  success. 
We  both  aim  at  the  same  victory. 

I  dropped  you  a  hasty  line,  to  day,  telling  you  what  I  believed:  and 
late  as  the  hour  is,  I  will  jog  once  more  to  the  Post  office  to  say  that  my 
opinion  is  every  hour  confirmed.  Col.  Hawkins  has  been  with  me  this 
evening,  he  says  I  am  right.  And,  now,  one  word  more  :  Hawkins  has 
spent  the  winter  here  ;  has  generally,  kept  good  Federal  Company  —  wants 
to  continue  in  service.  He  says  General  Armstrong  will  have  not  an  offi 
cer  under  him,  but  lick-spittles  and  toad-eaters.  He  quits  here  in  dis 
gust —  he  has  been  much  with  Van  Ness.  I  think  Van  Ness  is  disgusted 
too.  I'll  bring  something  out  of  my  "  Strictures  "  yet !  One  word  more, 
for  I  grow  sleepy  :  Hawkins  is  your  great  friend  —  he  expects  you  are 
going  to  raise  4  Regiments  of  State  Troops.  He  wishes  you  to  Command 
them,  and  he  wishes  to  serve  under  you  —  that's  all.  You  have  your  cue. 
Can't  /go  Secretary,  the  old  white  Coat  is  good  yet? 

Yours  ever 

Col.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany.  JOHN  LOVETT. 

John  Lovett  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 

My  dear  Colonel,  Washington,  March  11, 1814. 

Should  the  State  of  New  York  raise  the  Four  Regiments,  I  will  never 
forgive  it,  if  you  are  not  appointed  to  command  them,  /am  too  old  to 
go  "  Secretary  "  again,  but  I  am  authorized  to  promise  you  a  much  abler 
member  in  your  military  family,  should  you  command  that  Division.  You 
shall  have,  by  your  side,  a  scholar,  a  soldier,  a  statesman  ;  this  I  am  fully 
authorized  to  promise  you.  The  man  will  be  Thomas  P.  Grosvenor  — 
of  this  you  may  rest  assured.  If  you  spend  the  ensuing  season  upon  the 
frontiers,  He  will  spend  the  Campaign  in  your  family,  you  cannot  wish 
more.  I  write  this  at  his  request.  (This  never  will  be  allowed.  Two 
such  Blood-hounds  should  never  be  trusted  together.  I  am  well,  and 
ever  yours. 

Col.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer.  J.  LOVETT. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  317 

George  M.  Bibb  to  John  J.  Crittenden. 
Dear  John,  Washington  City,  April  24,  1814. 

The  court-martial  sentenced  Hull  to  be  cashiered  and  shot,  but  recom 
mended  him  to  the  mercy  of  the  President,  [on  account  of  his  age  and  his 
revolutionary  services,]  who,  I  understand,  intends  to  remit  the  sentence 
of  death.  What  weakness  !  If  cowardice  such  as  Hull's,  which  surrendered 
a  fortress,  an  army,  a  territory  without  firing  a  gun,  which  surrender  was 
followed  by  such  loss  of  lives  and  treasure,  is  not  punished  with  death, 
but  pardoned  by  the  commander-in-chief,  what  can  we  expect  ?  No 
military  officer  hereafter  can  be  punished  by  the  loss  of  commission  for 
cowardice.  A  negotiation  is  going  on  between  an  agent  on  our  part  and 
General  Prevost,  for  an  armistice.  Prevost  is  willing  to  an  armistice  on 
land;  our  government  wishes  it  also  by  sea.  The  negotiation,  may,  per 
haps,  terminate  in  an  armistice  on  the  land,  the  lakes,  and  on  our  sea- 
coast,  leaving  our  coast  to  be  blockaded,  and  the  war  upon  the  ocean  to 
progress,  that  is  to  say,  that  no  expedition  on  land,  nor  any  enterprise 
against  towns  or  forts,  shall  be  attempted,  such  an  armistice  to  be  con 
tinued  for  a  limited  time,  or  until  our  negotiations  at  Gottenburg  are  broken 
oft',  or  until  either  party  shall  give  reasonable  notice  that  it  shall  cease.  I 
speak  of  the  probable  issue  from  what  our  government  would  agree  to, 
and  what  it  may  well  be  supposed  the  British  government  would  not  agree 
to.  The  maritime  superiority  of  Great  Britain  she  will  not  yield  by  an 
armistice.  Your  friend,  as  ever, 

Hon.  J,  J.  Crittenden.  GEORGE  M.  BIBB. 

Lt.  Col.  Jno.  R.  Femcick  to  Col.  Sol.  Vein  Rensselaer. 
My  dear  Colonel,  New  York  May  9,  1814. 

It  would  appear  that  the  man,  who  draws  his  Sword  lor  the  Defence  of 
his  Country's  honor  and  welfare  is  doomed  to  Suffer  in  Body,  Mind  and 
Fortune.  I  can  Smile  at  Pain,  created  in  the  path  of  Glory,  I  sought  it, 
'twas  my  duty.  I  can  submit  without  murmur  to  the  Severe  Decrees  of 
Justice,  but  I  abhor  Villainy,  and  Persecution.  The  Miscreants  who 
during  our  Western  Campaign,  in  vain  sat  their  Snares  to  entrap  me,  pur 
sue  me  now  even  to  the  threshold  of  power  ;  and  under  tlv;  base  Influence 
of  their  Avarice  are  determined,  since  they  cannot  assail  my  Reputation, 
to  attempt  biy  Ruin  by  filching  me  of  my  property,  to  pay  for  that,  which 
they  never  owned,  and  if  they  did,  I  had  never  injured.  Secretly,  but 
audaciously  they  declare,  that  1  ordered  their  Salt  taken  possession  of,  to 
erect  that  Battery,  which  as  you  know  not  only  saved  Niagara,  but  pro 
duced  the  Destruction  of  Fort  George,  that  my  holding  possession  of  this 
Salt,  produced  to  Mr.  Augustus  B.  Porter  a  Loss  of  1400  Dollars.  Thus 
does  this  Man  insidiously  make  a  Declaration  to  the  Department  of  War, 
which  he  found  he  could  not  substantiate  in  a  Court  of  Justice.  You  so 
closely  connected  with  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  during  his  Command,  must 
bear  in  mind  all  the  Circumstances  which  relate  to  this  Case.  You  will 
therefore  confer  on  me  an  obligation  by  stating  to  me  all  you  know  con 
cerning  the  Salt  of  which  so  much  has  been  said  with  so  little  truth,  from 
the  hour  which  Porter  lays  his  Claim  to  500  Barrels  must  have  been  put 
in  duress  —  thus  these  people  impose  upon  honest  Folks! 

Have  you  lately  heard  from  our  old  friend  Wilkinson  ?  Pray  write  to 
me  soon.  I  beg  you  to  accept  the  assurance  of  my  Sincere  Esteem  and 
Regard.  JOHN  R.  FEN  WICK. 

Col.  Solomon  Van' llensselaer,  Albany. 


318  LEGACY  OP  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

''General  Wilkinson,  by  an  order  from  the  War  Department,  on  March 
24,  1814,  was  relieved  of  the  command  of  the  army  in  the  Department  of 
the  North,  and  his  conduct  while  in  command  of  that  district  was  subse 
quently  committed  to  the  securing  of  a  court  martial.  He  proved  that 
during  the  most  important  operations  of  the  disastrous  campaign,  which 
ended  at  French  Mills,  the  War  Department,  in  the  person  of  Minister 
Armstrong,  was  on  the  Northern  frontier,  and  that  he  acted  under  the 
secretary's  immediate  instructions.  Theseg  proofs  being  positive,  Wilkinson 
was  acquitted,  and  the  public  placed  the  chief  blame,  where  it  seemed  to 
properly  belong,  on  the  War  Department.  Like  Harrison,  who  had  felt 
the  baneful  effects  of  the  administration  of  that  department,  Wilkinson 
threw  up  his  commission  in  disgust/'  General  John  Armstrong  was 
called,  in  an  evil  hour,  to  assist  in  the  administration  of  the  government, 
during  the  arduous  and  eventful  period  of  our  second  war  with  Great 
Britain.  As  the  head  of  the  war  department,  he  had  it  in  his  power  to 
perpetrate  the  most  extensive  mischief,  not  only  by  his  want  of  capacity, 
but  in  the  indulgence  of  an  unhappy,  restless,  and  malignant  temper;  a 
power  which  he  did  not  spare  to  use,  at  first  to  the  oppression  of  all  in 
dividuals  whom  he  honored  with  his  enmity,  and  finally  to  the  disgrace 
and  degradation  of  his  country.  His  interference  with  the  plans  of  General 
Wilkinson  may  serve  as  a  commentary  on  this  text. 

General  Wilkinson  wished  to  attack  Kingston,  and  there  rest  for  the 
winter  in  good  quarters,  to  organize  the  different  departments  of  the  army, 
build  boats,  &c.,  and  carry  Montreal  early  in  the  spring.  This  delay  could 
not  operate  against  us;  as  the  St.  Lawrence  opens  between  the  two  places 
before  it  does  below,  the  attack  could  have  been  made  before  any  reinforce 
ments  could  arrive  from  Europe.  If  Gen.  Wilkinson  had  been  suffered 
to  take  his  course  the  British  fleet  at  Kingston  would  have  fallen  into  his 
hands,  and  the  millions  of  dollars  afterwards  expended  in  ship  building 
for  the  two  lakes  would  been  saved  the  country ;  but  the  secretary  was 
on  the  spot  and  manoeuvered  to  defeat  his  plain.  It  was  said  he  had  an 
eye  on  the  presidency,  and  if  Montreal  could  be  taken  that  season,  it 
would  facilitate  his  object,  for  if  successful  he  would  have  assumed  all  the 
credit;  as  it  was,  he  managed  to  avoid  the  responsibility  by  throwing  all 
the  blame  on  poor  Wilkinson. 

Our  country  was  fated  to  purchase  its  release  from  the  hand  of  this 
functionary,  at  no  less  a  sacrifice  than  the  overthrow  and  sacking  of  the 
national  capital,  by  a  feeble  and  insulting  foe.  Here  justice  did  overtake 
him ;  and,  finding  that  no  artifice  could  suffice  to  enable  him  to  throw  off 
the  just  responsibilities  of  the  position  he  had  occupied,  he  passed  into 
retirement.  The  affair  at  Bladensburgh,  August  24,  1814,  occurred  under 
General  Armstrong's  own  immediate  supervision  as  secretary  of  war. 

In  this  case,  although  an  attack  had  been  long  apprehended,  a  much 
larger  force,  it  is  true,  than  absolutely  required  for  the  purpose  of  repelling 
it,  was  collected,  but  no  organization  or  system  of  defense  having  been 
arranged,  our  army,  composed  of  the  regular  cavalry,  artillery,  infantry, 
and  a  large  body  of  militia,  were  disgracefully  routed  without  a  show  of 
fight,  except  from  the  gallant  Commodore  Joshua  Barney,  by  compara 
tively  a  handful  of  British  troops,  who  were  exhausted  by  the  fatigue  of  a 
long  forced  march.  Near  three  weeks  before  the  attack  was  made  upon 
Washington,  I  received  a  letter  from  an  officer  of  high  rank  in  the  army, 
who  writes,  ki  such  is  the  want  of  preparation  for  defense  at  this  place, 
that  three  thousand  men  can  destroy  it."  Can  it  be  supposed  for  a  moment 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  319 

that  if  Gen.  Armstrong,  the  dispenser  then  of  honors  and  promotions  in 
the  army,  had  identified  himself  with  our  troops,  they  would  have  re 
treated  on  the  approach  of  the  enemy  '/  No  never  !  yet  he  was  among  the 
first  to  set  the  cowardly  example.  If  a  more  manly  course  had  been, 
pursued,  though  driven  from  the  first  stand,  the  road  passing  over  a  rolling 
country  skirted  by  woods,  afforded  many  positions,  equally  as  strong  and 
as  admirably  calculated  for  the  most  effective  disposition  of  the  different 
kinds  of  troops  employed,  and  they  might  have  fallen  back  from  one 
position  to  another  with  equal  advantage  and  have  harrassed  even  a  larger 
force  of  the  enemy,  so  that  they  never  could  have  reached  Washington. 
But  had  every  effort  under  this  course  failed,  a  few  hundred  men  thrown 
into  the  capitol,  would  have  saved  the  city.  The  six  pounders  used  by 
the  enemy,  could  have  made  no  impression  upon  the  walls  of  this  building 
while  a  brisk  fire  from  its  windows  and  from  the  stone  parapet  surround 
ing  its  roof,  would  effectually  have  arrested  their  progress.  The  same 
defenses  might  have  been  made  at  the  president's  house,  flanked  as  it  was 
by  the  state  and  treasury  offices  on  the  right,  arid  by  the  war  and  navy 
on  the  left.  The  navy-yard  was  equally  susceptible  of  defense. 

The  official  report  of  Major-general  Koss,  the  British  commander,  says  : 
"  The  enem\'s  army,  amounting  to  eight  or  nine  thousand  men,  with  three 
or  four  hundred  cavalry,  was  under  the  command  of  General  Winder, 
being  formed  of  troops  drawn  from  Baltimore  and  Pennsylvania.  His  artil 
lery,  ten  pieces  of  which  fell  into  our  hands,  was  commanded  by  Commodore 
Barney,  who  was  wounded  and  taken  prisoner.  The  artillery  I  directed 
to  be  destroyed.  Having  halted  the  army  for  a  short  time,  1  determined 
to  march  upon  Washington,  and  reached  that  city  at  eight  o'clock  that 
night.  Judging  it  of  consequence  to  complete  the  destruction  of  the  pub 
lic  buildings  with  the  least  possible  delay,  so  that  the  army  might  retire 
without  loss  of  time,  the  following  buildings  were  set  fire  to  and  consumed. 
The  Capitol,  including  the  Senate  House  and  House  of  Representatives, 
the  Arsenal,  the  Dock-yard,  Treasury,  War-Office,  President's  Palace, 
Rope-walk,  and  the  great  Bridge  across  the  Potowmack  :  in  the  dock-yard,  a 
frigate  nearly  ready  to  be  launched,  and  a  sloop  of  war,  were  consumed." 
The  British  destroyed  the  "  barracks  for  almost  three  thousand  troops, 
and  performed  deeds  worthy  of  barbarians;  after  remaining  till  the  ex 
tent  of  devastation  was  sufficient  to  satiate  even  their  vandalism,  in  their 
own  time  returned  unmolested  to  their  shipping." 

John  Lovett  to  Solomon  Van  Remselaer. 
My  Dear  Colonel,  Washington  Nov.  12,  1814. 

I  noticed  certain  great  Military  Characters,  last  winter  —  bear  them  the 
same  respect  still.  Have  commenced,  freely,  with  Majority  men,  on  that 
especial  subject.  Just  parted  at  this  late  hour,  II  o'clock  Saturday  night. 
Suppose,  on  Monday  next,  a  motion  to  dismiss  from  service  Generals 
Dearborn,  Wilkinson  and  LEWIS  &c.  &c.  !  !  ha,  ha;  what  then  !  If  /am 
not  deceived,  you  will  not  be  on  Monday  next.  I  try  to  do  all  the  good 
I  can.  You  know  enough  of  all  these  wretched  leeches  —  Adieu. 

I  want  poor  J3rock's  Seal  —  my  Son  has  it. 

Solomon  Van  Ilensselaer,  Adjutant  General.  JOHN  LOVETT. 

"The  invasion  which  resulted  in  the  capture  of  Washington  city,  the 
destruction  of  its  public  buldings  and  navy  yard,  the  surrender  and  plun 
der  of  Alexandria  was  simply  barbarous,  and  caused  the  profound  regret 
and  humiliation  of  the  American  people.  The  slight  resistance  offered 


320  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

to  the  invaders  during  their  operations  in  the  space  of  twelve  days 
excited  great  surprise,  alarm  and  indignation.  The  national  honor  re 
quired  an  investigation,  and  early  in  the  next  session  of  congress  a  com 
mittee  for  that  purpose  was  appointed  by  the  house  of  representatives. 
Their  report  exculpated  the  president  and  General  Winder,  but  left  con 
gress  and  the  people  to  form  their  own  judgment  from  the  facts  pre 
sented. 

The  extent  of  devastation  practiced  by  the  ungenerous  victors  brought 
a  heavy  censure  upon  the  British  character,  not  only  in  America,  but  ont 
the  Continent  of  Europe,  it  was  condemned  in  unmeasured  terms." 

Intelligence  of  the  capture  of  Washington  city,  reached  New  York  on 
the  28th  of  August,  three  days  after  that  sad  occurrence.  The  zeal  and  pat 
riotism  of  the  citizens  were  increased  thereby.  In  General  Orders,  Dan 
iel  D.  Tompkins,  governor  of  the  state  of  New  York,  who  had  been  un 
tiring  in  his  exertions  for  the  public  good,  called  on  the  inhabitants  to 
send  arms  of  every  description  to  the  State  Arsenal,  where  all  fit  for  ser 
vice  would  be  paid  for.  The  call  was  promptly  answered.  New  York  was 
likewise  fearfully  excited  by  apprehensions  of  danger  during  the  summer 
and  autumn  of  1814.  The  mayor  of  the  city,  De  Witt  Clinton,  issued  a 
stirring  address  to  the  people.  He  recomended  the  militia  to  hold  them 
selves  in  readiness  for  duty,  and  called  upon  the  citizens  to  offer  their 
personal  services  and  means  cheerfully  to  the  United  States  officers  in 
command  there,  to  aid  in  the  completion  of  the  unfinished  fortification 
around  the  city. 

Colonel  Van  Rensselaer  was  still  suffering  from  his  severe  wounds,  and 
had  only  been  able  to  leave  off  using  crutches  a  short  time  previous.  He  was 
not,  however,  placed  in  battle  array  against  the  enemy  again  at  this  place, 
as  the  expected  invasion  was  not  attempted,  he  therefore  returned  this 
time  without  any  additional  scars  to  his  family.  At  the  close  of  1814 
active  war  had  ceased  at  the  North  but  now  its  chief  theatre  of  operations 
was  in  Louisiana  and  on  the  ocean.  On  the  llth  of  September,  Sir 
George  Prevost  with  an  army  of  fourteen  thousand  men,  made  a  descent 
upon  Flattsburg  and  after  a  severe  engagment  was  compelled  to  retire 
with  great  loss.  The  British  fleet,  under  Commodore  Downie,  was  capt- 
tured  by  Commodore  Macdonough,  on  the  same  day.  The  war  was  ter 
minated  by  the  treaty  of  Ghent,  signed  by  the  commissioners  of  both 
countries,  December  24th,  1814. 

Sol.  Van  Rensselaer  to  his  Wife. 
My  dear  Harriet,  New  York,  14th  November  1864. 

The  Governor  is  in  his  new  quarters  with  all  his  suit ;  we  have  an  elegant 
establishment;  live  in  perfect  harmony,  and  in  style;  much  to  do  and 
attend  strictly  to  all  duties.  "  Poney  "  as  you  call  him,  got  down  safe,  but 
was  eight  days  on  board  in  all  that  storm  :  he  is  the  finest  horse  here,  and 
much  admired,  as  well  as  his  rider !  I  wish  our  poor  little  Mag's  broken 
arm  was  well,  kiss  her  for  me.  If  there  is  no  attack  on  this  place  this 
fall,  (and  none  is  expected)  I  shall  be  with  you  in  a  few  weeks  when  the 
Governor  will  return  to  Albany.  The  Militia  are  sickly,  and  heartily  tired 
of  a  military  life,  desertions  are  frequent  and  furloughs  asked  for  by  doz 
ens  every  day.  We  have  visited  the  fortifications  at  the  Hook,  Narrows, 
this  Island  and  on  the  3rd  while  on  this  duty  on  Long  Island  the  Gover 
nor's  horse  fell  with  him  in  the  ditch  of  Fort  Greene  a  hight  of  ten  feet, 
without  much  injury.  He  dislocated  his  thumb  and  otherwise  is  a  little 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  321 

bruised,  but  not  so  much  as  to  prevent  him  from  attending  to  duty,  but 
he  made  a  very  narrow  escape.  He  treats  me  very  civilly,  and  insisted  that 
I  should  take  up  my  quarters  with  him,  which  I  did  on  the  5th  when  he 
began  to  keep  house;  my  horse  too  is  to  share  with  his,  free  of  expense ; 
he  is  entitled  to  keep  sixteen,  and  intends  to  have  only  two  ;  so  you  see 
mine  will  be  at  the  public  expense  and  the  forage  I  am  entitled  to.  All 
my  time  is  taken  up  in  my  profession.  I  act  as  Aid  and  not  as  Adjutant 
General.  All  express  their  satisfaction  at  my  being  here,  and  much  con 
fidence  is  placed  in  me  by  the  Inhabitants.  On  the  6th  I  dined  with 
the  Recorder  Hoffman  with  a  large  party.  On  the  5th  with  King  the 
Son-in-Lawof  Mr.  Ray  and  on  the  7th  with  Col.  Golden  (Cadwallader  D.) 
In  short,  calls  and  cards  in  abundance,  I  must  see  so  much  company  that 
I  have  laid  down  certain  rules^  from  which  I  shall  not  depart,  so  fear  noth 
ing  my  love. 

Genl.  Giles  of  this  City,  together  with  those  I  mentioned  in  my  former 
letter  to  you  :  Charles  King,  son  of  my  friend  Rufus  King,  and  many 
others  of  the  first  blood  in  the  Country  wish  for  Regiments  on  condition 
that  I  command  their  Brigade.  I  have  not  asked  for  any  thing  and  I  am 
determined  not  to  do  so,  if  it  is  offered  and  I  can  retain  my  office  of  Ad 
jutant  General,  I  shall  accept.  The  last  from  the  conduct  of  Democrats 
towards  me,  will  be  safe  at  all  events.  I  am  as  civil  as  they  are.  Lewis 
has  gone  to  Washington  to  beg  to  be  retained.  Last  night  we  returned 
from  again  visiting  the  Troops  and  Fortifications  on  Long  Island  and  the 
Narrows,  a  tour  of  three  days  I  spent  very  pleasantly ;  in  which  time  we 
reviewed  three  Brigades ;  and  were  received  at  the  different  posts  with  a 
tremendous  roar  of  cannon.  The  review  of  General  Boyd's  Brigade  of 
Regulars  was  very  splendid,  the  troops  performed  well  and  looked  like 
Soldiers.  On  those  occasions  I  am  the  right  hand  man  of  the  Governor, 
who  from  my  usefulness  to  him,  grows  daily  more  and  more  attached  to 
me.  I  received  a  letter  from  General  Wilkinson,  he  is  again  at  Wash 
ington,  and  insists  on  his  trial,  which  will  take  place  the  ensuing  winter 
at  Utica  on  account  of  the  witnesses  being  at  the  North.  Wilkinson  is  in 
favor  at  Washington,  and  he  will  disgrace  Armstrong  more  than  he  already 
is.  I  receive  letters  very  frequently  from  Lovett;  they  are  as  much  pleased 
there  at  my  being  in  Service,  as  they  are  here.  Next  week,  on  the  25th 
will  be  a  splendid  day  for  New  York,  the  celebration  of  the  Evacuation  of 
this  City  by  the  British  in  the  last  war.  I  intend  to  send  for  Rensselaer 
from  School  and  gratify  him  with  the  sight,  his  best  clothes  you  can  let 
John  Berry  bring  down  here.  We  are  just  now  going  out  to  review  the 
Troops.  On  the  9th  we  visited  the  Forts  in  the  Harbor,  a  grand  Salute 
was  fired  from  each  (3  in  number).  Our  Horses  are  at  the  door.  Adieu 
my  Harriot,  kiss  our  children  and  love  to  all. 

Yours  truly, 

Mrs.  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany.  SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  his  Wife. 

New  York,  30th  November,  1814. 

Yesterday  my  dear  Harriot,  Rensselaer  left  in  the  Steam  Boat  for 
Poughkeepsie,  he  took  leave  of  the  Governor,  &c.,  like  a  man,  much 
satisfied  with  what  he  had  seen,  and  left  this  determined  to  attend  closely 
to  his  studies,  and  has  already  progressed  considerably  in  the  French. 
The  Governor  and  all  in  thi^  house  were  much  pleased  with  him,  he  is  a 

41 


322  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

fine  boy.  Rensselaer  arrived  here  on  the  24th  and  was  delighted  with 
the  Parade,  he  staid  with  us  at  Head  quarters  and  on  the  26th  went  down 
with  the  Governor  and  his  son  (who  are  very  civil  to  him)  to  Staten 
Island  to  se^e  the  fortifications ;  and  I  took  him  to  see  every  thing  worth 
seeing  on  his  return.  On  the  25th  we  had  a  splendid  day ;  ten  thousand 
troops  were  under  arms,  marched  through  the  City  and  were  reviewed  by 
the  Governor,  after  which  we  dined  in  the  City  Hall  by  invitation  from 
the  Corporation.  I  wrote  you  that  in  two  or  three  weeks  the  Militia 
would  be  discharged  all  idea  of  an  attack  from  the  enemy  being  given  up; 
after  which  Governor  Tompkins  would  return  to  Albany,  and  I  should  be 
made  once  more  happy  in  the  bosom  of  my  Harriet  and  our  little  ones. 
You  know  I  delight  in  a  Military  life,  but  never  can  I  be  at  ease  without 
you  —  my  Wife  and  my  Sword  must  go  hand  in  hand.  Tompkins  is  friendly 
and  sociable  as  ever,  and  although  our  separation  is  painful,  much  good 
will  come  out  of  it  I  am  sure.  As  the  Militia  are  now  all  discharged  ;  I 
asked  permission,  last  night  of  the  Governor  to  return  home  on  Saturday, 
on  the  ground  that  there  was  now  not  much  to  do.  He  told  me  if  I  had 
business  of  Importance  to  attend  to,  he  had  no  objections,  but  he  preferred 
that  I  should  stay  until  the  following  Saturday.  He  wished  to  consult  as 
to  future  operations  after  his  dinner  parties,  (which  are  now  three  times 
a  week)  were  over,  and  then  we  would  go  together.  I  of  course  acquiesced 
as  he  is  every  thing  to  me  I  could  wish,  and  as  the  chain  between  him 
and  Tylurn  is  broke,  I  am  certain  he  will  act  a  manly  and  Independent 
part. 

Yesterday  about  twenty-two  officers  dined',  with  us.  Armstrong  was 
one  of  the  party.  I  designedly  was  the  last  in  the  room,  and  entered  it 
after  most  of  the  Company  had  taken  their  seats  in  Military  order  to  see 
if  my  place  at  the  Head  of  the  table  was  kept  vacant.  The  moment  I 
entered  the  Governor  asked  me  to  take  the  head  of  the  table.  I  had  him 
and  Armstrong  on  my  right;  the  latter  old  rascal  and  others  stared,  and 
all  who  knew  how  I  had  been  treated  by  him,  were  gratified.  Our  horses 
I  fear  will  have  a  bad  time  of  it  in  this  storm;  let  me  know  when  they 
reach  you;  and  I  will  thank  you  to  let  some  one  ride  my  horse  morn 
ing  and  evening  about  the  hill  in  view  of  the  house,  for  I  fear  he  will  be 
stiff.  Let  them  lead  him  out  of  the  back  stable  door,  as  he  may  get  injured 
in  front,  as  it  is  high  from  the  ground.  Give  directions  that  my  horse  is 
not  brought  out  of  the  stable  to  water  until  my  return  as  he  is  fond  of 
play  he  may  get  hurt;  let  them  carry  water  to  him  and  they  must  not 
give  him  too  much  grain.  This  day  J.  R.  V.  Rensselaer  and  myself 
dined  at  Mr.  Coles,  and  I  have  invitations  for  every  day  in  the  week  when 
the  Governor  has  no  company.  All  this  would  be  pleasant  if  you  were 
only  with  me ;  if  I  return  in  the  Spring  you  must  break  up  housekeeping, 
then  you  and  the  two  girls  accompany  me  and  the  rest  go  to  school.  Tell 
Mag  I  have  her  Doll  and  other  pretty  things  for  her ;  how  happy  I  am  to 
find  by  your  letter  that  her  broken  arm  is  mending;  kiss  the  dear  children 
for  me.  Adieu  for  a  few  days  longer  —  truly  yours 

SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Mrs.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Mount  Hope. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  323 

CHAPTER  XV. 
HONORS  TO  MAJ.  GEN.  RICHARD  MONTGOMERY. 

Hon.  John  Lovett  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 

My  dear  Colonel,  Washington  Feb.  11,  1815. 

You  are  darting  about  the  world  so  that  I  know  not  where  to  aim  at 
you  —  and  now,  I  have  not  even  leisure  to  "  take  aim."  You  know  our 
General  always  told  us  to  write  "  short  letters."  I  must  now  obey.  The 
glorious  news  from  New  Orleans  has  thrown  all  into  bustle  here.  The 
.British  defeated,  slaughtered,  vanquished,  disgraced,  have  abandoned  their 
enterprise  —  gone  —  gone  !  Oh  that  you  only  could  have  been  with  Jack 
son  !  But,  I  can  only  say  a  word  —  see  particulars  in  a  hand-bill  to  Gov. 
Tompkins,  the  only  one  I  could  get. 

Military  Committee  in  a  squabble  —  we  are  noticing  instances  of  merit. 
Once  I  had  given  up  —  hopeless,  this  morning  I  rallied  again,  I  may  be 
vanquished  again,  but,  if  1  don't  get  you  a  Sword  I  shall  be  quite  dis 
appointed.  As  for  myself,  I  ask  for  nothing  but  a  Pair  of  Ears  ! 

Harrison  is  before  the  house,  for  honour.  You  need  not  be  at  all  con 
cerned,  you  stood  as  *you  ought.  Before  the  Committee  —  the  great 
question  has  been,  whether  we  should  notice  any  officer  concerned  in  any 
affair  not  crowned  with  complete  success  !  This  monstrous  position  was 
once  agreed  to  — -  I  have  this  day  reversed  it  —  at  least  I  think  so.  At  all 
events  you  will  stand  with  Honour.  I  think  also  with  a  Sword  of  your 
Country.  I  promise  nothing  j  therefore  don't  be  disappointed  at  anything. 
Albany,  I  presume,  is  all  buzz.  I  pray  God  the  bread  of  your  children  may 
not  be  taken ;  as  for  mine  I  have  not  a  word  to  say.  Conscious  of  faith 
fulness  to  all  I  stand  prepared  for  my  fate.  I  cannot  hedge,  I  must  live 
or  die  honorably.  Dig  1  can,  as  you  know,  with  wife  and  eight  on  my 
back  ;  beg  I  cant.  Bank  passed  Senate  to  day,  Majority  two  !  It  may 
pass  our  house  —  what  then  ?  In  very  great  haste  —  ever  yours, 

Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Esq.  J.  LOVETT. 

Hon.  John  Lovett  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 

My  dear  Colonel,  Washington,  20th  February,  1815. 

You  must  pardon  my  seeming  neglect  of  you.  Although  I  am  as  silent 
here  as  a  seamstress,  I  am  by  no  means  idle  ;  and  since  our  glorious  change 
of  prospects  we  have  all  to  work  double  tides  at  the  heel  of  the  Session, 
instantly  to  place  the  Nation  in  the  best  possible  situation  to  make  the 
most  of  our  happy  change  of  circumstances.  To  accomplish  this  great 
object,  every  committee  is  pulling  with  their  best  oars ;  and,  happy  for 
the  country,  I  believe  we  are  pulling  with  zealous  and  hearty  unanimity ; 
at  any  rate  I  can  assure  you  this  is  the  case  in  Military  Committee,  we 
meet  morning  and  evening  and  work  like  brothers.  You  will  readily 
perceive  that  the  duties  of  this  committee  are  of  a  most  extensive  and  im 
portant  character  —  immediately  important  to  40,000  individuals,  and  ul 
timately  so  as  connected  with  all  those  deep  interests  involved  in  the 
Military  Peace  Establishment  of  our  Country.  Part  of  the  Army  is  to  be 
disb;inded,  and  satisfactory  provision  made  for  them  —  the  establishment 
to  be  kept  up,  must  be  effectually  organized  &c. 


324 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 


An  important  duty  remains  also  to  be  performed  to  memories  of  the 
gallant  dead,  and  to  the  living  who  have  distinguished  themselves.  This 
is  a  most  delicate  and  trying  task  —  we  know  we  cannot  do  justice  :  but 

we  must  do  as  well  as  we  can. 
Upon  this  subject  we  have  already 
submitted  some  resolutions  to  the 


JOHN  LOVETT. 


house  ;  tomorrow  we  shall  submit 
more.      Suffice  it  for  you  to  know 
that  your  name  will  appear  at  the 
III        head  of  a  catalogue  in  which  the 
L  ... ...^  a      names  of  Gibson  —  Wood  —  Fen- 

ja      wick — Montgomery  &c.  will  fol- 
jMfcw  •      low.     What  will   be  the  disposi 

tion  of  the  house,  remains  to  be 
seen  —  it  is  happy  for  me  that  in 
committee  there  is  no  diversity  of 
sentiment  respecting  my  friend. 
One  thing  I  venture  to  assure 
you,  you  will  go  out  of  the  house 
as  you  go  in  :  with  HONOR  ;  but, 
whether  with,  or  without  a  Sword 
I  can't  predict.  Nor  is  it  of  first 
importance ;  you  know  that  /made 
a  most  excellent  officer  WITHOUT  a 
sword.  To  be  sure  the  British 
Flag  Officers  used  to  stare  a  little, 

and  I  (in  my  sleeve)  laughed  a  little;  but  I  did  my  duty,  that  was  enough. 
As  to  the  compensation  to  be  made  to  that  party  of  the  army  which  will  be 
disbanded;  and  the  numerical  force  of  our  peace  establishment,  there  are 
many  various  and  conflicting  opinions.  Some  most  extravagant  ones  have 
been  submitted,  one  of  these  proposes  40  skeleton  regiments  of  Infantry, 
and  of  Artillery  ONE  !  Fine  apportionment  for  Garrison  duty. 

On  these  several  subjects  I  can  only  give  you  a  sketch  of  what  has  just 
been  unanimously  agreed  upon  in  our  committee,  this  evening,  and  we 
shall  report  a  Bill,  subject  to  amendments  in  the  house  as  usual.  To  the 
part  of  the  army  to  be  disbanded  immediately,  we  give  three  months  Pay. 
Their  grants  of  Land  in  the  following  proportion  :  To  all  those  Officers 
who  have  been  six  months  in  service  (you  know  many  have  been  appointed 
within  that  period)  we  give  :  Major  Gens.  2560  Acres.  Brig.  Genls. 
1920  Acres.  Cols,  and  Lieut.  Cols.  1280  Acres.  Majors  960  Acres. 
(While  this  subject  was  under  discussion,  I  could  have  wished  you  in  the 
corner.  Depend  upon  it,  all  parties  think  alike  of  some  Old  Fudges.) 
Captains  640  Acres.  Lieuts.  and  Ens.  480  Acres.  Privates  320  Acres. 
You  see  we  have  not  preserved  the  relative  proportions  either  to  rank  or 
pay  ;  we  could  not.  The  fact  is  the  enormous  bounty  given  to  our  soldiers 
destroys,  of  necessity,  all  just  proportion ;  for  had  we  undertaken  to  carry 
the  thing  out  per  scale,  we  must  have  purchased  the  Moon  and,  for  aught 
I  know,  even  Mercury  to  have  made  out  premises.  I  confess  I  think  the 
latter  planet  would  afford  excellent  location  for  soldiers.  Indeed  I  think 
yourself  would  mightily  enjoy  a  snug  Manor,  and  a  Mount  Hope  farm  up 
there. 

The  Committee  propose  to  continue  the  Military  Peace  Establishment  at 
10,000,  leaving  it  to  the  Secretary  of  War  to  say  how  it  shall  be  apportioned. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  325 

Thus  much,  my  dear  Sir,  for  the  Military  ;  and  this  is  about  all  I  can 
write  to  you  about ;  for  in  the  remaining  scrap  of  the  evening,  I  have  to 
write  to  half  a  dozen  more,  upon  subjects  just  as  different  as  their  hobbies 
are  from  your  Hobbies.  I  have  just  had  my  second  cruel  tax  to  their 
epidemic  sore  throat,  it  is  a  horrid  disorder  I  have  barely  been  able  to 
keep  my  seat  for  some  days  —  indeed,  I  never  yet  quit  it  a  single  day 
since  I  was  honored  with  it.  I  am  now  nearly  well. 

My  honored  old  Father  has  sent  me  his  commands  to  return  by  Con 
necticut,  but  I  think  I'll  be  with  you  about  the  12th  March.  Whether 
with  or  without  my  HEAD,  time  must  decide.  I've  done  my  duty  ;  that's 

eno'  for  An  old  Soldier.     In  haste  —  ever  yours, 

JOHN  LOVETT. 

Colonel  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Adjutant  General. 

Hon.  John  Lovett  to  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Colonel,  Washington  Feb.  22d,  1815. 

Here  we  have  ye  all,  Heroes,  huddled  up  like  so  many  Rabbits  in  a 
market  basket.  Don't  be  elated  any  of  you,  for  I  think  it  most  likely  that 
we  .Representatives  of  the  Sovereign  People  will  shake  ye  all  to  the  wind 
yet.  Probably  my  friend  will  hang  in  the  basket  at  least  as  long  as  any 
of  his  class.  At  any  rate  no  one  will  have  more  friends  to  help  him  hold  on. 

Among  others,         JOHN  LOVETT. 

Resolutions  expressive  of  the  sense  entertained  by  Congress  of  the  Gal 
lantry  and  Good  Conduct  with  which  the  Reputation  of  the  Arms  of  the 
United  States  has  been  sustained  during  the  Late  War  by  Certain  Officers 
therein  named.  February  21,  1815.  Read  the  first  and  second  time  and 
committed  to  a  committee  of  the  whole  house.  The  Fourth  Resolution 
reads  thus  : 

Resolved,  That  congress  entertain  a  high  sense  of  the  gallantry  with, 
which  the  reputation  of  the  arms  of  the  United  States  has  been  sustained, 
in  various  combats,  during  the  late  war,  by  colonel  Van  Rensselaer, 
colonel  Fenwick,  colonel  Newman,  colonel  Reed,  lieutenant  colonel 
Appling,  lieutenant  colonel  Mitchell,  colonel  Williams  and  captain  Z. 
Taylor  j  and  that  the  president  of  the  United  States  be  requested  to  cause 
an  elegant  sword  to  be  presented  to  each  of  the  aforesaid  officers.1 

Judge  Vati  Ness  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaerp* 
Dear  Sir,  New  York,  October  17,  1815. 

I  wrote  to  you  from  Claverach  on  the  4th,  I  wished  to  have  seen  you 
when  I  was  at  Albany  a  few  days  before,  and  expected  to  have  had  that 
pleasure  at  dinner  at  Mr.  Abraham  V.  Vechtens.  I  wanted  to  have  said 
a  few  words  to  you  in  relation  to  a  certain  question  which  is  again  pressed 
upon  me  with  renewed  earnestness  and  zeal.  I  am  urged  to  consent  to  a 
measure  which  I  know  will  ruin  me  if  it  succeeds,  and  I  am  told  the 
party  will  be  ruined  if  I  don't  consent.  I  take  it  for  granted  I  shall  be 
compelled  to  yield  contrary  to  my  wishes  —  my  feelings  —  my  interest  — 
and  my  judgment.  As  you  are  among  the  earliest  of  my  friends,  as  well  as 
of  the  number  who  have  never  wavered  in  this  attachment  or  confidence, 
I  think  it  due  to  you  to  make  this  communication.  It  is  at  the  same  time 
expedient  that  nothing  should  be  said  about  it  as  coming  from  me. 

Your  letter  was  handed  to  me  in  the  City  this  morning.     As  far  as  I 

1  The  "  elegant  sword/'  however,  was  never  presented  to  Col.  Van  Rensselaer. 


326  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

can  contribute  to  get  patronage  for  Wilkinson's  work,1  I  will  do  it  —  my 
efforts  will  be  circumscribed  however,  for  reasons  which  I  will  detail  when 
I  see  you.  The  course  1  am  to  pursue  in  relation  to  the  next  Election, 
will  be  decided  in  a  few  days  here.  I  think  from  present  appearances,  it 
is  after  all,  not  improbable  that  I  shall  be  let  off.  You  may  rely  upon  it, 
that  W  —  s  views  in  relation  to  the  Presidential  question  are  wholly  incor 
rect  and  his  plans  completely  impracticable.  We  never  can  support 
Tompkins  and  as  for  Clinton  he  is  so  perfectly  torpid  that  nothing  can  be 
done  by  or  for  him.  I  would  prefer  Monroe  to  Tompkins.  Wilkinson  is 
a  better  Soldier  than  Politician.  His  plans  are  visionary  you  may  rely 
upon  it.  I  enclose  his  letter  which  is  a  very  interesting  one. 

Yours  very  sincerely,  in  great  haste. 

W.  W.  VAN  NESS. 
Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Esqr.,  Adjutant  General,  Albany. 

Gen.  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 

My  Dear  Friend,  New  York  Feb.  18,  1816. 

I  owe  you  an  apology  for  not  sooner  answering  your  letter.  I  assure 
you  it  was  not  from,  want  of  attachment.  You  will  believe  me  when  I 
assure  you,  that  next  to  my  own'family  you  are  most  dear  to  me.  I  have 
been  engaged  in  a  round  of  company,  and  part  of  the  time  the  children 
have  been  indisposed  with  severe  colds.  Nothing  would  give  me  greater 
pleasure  than  to  see  you  rewarded  by  our  Country,  for  your  services,  at 
least  our  Country  ought  to  take  the  lead  in  placing  you  in  Congress  or 
the  Legislature  as  you  may  select.  I  have  long  since  determined  to  retire, 
at  least  for  the  present  from  the  bustle  of  public  life.  I  return  Wilkin 
son's  letter  —  I  hope  he  will  give  an  impartial  account  of  our  affair  and  I 
do  not  fear  the  investigation  either  as  it  respects  courage  or  conduct.  I 
am  conscious  of  our  having  acted  from  the  best  of  motives  and  feel  proud 
that  our  enemies  cannot  attach  any  disgrace  on  either  of  us  notwithstand 
ing  their  endeavours.  I  am  happy  to  hear  that  Rensselaer  improves  — 
keep  him  to  his  studies.  I  want  him  to  have  a  regular  education.  Re 
member  me  to  your  good  wife  and  daughters  and  believe  me 

Col.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  |  Yours  truly 

Ad.  General,  Albany.          )  S.  V.  RENSSELAER. 

Henry  K.  V  Rensselaer :*B.  G. 

DIED  — This  morning — Monday,  Sept.  9,  1816.  General  HENRY  K. 
VAN  RENSSELAER,*in  the  73d  year  of  his  age.  His  friends  and  acquaint 
ance,  are  requested  to  attend  his  funeral,  tomorrow  afternoon,  at  3  oclock, 
from  his  late  residence. 

On  Tuesday  the  10th,  his  funeral  solemnities  were  attended,  by  a  large 
concourse  of  citizens,  and  by  a  masonic  and  military  procession  in  the 
following  order: 

Capt.  Olmsted's  City  Guards, 
Capt.  Judson's  Volunteer  Infantry 

Capt.  Stilwell's  Artillery 

Under  the  command  of  Capt.  Ira  Jenkins,  and  Adjutant  Gilbert, 

and  accompanied  by  the  Albany  Band  of  Music 

with  drums  muffled,  &c. 

1  The  "  Memoirs  of  My  Own  Times  by  Gen.  James  Wilkinson,"  were  published 
in  1816,  the  next  year. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  327 

Albany  Military  Association  in  full  uniform 

Masonic  Procession 

Consisting  of  Masters,  Temple  and  Mount  Vernon  Lodges. 
The  Pall  supported  by  eight  officers  of  the 

War  of  Independence,  Viz  : 

John  Lansing  Junr,  ^          Matthew  Trotter, 

Stephen  Lush,  Isaac  Bogart, 

Daniel  Hale,  Matthew  Gregory, 

John  H.  Wendell,  S.  W.  Johnson. 

GEN.  VAN  RENSSELAER'S  HORSE, 
Suitably  comparisoned,  and  led  by  two  servants  dressed 

in  mourning  with  white  turbans. 
Mourners. —  Clergy.- —  Physicians. —  Citizens. 

After  a  solemn  and  eloquent  prayer  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Bradford,  the  pro 
cession  moved  from  the  house  of  Adjutant  General  Solomon  Van  Rensse- 
laer,  son  of  the  deceased,  in  North  Pearl  street,  through  South  Pearl 
street,  to  Cherry  Hill,  the  family  seat,  at  the  distance  of  a  mile  from  the 
city,  the  Bands  playing  a  solemn  dirge,  and  the  artillery  discharging 
minute  guns,  until  the  body  was  deposited  in  the  family  burying  place, 
when  the  usual  masonic  solemnities  were  performed  by  Isaac  Hempstead, 
Master  of  Master's  Lodge,  and  the  ceremonies  were  closed  by  the  firing 
of  vollies,  by  the  Military  over  the  grave. 

The  scene  was  throughout  solemn  and  impressive.  The  ceremonies  were 
conducted  with  great  order  and  decorum  —  the  military  arrangements, 
though  made  on  short  notice,  were  executed  in  a  very  handsome  manner 
under  the  superintendence  of  Col.  Sebastian  Visscher,  and  were  much  ad 
mired  and  applauded  by  the  very  great  concourse  of  persons  who  were 
present  to  pay  .the  last  tribute  of  respect  to  an  old  friend,  neighbor  and 
revolutionary  Soldier. 

General  Van  Kensselaer  went  early  into  the  Army  during  the  War  of 
Independence,  and  was  very  much  distinguished  for  his  bravery  and  good 
conduct,  conduct  which  secured  him  the  esteem,  and  respect  of  his  fellow 
Officers,  and  particularly  of  fhe  COMIMANDER  IN  CHIEF.  He  was  in  several 
-engagements,  during  which  he  uniformly  discovered  the  greatest  coolness 
and  courage.  In  July  1777  he  was  attacked  by  a  large  body  of  the  Enemy,  at 
Fort  Ann,  but  with  a  very  unequal  force  he  resisted  them  with  great  obsti 
nacy  and  success  until  he  learned  that  Ticonderoga  had  been  abandoned  by 
our  troops,  when  he  brought  his  men  off. 

On  that  occasion  he  received  a  wound  from  a  musket  shot,  the  effects  of 
which  he  severely  felt  throughout  the  remainder  of  his  life.  The  ball  en 
tered  his  thigh,  broke  the  bone,  passed  by  and  lodged  in  the  upper  part 
of  the  limb.  The  wound  caused  him  a  great  deal  of  pain  and  distress  for 
many  years.  The  ball  was  never  extracted  until  since  his  death,  when  it 
was  taken  out  by  Dr.  William  Bay,  of  this  City,  after  having  been  carried  by 
the  deceased  upwards  of  thirty-nine  years.  Four  of  the  men  of  Gen.  Van  Rens- 
selaer's  own  regiment-who  carried  him  on  their  shoulders,  after  he  was 
wounded,  the  distance  of  "fifteen  miles,  officiated  as  pall  bearers  at  his  funeral. 
[General  Van  Rensselaer's  widow  Mrs.  Nancy  G.  Van  Rensselaer  celebrated 
her  ninety-ninth  birth  day  on  the  25th  day  of  October  1874,  at  her  son's 
residence  in  Randolph,  N.  Y.  and  expresses  her  belief  that  she  will  livejo  see 
her  centennial  birth  day  and  meet  five  generations  at  this  grand  reunion 
Oct.  25,  1875.] 


328  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Gen.  Stephen  Vein  Rensselaer  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 
My  Dear  Sir,  New  York  Nov.  22d,  1816. 

Your  letter  and  the  enclosed  General  Order  was  received.  Will  you 
have  the  goodness  to  ask  Sutherland  to  issue  a  Division  Order  respecting 
the  Uniform.  [Under  new  General  Orders.]  I  have  determined  to  adopt 
the  Uniform  of  the  United  States  as  the  most  plain  and  less  expensive 
than  the  present  fashion.  Perhaps  you  had  better  give  him  a  draft  in 
the  regulations  for  the  several  departments  of  the  Army  of  the  U.  States, 
the  uniform  is  minutely  described.1  I  agree  with  you  that  we  have  no 
choice  between  the  contending  parties  farther  than  the  promotion  of  the 
public  good  may  demand  when  we  are  called  to  act.  Let  me  hear  from 
you  often,  I  will  send  Wilkinson's  letter.  Your  friend 

Adjt.  General  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany.  S.  V.  RENSSELAER. 

General  Lewis  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Staatsburg  Nov.  17,  1817. 

I  have  been  rather  dilatory  in  performing  my  promise,  though  I  hope 
the  inclosed  will  reach  you  in  time  for  your  purpose.  I  wish  you  a  success 
ful  result  to  your  Application,  and  that  your  allowance  may  be  adequate 
to  your  merits.  Present  my  best  respects  to  your  Wife  and  family,  to 
whom  also  Mrs.  Lewis  sends  her  love.  Your  friend, 


Adjt.  Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany. 

Gov.  Clinton  to  Gen.  Talmadge. 
Dear  Sir,  Albany  29  Nov.  1817. 

No  man  in  this  State  has  a  deeper  hold  on  the  public  sympathies  for 
his  sufferings  by  wounds  received  in  1794  and  in  1&12  than  the  present 
Adjt.  Genl.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  and  no  man  is  better  entitled  to  a 
liberal  compensation  from  the  National  Government.  His  case  will  be 
laid  before  the  President,  and  his  remuneration  ought  not  only  to  be  liberal,- 
but  retrospective.  Let  me  solicit  the  earnest  interposition  of  you  and  your 
Colleagues  in  his  behalf.  I  am  yours  with  great  regard, 

DE\VITT  CLINTON. 

Major  General  James  Talmadge,  M.  C.  Washington. 

Rufus  King  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Senate  Chamber,  Mar.  17,  1818. 

I  may  have  omitted,  but  I  think  I  did  not,  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of 
your  Communication  of  the  18  of  feby,  it  come  to  hand  in  due  course,  and 
is  in  the  possession  of  a  Comle  of  the  H.  R.  which,  as  I  have  been  encour 
aged  to  hope  will  report  a  Bill  in  your  Favor. 

I  beg  you  to  be  persuaded  my  dear  Sir,  that  your  friends  here,  and  they 
are  many,  are  doing  what  they  are  able  to  accomplish  your  very  just  Expect> 
ations.  Very  faithfully  and  respectfully  Yr.  ob.  Servant, 

Col.  S.  Van  Rensselaer.  RUFUS  KING. 

1The  uniform  of  the  Division  of  Cavalry  by  a  General  Order  of  the  6th  November 
1816  of  the  late  Commander  in  Chief  (Gov.  Torapkins)  was  left  by  Gov.  Clinton 
to  be  fixed  by  Major  Gen.  Stephen  Van  Kensselaer. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  329 

April  11.  1818.  Since  the  determination  of  the  friends  of  the  Adju 
tant  General,  —  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  —  to  elect  this  gentleman  a  repre 
sentative  to  Congress  has  been  mentioned,  and  particularly  since  his  nomi 
nation  by  the  County  Convention,  we  have  heard  many  doubts  suggested 
whether  it  would  be  either  prudent  or  expedient  for  him  to  jeopardize 
the  office  which  he  now  fills  with  so  much  credit  to  himself,  and  honor 
and  advantage  to  the  state,  by  accepting  another  which  cannot  be  a  source 
of  profit.  If  there  is  a  man  in  the  Republic  who  has  claims  upon  the 
gratitude  and  support  of  his  country,  that  man  is  SOLOMON  VAN  RENSSE- 
LAEU.  But  as  our  present  object  is  not  panegyric,  we  forbear  to  recount 
the  services,  the  exploits  and  the  sufferings  of  this  honorable  and  high 
minded  citizen  soldier.  They  are  well  known,  and  will  brighten  the 
pages  of  our  history,  when  many  of  those  tinselled  insects  whom  chance 
has  elevated  within  a  few  years,  to  the  highest  stations  in  our  country, 
will  be  forgotten,  or  remembered  only  to  be  despised.  But,  he  is  a  FEDE 
RALIST.  And  it  is  a  truth  of  notoriety,  that  owing  to  the  narrow  policy 
of  the  General  Government,  since  the  days  of  Gen.  Washington,  instead 
of  bestowing  upon  him  those  honors  and  rewards  which  he  has  earned 
with  his  blood,  he  has  been  singled  out  as  an  object  of  persecution,  envy 
and  chilling  neglect. 

As  the  General  advances  in  years,  the  wound  through  his  lungs  becomes 
more  troublesome,  and  it  is  feared  will  take  him  prematurely  to  his  grave. 
His  Physicians  have  repeatedly  recommended  to  him  a  temporary  change 
of  climate ;  arid  in  consequence  of  this  recommendation,  the  General  is 
induced  to  accept  the  nomination,  in  order  to  try  the  effect  of  the  climate 
at  Washington.  His  Physicians  are  of  opinion  that  the  most  salutary 
effects  upon  his  constitution,  will  flow  from  this  measure. 

With  respect  to  his  office  as  Adjutant  General,  the  matter  is  satisfactorily 
arranged,  so  that  the  public  service  will  not  suffer  by  his  absence  during 
the  session  or  that  the  State  will  be  deprived  of  his  invaluable  services  in 
consequence.  His  duties  and  arrangements  can  principally  be  attended 
to  before  he  will  be  obliged  to  leave  this  city;  and  His  Excellency  the 
Governor,  impressed  with  a  full  belief  of  the  necessity  of  the  measure,  has 
magnanimously  offered  to  perform  himself  the  incidental  duties  of  his  office 
during  his  absence,  it  is  a  noble  and  generous  proffer  of  Governor  Clinton. 

April  24th  of  this  year,  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer's  appointment  as  Adju 
tant  General,  an  office  retained,  so  long,  in  times  when  there  was  much 
party  spirit  and  much  acrimony  on  loth  sides,  was  confirmed  for  still 
another  term ;  and  in  May  there  was  no  opposition  to  the  election  of  the 
Adjutant,  General  as  a  member  of  Congress. 

Our  Father's  politcal  and  civil  services  rendered  to  his  Country  and 
State  irrespective  of  party  or  personal  considerations,  are  entitled  to  as 
great  a  celebrity  as  his  Military  career.  Viewed  from  either  stand  point, 
he  established  for  himself,  a  character  as  exalted,  honorable  and  high 
minded  as  his  children  could  desire,  and  equally  as  gratifying,  of  which 
they  may  well  feel  proud. 

A  friend  writes :  "  From  an  early  day  I  learned  to  admire  Genl. 
Solomon  Van  Rensselaer's  heroic  qualities,  high  order  of  talent  and, 
amiable  disposition.  And  knowing  him  as  I  did  from  boyhood  upward, 
my  eye  has  been  upon  him.  A  nobler  looking  man,  a  more  indulgent 
husband  and  father  or  kinder  hearted  friend  I  never  knew." 

42 


330  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

DE  WITT  CLINTON,  Governor  of  the  State  of  New  York,  General  and  Com 
mander  in  Chief  of  all  the  Militia,  and  Admiral  of  the  Navy  of  the  same : 
To  SOLOMON  VAN  RENSSELAER  —  Greeting : 

Reposing  especial  Trust  and  Confidence  in  your  Conduct,  Patriotism, 
and  Valour,  I  do,  by  these  Presents,  COMMISSION  BY  BREVET,  and  assign 
you,  the  said  SOLOMON  VAN  RENSSELAER  to  be  A  MAJOR  GENERAL  in 
the  Militia  of  the  said  State,  until  the  pleasure  of  the  Council  of  Appoint 
ment  in  the  premises  shall  be  signified  and  made  known.  You  are  there 
fore,  in  the  mean  time,  pursuant  to  the  trust  hereby  reposed  in  you,  to  take 
the  said  Militia  into  your  care,  as  MAJOR  GENERAL  thereof  and  faithfully 
to  observe  and  follow  all  Instructions,  Directions,  and  Orders,  which  you 
may  from  time  to  time  receive  from  the  Commander  in  Chief  of  the  said 
State  for  the  time  being,  and  from  others  your  superior  Oificers,  according 
to  the  Laws  organizing  and  regulating  the  Militia,  and  the  Rules  and  Dis 
cipline  of  War. 

IN  TESTIMONY  WHEREOF,  I  have  caused  the  Seal  for  Military  Commis 
sions  to  be  hereunto  affixed,  at  the  City  of  Albany,  the  twenty-fourth  day 
of  June,  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  eighteen 
and  in  the  forty-second  year  of  the  Independence  of  the  United  States. 

DE  WITT  CLINTON. 

This  Commission  has  the  Seal  with  the  word  "  Excelsior"  —  State  of 
New  York  — stamped  on  it,  and  was  given  June  24,  1818.  The  Commis 
sion  of  Major  General  was  subsequently  confirmed  by  the  Council  of  Ap 
pointment. 

"In  consequence  of  an  act  passed  at  the  session  of  the  leigislature  of 
New  York  state,  entitled  "an  act  of  honor  to  General  Richard  Mont 
gomery/'  authorizing  the  governor  to  take  such  measures  as  he  should 
deem  expedient  to  obtain  the  consent  of  the  government  of  Canada,  to 
the  removal  of  the  remains  of  the  general,  it  was  expected  that  a  formal 
delegation  would  have  been  sent  by  his  excellency  to  Quebec.  Infor 
mation,  however,  had  been  received  that  the  provincial  government  deter 
mined  not  to  comply  with  any  formal  request  from  the  government  of  this 
State  upon  the  subject  ;  although  the  governor-iu-chief  (Sir  John  Sher- 
brooke)  had  expressed  a  perfect  willingness  to  surrender  the  remains  at  the 
request  of  the  widow  of  the  lamented  general.  In  order,  therefore,  to  effect 
the  benevolent  and  patriotic  object,  Col.  Lewis  Livingston,  a  nephew  of  Gen. 
Montgomery  at  the  request  of  Mrs.  Montgomery,  and  with  the  approbation 
of  the  governor  of  NewYork  state,  proceeded  a  few  weeks  since  to  Quebec 
for  that  purpose.  The  request  of  Mrs.  Montgomery  to  Governor  Sher- 
brooke,  to  allow  his  remains  to  be  disinterred  and  conveyed  to  New  York, 
was  readily  complied  with,  and  Col.  Livingston  was  treated  with  much 
politeness  and  attention  on  this  interesting  occasion  in  the  year  1818. 

Mr.  James  Thompson  of  Quebec  who  was  one  of  the  chief  engineers  at 
the  time  of  the  storming  of  the  city,  and  assisted  in  burying  the  general, 
also  assisted  in  the  disinterment,  making  an  affidavit  to  the  identity  of  the 
body  ;  he  was  ninety  years  of  age  when  the  remains  were  taken  up.  Richard 
Montgomery  was  born  in  Ireland  in  1737,  was  with  Gen.  Wolfe  at  the 
storming  of  Quebec  in  1759  when  both  Wolfe  and  the  French  General 
Montcalm  fell,  he  then  quitted  his  regiment  and  returned  to  England. 
In  1772  he  again  came  to  America,  espoused  the  cause  of  the  colonists  and 
in  1775  he  left  on  the  rock  of  Quebec  his  blood,  and  to  his  country  the 
legacy  of  his  fame;  purchased  at  the  sad  moment  when,  with  his  sword 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  331 

waving  over  his  head,  he  rushed  forward  to  the  pickets  to  meet  the  dis 
charge  of  a  wall-piece  from  a  neighboring  house  which  stretched  the  truly 
noble  man  lifeless  on  the  bloody  snow.  His  mangled  body  had  been  carefully 
deposited  in  the  sepulchral  vault,  where  it  rested  unmindful  of  the  stormy 
strife  of  contending  armies.  But  now,  after  a  lapse  of  forty-three 
years,  the  precious  relics  were  to  be  restored  to  his  country's  care  and  re 
ceive  the  honors  so  justly  his  due.  Having  obtained  and  with  great  care 
secured  the  remains,  Col.  Livingston  repaired  without  parade,  and  with 
as  little  delay  as  possible  to  Whitehall,  from  whence  he  immediately  an 
nounced  his  arrival  and  sucess  to  his  excellency  the  governor. 

Gov.  Clinton  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Staten  Island  16  June,  1818. 

My  knee  is  much  better.  Dr.  Hosack  says  that  every  thing  is  in  its 
proper  place,  and  that  I  will  recover.  Mrs  C's  health  is  rather  worse.  I 
send  you  all  the  brevets  in  my  possession.  On  the  book  case  in  my  front 
office  there  is  a  large  parcel.  Will  you  get  the  key  from  the  Recorder, 
[Philip  S.  Parker]  procure  and  forward  the  whole  to  me  to  the  care  of 
Col.  Ferris  Pell,  New  York.  I  approve  of  your  arrangement  relative  to 
Capt.  William's  Company.  I  return  the  paper  ;  as  soon  as  possible  I  will 
issue  the  General  order  in  the  case  of  Montgomery's  remains. 

Ever  Yours  Sincerely, 

DEWITT  CLINTON. 

Amongst  my  other  afflictions  it  is  some  satisfaction  to  inform  you  that 
Drs.  Post,  Rodgers,  Francis  and  others  concur  in  the  opinion  that  every 
thing  about  my  knee  is  in  its  proper  place  and  that  time  will  effect  a  per 
fect  cure. 

Sol.  Van  Rensselaer  —  Adjutatit  General,  Albany. 

Head  Quarters,  Albany,  29th  June  1818. 

The  Commander  in  Chief  having  received  intelligence  from  Col.  L. 
Livingston,  that  the  remains  of  GENERAL  RICHARD  MONTGOMERY  have 
been,  agreeably  to  instructions  given  to  him,  conveyed  from  the  city  of 
Quebec  to  the  village  of  White  Hall,  in  this  state }  and  being  desirous  of 
manifesting  all  proper  respect  for  the  memory  of  a  distinguished  hero, 
who  fell  gloriously  fighting  for  the  liberties  of  America,  has  thought  pro 
per  to  direct  the  following  arrangements  on  this  solemn  occasion.  The  re 
mains  of  General  Montgomery  will  be  conveyed  to  the  city  of  New  York 
and  deposited  near  the  monument  erected  to  his  memory  in  St.  Pauls 
church  :  and  in  order  that  this  may  be  done  in  the  most  respectful  and 
honorable  manner,  the  Adjutant  General  is  specially  charged  with  its  ex 
ecution  and  will  proceed  immediately  to  White  Hall  for  that  purpose. 

Brigadier  General  Westerlo  will  give  orders  for  suitable  escorts  of  cav 
alry  to  attend  the  remains.  The  cavalry  of  Washington,  Rensselaer  and 
Albany  counties  will  perform  this  service  in  their  respective  counties. 

The  remains  will  be  received  by  the  militia  of  the  city  of  Albany  wifch 
military  honors,  at  the  north  line  of  the  city,  on  the  4th  of  July,  escorted 
to  the  Capitol  and  deposited  in  the  Council  Chamber  under  a  guard  :  min 
ute  guns  will  be  fired  on  the  entrance  of  the  procession. 

Col.  Gansevoort  and  Col.  Henry  Livingston,  aids  of  the  commander-in- 
Chief,  will  in  conjunction  with  Col.  L.  Livingston,  proceed  on  the  6th  of 
July  from  the  city  of  Albany  with  the  remains  to  the  city  of  New  York, 


332  LEGACY  or  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

and  cause  them  to  be  conveyed  to  the  Governor's  room  in  the  City  Hall ; 
and  on  Wednesday  the  8th  of  July,  the  funeral  solemnities  will  take  place, 
under  the  direction  of  the  Society  of  the  Cincinnati,  who  will  select  offi 
cers  of  the  revolutionary  army  to  bear  the  pall. 

Major  General  Morton  will  direct  the  military  arrangements  in  the  city 
of  New  York.  The  Commissary  General  and  the  ^Commissary  'of  the 
Division  of  Artillery,  will  see  to  the  necessary  issues  of  ammunition.  The 
municipal  authorities  of  the  cities  of  New  York,  Albany  and  Troy,  are 
respectfully  invited  to  co-operate  ;  and  the  Comrnander-in-Chief  takes 
pleasure  in  the  persuasion,  that  all  his  fellow  citizens  will  unite  with 
alacrity  and  cheerfulness  in  these  solemn  demonstrations  of  respect.  In 
rendering  due  honor  to  illustrious  heroes  and  statesmen,  we  not  only 
reward  distinguished  merit,  but  excite  to  new  achievements  of  patriotism 
and  glory ;  and  an  enlightened  and  public-spirited  people,  under  the 
guardian  of  justice  and  policy,  will  never  withhold  their  cordial  co-ope 
ration. 

By  order  of  the  Cornmander-in-Chief. 

SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER,  Adjutant  General. 

General  Orders. 

Head  Quarters,  Albany  June  29th,  1818. 

Col.  John  Williams  will  order  out  a  Troop  of  Dragoons  from  his  Regi 
ment  to  assemble  at  Whitehall  in  Washington  County  precisely  at  six 
o'clock  on  the  morning  of  next  Thursday,  to  escort  the  remains  of  the 
gallant  but  unfortunate  Montgomery,  by  the  way  of  Salem  to  Buskirk's 
Bridge,  where  the  troop  will  be  relieved  by  one  from  Col.  Knickerbocker's 
Regiment. 

The  adjutant  general's  official  report,  to  Governor  De  Witt  Clinton, 
on  the  occasion,  will  be  found  very  interesting. 

"  In  conformity  to  the  orders  of  your  Excellency  of  29th  Inst.  I  pro 
ceeded  on  for  White  Hall  in  Washington  County,  and  after  making  on 
my  rout  some  preliminary  arrangements  with  Cols.  Knickerbocker  and 
Williams  in  relation  to  an  escort  of  Dragoons  for  removal  of  the  remains 
of  the  gallant  but  unfortunate  Gen.  Montgomery,  I  reached  that  place 
early  on  the  morning  of  Wednesday  1st  July,  where  I  found  Lewis  Liv 
ingston  Esqr.,to  whom  I  delivered  the  brevet  Colonel's  Commissions  with 
which  your  Excellency  had  intrusted  to  my  charge.  The  remains  of 
Genl.  Montgomery  were  safely  lodged  in  a  store  house  on  the  steamboat 
wharf.  That  evening  Col.  John  Williams  of  Salem  appeared  at  the  head 
of  two  troops  of  Dragoons  of  his  Regiment,  under  the  command  of  Cap 
tains  McClelland  and  Cook,  and  early  the  next  morning  this  detachment 
paraded  to  perform  the  solemn  duty  for  which  they  were  assigned.  The 
line  of  March  was  taken,  precisely  at  7  o'clock  in  the  following  order  : 
First,  Col.  Williams  Dragoons.  Next,  the  Corpse,  followed  by  Col.  Liv 
ingston  and  myself.  3d  Citizens;  and  lastly  a  rear  guard  of  Dragoons. 
Minute-guns  were  fired  from  Navy  Point  by  order  of  the  gallant  Lieut. 
Budd,  who  with  a  great  number  of  the  most  respectable  citizens  of  White 
Hall  accompanied  the  procession  to  West  Granville,  a  distance  of  nine 
miles;  where  I  found  a  great  concourse  of  people,  and  salutes  were  fired 
on  the  occasion. 

At  East  Granville  a  large  collection  of  people,  and  a  fine  Band  of  Music 
were  in  waiting  and  the  usual  expression  of  regret  for  the  unfortunate 
dead  was  shown.  At  about  5  o'clock  that  afternoon  we  reached  Salem 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  333 

and  were  escorted  into  the  Town  by  the  Military  and  Citizens  with  mourn 
ing  badges  on  the  loi't  arm  ;  their  Colors  and  Drums  dressed  in  the  like 
manner,  and  by  request,  the  Coffin  was  conveyed  to  the  house  of  Judge 
Blanchard  and  guarded  for  the  night  by  the  Military.  At  six  o'clock  the 
next  morning  the  escort  resumed  its  march,  in  a  steady  rain,  which  con 
tinued  all  day.  At  ten  o'clock  reached  the  division  line  between  Wash 
ington  and  llensselaer  Counties,  where  Col.  Williams  and  his  detachment 
were  relieved  by  Captains  Ford  and  Follitt's  Troops  of  Dragoons  com 
manded  by  Col.  Harman  Knickerbocker  who  was  to  have  been  accompanied 
by  about  20  -respectable  and  wealthy  old  farmers  from  Schaghticoke, 
headed  by  Cols.  Knickerbocker  and  Groesbeck  from  75  to  90  years  of  age, 
whose  farms  are  all  adjoining,  and  who  still  retain  the  habits  and  customs 
of  their  fathers,  but  were  prevented  by  the  incessant  rain  of  that  day,  a 
grievance  to  the  old  veterans.  Before  I  reached  Lansingburg,  I  was  met 
by  Majors  Marcy  and  Deforest,  and  the  Officers  of  Colonel  Fates'  Regi 
ment  in  uniform,  with  a  number  of  Citizens  in  carriages  and  on  horseback. 

At  5  o'clock  I  found  the  Corporation  of  Troy,  headed  by  the  venerable 
old  soldier  Col.  Paulding  (the  Mayor)  and  a  great  collection  of  the  Citi 
zens  at  the  north  bounds  of  that  City,  among  whom  were  Genls.  Van 
Ness  and  Thomas  j  Col.  Lane  and  many  other  worthies  of  those  trying 
days  when  Montgomery  fell.  The  cavalcade  was  unusually  fine. 

His  remains  were  deposited  in  the  Court  house  protected  by  a  Military 
guard,  where  I  found  Mr.  Mead  of  Albany,  with  the  superb  Coffin  made 
under  the  direction  of  your  Excellency  and  in  which  the  remains  of  Gen. 
Montgomery  were  deposited  in  the  presence  of  some  of  the  members  of 
the  Corporation.  The  arrangements  of  the  Corporation  of  Troy  were 
so  perfect,  and  the  military  part  under  the  command  of  Col.  H.  Knicker 
bocker  so  well  executed,  that  the  procession  was  in  motion  before  7  o'clock 
on  the  morning  of  the  fourth,  and  by  eight  o'clock,  the  herse,  with  the 
remains  of  Grenl.  Montgomery,  moved  into  the  boat,  under  the  discharge 
of  Minute-guns,  and  attended  to  the  waters  edge  by  the  Corporation,  an 
immense  number  of  Citizens,  and  the  Military  drawn  up  in  open  order  in 
great  style.  While  at  Gibbonsville  (West  Troy),  in  passing  the  U.  S. 
Arsenal,  minute-guns  also  were  fired  and  Major  Laraby  had  his  detach 
ment  drawn  up  on  each  side  of  the  road.  I  feel  under  great  obligation  to 
him  for  the  escort  he  furnished  and  his  own  personal  attendance. 

The  Corporation  of  Albany,  the  Citizens  and  Military,  under  the  com 
mand  of  Lieut.  Col.  Lagrange  as  Marshal  of  the  day,  were  drawn  up  in 
order  at  the  North  bounds  of  the  City  at  10  o'clock,  and  precisely  at  that 
hour  we  met  them.  As  the  movement  here,  was  under  the  eye  of  your 
Excellency,  I  shall  not  pretend  to  go  into  particulars.  The  pall  was 
borne  by  patriots  of  the  Revolution,  two  of  those  —  Cols.  John  Visscher 
and  Nicholas  Van  Rensselaer,  were  with  the  gallant  man,  whose  remains 
have  been  treated  with  so  much  respect  and  veneration  from  White  Hall 
to  this  place,  when  he  fell  at  Quebec.  Captain  Ten  Eyck  Lansing's 
Company  had  the  honor  of  guarding  the  Council  Chamber  from  Saturday 
until  this  morning,  and  fired  the  minute  guns.  Captains  Judson  and 
Williams'  company  performed  as  usual,  well.  In  appearance  and  conduct 
the  Companies  of  those  gallant  officers,  Majors  Worth  and  Birdsall  of 
U.  S.  Army,1  were  such  as  would  naturally  be  expected  from  such  dis 
tinguished  Officers.  A  detachment  of  a  Subalterns  guard  of  Major 

1  July  12th,  Major  Birdsall  was  assassinated. 


334  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Worth's  Company,  undelr  the  Command  of  Lieut. performs  the  military 

duty  on  board  of  the  Steamboat. 

I  have  ooly  to  add,  the  arrangements  this  morning,  under  Major  Ten 
Eyck,  my  Aid-de-Carnp,  were  prompt  and  military,  and  that  he  gives  evi 
dence  of  future  promise.  Before  I  close  this  hasty  report,  I  cannot  refrain 
from  repeating  the  great  obligation  I  feel  myself  under  to  Cols.  Williams, 
Knickerbocker  and  Livingston,  for  their  zealous  support  in  the  discharge 
of  the  duty  your  Excellency  entrusted  to  me. 
I  am,  with  great  respect 

Your  Excellency's  Obedt  &  humble  Servt. 

To  His  Excellency,      j  SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER,  Adj.  General. 

De  Witt  Clinton,  j      Albany,  July  6,  1818. 

On  the  lid  of  the  splendid  coffin  was  placed  a  superb  piece  of  silver 
plate,  engraved  by  Messrs.  Shepherd  and  Boyd  of  Albany,  with  the  fol 
lowing  inscription  ;  also  another  plate  of  gold,  bearing  the  arms  of  the 
state. 

"  THE  STATE  OF  NEW  YORK 

In  Honor  of 
GENERAL  RICHARD  MONTGOMERY, 

who  fell  gloriously  fighting  for  the  independence  and 
liberty  of  the  United  States  before  the  walls  of  Quebec, 
the  31st  of  December,  1775,  caused  these  remains  of 
the  distinguished  hero  to  be  conveyed  from  Quebec,  and 
deposited,  on  the  8th  day  of  July,  1818,  in  St.  Paul's 
Church,  in  the  city  of  New  York,  near  the  monument 
erected  to  his  memory  by  the  United  States." 

The  bearers  were,  John  Lansing,  jun.  (chancellor),  Stephen  Lush, 
John  H.  Wendell,  John  Gates  [was  also  at  Quebec],  John  Visscher, 
Matthew  Trotter,  Wilhelmus  Ryckman,  Nicholas  Van  Rensselaer,  Elias 
Willard,  John  Shaw,  Samuel  Lewis  of  Saratoga,  and  John  Ten  Broeck  of 
Hudson.  On  Monday  the  pall  was  borne  to  the  steamboat  by  the  same 
gentlemen,  with  the  exception  of  Mr.  Lewis  and  Col.  Ten  Broeck,  and 
with  the  addition  of  Abraham  Ten  Eyck,  and  Matthew  Gregory,  also 
revolutionary  soldiers. 

During  the  movement  of  the  procession  to  the  Capitol,  minute-guns 
were  fired  and  the  bells  of  the  city  tolled  The  remains  were  kept  at  the 
Capitol,  guarded  by  Capt.  Lansings's  company  of  artillery,  until  Monday 
morning,  when  they  were  removed,  escorted  by  the  military,  and  attended 
by  the  corporation,  and  a  great  number  of  citizens,  to  the  steamboat  Rich 
mond,  and  Cols  H.  Livingston  and  Peter  Gansevoort  (aids  to  His  Excel 
lency  the  Governor)  and  Col.  L.  Livingston,  accompanied  them  to  New 
York,  escorted  by  a  subaltern's  guard  of  United  States  troops  from  Major 
Worth's  detachment.  On  Sunday,  the  adjutant  general,  very  obligingly 
attended  several  hours  at  the  Capitol,  for  the  purpose  of  gratifying  those 
of  our  citizens  who  desired  it,  with  a  view  of  the  remains. 

The  whole  proceedings  from  Whitehall  to  this  place,  upon  this  occasion, 
and  the  eagerness  displayed  by  all  classes  and  description  of  people,  to  testify 
their  profound  respect  and  veneration  for  the  memory  of  the  deceased,  is 
highly  creditable  to  the  feelings,  patriotism  and  character  of  our  citizens. 
The  peculiarly  appropriate  time  of  the  arrival  of  the  remains,  rendered  the 
occasion  doubly  interesting  —  it  being  the  anniversary  of  that  Freedom, 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  335 

for  the  achievement  of  which  MONTGOMERY  FELL  !  The  respect  due 
to  the  memory  of  so  exalted  a  character  as  that  of  Gen.  Montgomery,  was 
paid  to  his  remains  by  the  citizens  of  Hudson  as  the  steamboat  passed  on 
her  way  to  New  York.  The  military  and  citizens,  to  the  number  of  about 
3000  assembled  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  an  appropriate  number  of  minute- 
guns  were  fired  as  the  boat  moved  gently  down  with  the  current.  The 
flag  was  suspended  half  way  up  the  flair-staff,  and  the  shipping  at  the 
wharfs  also  appeared  with  their  colors  at  half-mast.  At  New  York  the 
remains  of  General  Montgomery  were  deposited  with  civic  and  military 
honors.  The  funeral  service  was  read  in  a  solemn  and  impressive  man 
ner  by  the  Right  Rev.  Bishop  Hobart,  and  a  short  but  eloquent  eulogium 
pronounced  by  the  Rev.  Dr.  Mason.  The  remains  were  then  committed 
to  the  ground,  and  vollies  of  musketry  fired  in  the  churchyard  by  de 
tachments  from  the  artillery,  acting  as  infantry,  and  from  the  governor's 
guard.  In  New  York  city  the  pall-bearers  were  Col.  Varick,  (president 
of  the  Cincinnati,)  Col.  Trumbull,  Col.  North,  Gen.  M.  Clarkson,  Col. 
M.  Willett,  Col.  Fish,  Capt.  Trebout  and  Gen.  Giles. 

The  hearse  and  coffin  were  very  splendid  and  were  flanked  by  a  detach 
ment  of  the  United  States  Infantry,  under  Lieut.  Belknap,  followed  by  a 
horse  caparisoned  in  black,  and  with  the  usual  accompaniments  of  military 
mourning.  The  exhibition  was  imposing,  magnificent  and  solemn. 

The  annexed  inscription  was  copied  from  the  Monument  in  St.  Paul's 
church-yard,  placed  in  front  of  the  church  itself.  "  This  monument  is 
erected  by  the  order  of  congress,  25th  Jan.,  1776,  to  transmit  to  posterity 
a  grateful  remembrance  of  the  patriotism,  conduct,  enterprise,  and  perse 
verance,  of  MAJ.  GEN.  RICHARD  MONTGOMERY,  who  after  a  series  of 
successes  amid  the  most  discouraging  difficulties,  fell  in  the  attack  on 
QUEBEC,  31st  Dec.,  1775  aged  37  years.  The  state  of  New  York  caused 
the  remains  of  Maj.  Gen  Richard  Montgomery  to  be  conveyed  from  Quebec 
and  deposited  beneath  this  monument  the  8th  day  of  July,  1818."  *  „ 

Hon.  John  Lovctt  to  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer. 
My  dear  Sir,  Schuyler's  Hill,  Thursday  morning. 

Time,  place,  and  circumstances  prevented  last  evening  my  direct  reply 
to  your  verbal  communication.  The  solicitude  you  have  long  manifested 
for  a  reconciliation  between  Judge  William  W.  Van  Ness  and  myself, 
affords  anew,  but  needless  pledge  of  your  honorable  friendship.  Misfor 
tune  must,  I  think,  have  exhausted  nearly  her  whole  quiver  of  keen  arrows 
at  me  :  but  no  oue  ever  pierced  deeper,  than  that  which  severed  the  cord 
of  intimacy  between  Judge  Van  Ness  and  myself.  I  pondered;  wondered  ; 
arid  regretted;  and,  had  it  been  possible  to  persuade  myself  that  I  was 
not  injured,  I  should  have  done  it.  I  could  not.  I  could  not  thus  murder 
the  friend  in  my  own  bosom,  honestly  testifying  in  the  cause  of  my  honor. 
The  evidence  of  injury  was,  to  me,  conclusive  :  and  painful  as  was  the 
task,  I  decided  by  it.  Of  the  facts,  /am  a  competent  judge;  of  the 
motives,  Judye  Van  Ness  must  judge  alone.  If  it  was  intention,  I  lament 

1  Albany  July  4th,  1818. 

General  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Dr.  To  Henry  Shaw. 

To  Making  Wads  at  the  time  General  Montgomery's  Bones  Arrived  at 

Albany, $4.50 

Cash  Paid  for  Horse  hire  to  go  to  Gibbonsville  to  see  after  Cannon, 1.25 

Cash  paid  to  Carman  for  carrying  Wads  on  the  Hill, . . . . .       0.25 

Reed,  payment  C.  A.  TenEyck  for  Henry  Shaw.  $6.00 


336  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

and  resent  it;  if  inadvertence,  I  am  sorry  it  was  not  promptly  avowed. 
If  a  presumption ,  too  far  urged  upon  good  nature,  I  grieve  that  the  shaft 
was  not  withdtewn,  when  it  was  manifest  that  the  wound  festered. 
Whether  I  was  right,  or  wrong,  Judge  Van  Ness  ought  to  have  spoken  to 
me.  If  I  was  right,  the  path  was  clear — he  owed  me  an  apology.  If 
wrong,  it  was  the  duty  of  his  friendship  to  chide  me.  You  know,  that  I 
seek  not  to  multiply  the  thorns  which  beset  my  path  :  and  GOD  knows, 
that  my  mangled  heart  can  bear  but  few  more  thrusts.  But  my  life  aod 
my  honor  must  make  a  contemporaneous  exit.  I  would  never  press  a 
friend,  in  error,  to  the  extreme  of  apology  ;  to  know  that  he  is  satisfied 
thereof,  and  regrets  the  circumstance,  is  enough  for  me.  I  ask  no  more  : 
honor  cannot  ask  le.ss.  On  that  ground  I  will  give  Judge  Van  Ness  my 
hand,  and  my  heart  will  warm  it.  I  seek  friendship  with  all  men  ;  but 
mostly  those  who  are  my  Country's,  friends ;  yet  I  cannot  reach  so  far  for 
friendship  as  to  lose  my  balance  and  plunge  into  disgrace.  I  cannot  be 
come  the  object  of  my  own  contempt ;  'tis  the  worst  of  suicide ;  nor  can 
1  play  the  hypocrite,  and  reach  my  hand  while  my  heart  says  no.  I  write 
this  in  haste  (7  o'clock  A.  M.),  as  I  must  go  early  to  my  office.  If  I  ad 
vance  a  single  incorrect  sentiment,  be  you  my  impartial  judge,  and  point 
to  it  with  the  finger  of  friendship.  Yours  most  truly, 

Gen.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Cherry  Hill.  JOHN  LOVETT. 

"  In  June,  1817,  Mr.  Lovett  went  on  an  excursion  to  the  western 
country,  for  the  purpose  of  providing  a  residence  for  himself  and  family 
from  which  he  never  returned.  He  located  at  Fort  Meigs  on  the  river 
Maumee ;  the  bank  of  the  river  at  the  little  village  of  Perrysburg  —  com 
menced  by  Mr.  Lovett  and  named  after  Commodore  0.  H.  Perry  —  is 
almost  one  hundred  feet  in  height.  The  change  in  the  manner  of  living 
and  the  hardships  incident  to  an  unsettled  country,  proved  too  severe 
at  so  late  a  period  of  life,  and  brought  on  a  degree  of  debility,  under 
which  he  languished  many  months,  and  to  which  he  finally  fell  a  victim  : 
DIED.  At  Fort  Meigs,  Ohio,  on  the  12th  of  August  1818,  the  HON.  JOHN 
LOVETT  of  Albany,  N.  Y.,  aged  58  years.  As  a  companion  and  friend, 
rarely  has  the  world  beheld  one  his  superior.  His  coloquial  powers  were 
almost  unrivaled,  his  wit  flashed  on  every  occasion,  his  humor  was  proba 
bly  never  excelled.  He  twice  represented  the  district  in  the  house  of 
representatives  of  the  United  States.  In  that  situation  he  discharged  his 
duties  with  great  fidelity  and  punctuality.  His  devotion  to  his  country 
was  unbounded,  and  he  was  ever  deeply  interested  in  its  prosperity.  He 
was  a  staunch  federalist,  but  went  with  his  party  when  in  1812  the  Fede 
ralists  coalesced  with  the  Clintonian  Democrats,  because  conscious  of  their 
inability  to  elect  a  candidate  of  their  own." 

Gen.  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 
My  dear  Sir,  Charleston,  Jany  9th,  1819. 

Your  letter  was  very  interesting  to  me  at  this  distance  from  all  whom  I 
hold  dear.  I  am  happy  to  find  our  Agricultural  Society  was  organized  so 
harmoniously  and  I  am  satisfied  with  the  judicious  choice  of  Managers, 
with  one  exception  —  myself  Watson  has  written  to  me  that  now  he  is 
going  to  organize  one  in  Rensselaer  County,  and  modestly  asks  from  me 
the  same  patronage  that  I  afford  to  Albany ;  and  also  to  offer  a  Farm  in 
fee  to  the  best  Cultivator  of  a  Farm  &c.  &c.  I  shall  not  be  backward  in 
subscribing  provided  it  is  supported  by  Men  of  Property  in  Troy  and 


LEGACY  OF.  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  337 

Lansingburgh.  Your  Bill  I  am  advised  will  pass  the  Senate  —  as  well  as 
'  the  other  branch  as  honorably.1  Pray  write  to  rue  what  is  doing  at  Albany, 
who  will  be  Senator  and  who  Judges  &c.,  all  the  intrigues,  and  how 
Clinton  stands.  I  am  pleased  that  he  is  to  be  married  so  well.  Mrs.  R. 
unites  with  me  in  regards  to  your  good  Lady  and  amiable  Daughters  — 
tell  Reusselaer  I  hope  he  is  very  studious.  Respects  to  Jacob  and  all 
friends  from  Your  friend, 

My  health  is  improved  in  this  mild  climate.         S.  V.  RENSSELAER. 

Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  Adjt.  General,  Albany  N.  Y. 

Judge  Van  Ness  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 

My  dear  Solomon,  Hudson,  14th  July,  1819. 

I  received  your  letter  &  thank  you  for  it. 

The  Council  has  done  nobly,  tho'  there  are  several  removals  which 
ought  to  have  been  made,  as  well  in  this  County  as  elsewhere,  at  the  same 
time  I  must  not  be  considered  as  a  grumbler —  much  good  has  been  done, 
and  the  effect  I  do  not  doubt,  will  be  extensively  useful  and  beneficial. 
The  Governor  has  certainly  acted  with  the  utmost  liberality  &  firmness, 
and  given  a  character  to  his  administration  which  is  very  much  needed. 
The  battle  is  however  but  barely  begun,  and  unless  he  himself  and  his 
friends  at  Albany  are  indefatigable  in  their  exertions,  you  may  rely  upon 
it,  all  may  yet  be  lost. 

I  have  just  understood  that  Van  Buren  [Martin  Van  Buren,  attorney- 
general,]  has  left  Albany  on  an  excursion  which  will  take  him  about  a 
fortnight  —  where  has  he  gone  ?  I  have  no  doubt  he  is  on  a  visit  to  such 
of  the  Democratic  members  in  Montgomery  &  elsewhere  as  he  can  well 
operate  upon.  It  ought  to  be  counteracted  at  once  by  the  friends  of  the 
Governor.  I  will  see  you  at  the  August  term. 

Yours  affectionately, 

Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer.  W.  W.  VAN  NESS. 

The  council  of  revision  consisted  of  the  governor,  chancellor,  chief 
justice,  and  judges  of  the  supreme  court.  At  this  time  James  Kent  was 
the  chancellor  ;  Smith  Thompson,  chief  justice;  Ambrose  Spencer,  William 
W.  Van  Ness,  Joseph  C.  Yates,  Jonas  Platt  were  justices  of  the  supreme 
court. 

Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  had  received  his  commission  to  be  a  major 
general,  from  the  council  of  appointment  in  March,  and  subsequently  we 
find  him  laboring  on  the  political  arena  at  Washington.  He  served  the 
two  consecutive  sessions  as  a  member  in  congress  faithfully  and  ably, 
giving,  during  the  whole  of  his  congressional  career,  general  satisfaction. 
He  left  Albany  November  29,  1819,  and  on  Monday,  the  6th  day  of 
December,  being  the  first  session  of  the  sixteenth  congress  held  under 
the  constitution  of  the  United  States,  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  took  his 
seat,  having  been  unanimously  elected  representative,  from  the  ninth 
district  without  opposition,  in  the  house  of  representatives.  "  After  a 
statesmanlike  and  comprehensive  survey  of  the  respective  spheres  of 
the  political  bodies,  he  took  his  stand  on  the  platform  of  the  party  he 
represented  and  became  a  '  working  man.'  He  was  conscious  of  the 
abuses  of  political  life,  and  in  his  daily  routine  exercised  much  practical 
wisdom."  Again  in  1821  the  same  distinguished  honor  was  conferred 

1 "  Stephen  Van  Reiisselaer  lias  the  credit  of  carrying  the  important  bill  for  the 
encouragement  and  improvement  of  agriculture,  through  the  legislature,  He 
was  elected  president  of  the  board  of  agriculture  in  1820." 

43 


338  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

upon  him,  by  an  overwhelming  majority  over  his  Democratic  competitor, 
and  fellow  townsman,  the  Hon.  Harmanus  Bleecker,  who  was,  in  the  year 
1839,  appointed  United  States  minister  to  the  Hague.  He  well  knew 
and  could  say  "  the  more  I  have  observed  of  the  world,  the  more  I  am 
satisfied  that  little  reliance  is  ever  to  be  placed  on  what  is  called  friends. 
When  the  hour  of  trouble  comes,  and  you  call  upon  these  friends,  and 
request  a  little  sacrifice  to  be  made,  in  ninety  cases  out  of  a  hundred, 
they  turn  their  backs  upon  you,  and  desert  you  with  all  imaginable  in 
difference."  It  was  clear  to  him,  that  every  one's  duty  was  to  try  to  be 
in  a  situation,  where  he  would  have  no  favors  to  ask  and  such  he  wished 
to  obtain. 

Officers  of  the  Government  of  the  United  States:  James  Monroe,  presi 
dent;  Daniel  D.  Tompkins,  vice  president;  John  Q.  Adams,  secretary 
of  state ;  William  H.  Crawford,  secretary  of  the  treasury:  John  C.  Cal- 
houn.  secretary  of  war;  Smith  Thompson,  secretary  of  the  navy;  Return 
J.  Meigs,  postmaster  general ;  William  Wirt,  attorney  general. 

Representatives  of  the  /State  of  New  York  in  Congress:  XVITH  CON 
GRESS.  —  Silas  Wood,  Ebenezer  Sage,  Henry  Meigs,  Peter  H.  Wendover, 
Caleb  Tompkins,  Randell  S.  Street,  James  Strong,  Walter  Case,  Jacob 
H.  De  Witt,  Robert  Clark,  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  John  D.  Dickinson, 
John  W.  Taylor,  Nathaniel  Pitcher,  Ezra  C.  Gross,  Harmanus  Peck, 
John  Fay,  Robert  Morrell,  Joseph  S.  Lyman,  Henry  R.  Storrs,  Aaron 
Hackley,  Jan.,  William  D.  Ford,  George  Hall,  Jonathan  Richmond,  Caleb 
Baker,  Nathaniel  Allen,  Robert  H.  Tracy. 

Senators,  Nathan  Sanford,  Rufus  King. 

1820.  Officers  of  the  Government  of  the  State  of  New  York  :  His 
Excellency  De  Witt  Clinton,  governor ;  Hon.  John  Tayler,  lieut.  gov.  ; 
James  Kent,  chancellor;  Ambrose  Spencer,  chief  justice;  William  W. 
Yan  Ness,  Joseph  C.  Yates,  Jonas  Platt,  John  Woodworth,  justices  of  the 
supreme  court.  Gerrit  Y.  Lansing,  judge  of  the  court  of  probates  ;  John 
V.  N.  Yates,  secretary  of  state  ;  Archibald  M'Intyre,  comptroller;  Garret 
E.  Dox,  treasurer ;  Simeon  De  Witt,  surveyor-general ;  Thomas  J.  Oak 
ley,  attorney-general ;  Anthony  Lamb,  commissary  general. 

Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  adjutant-general. 

Peter  Gansevoort,  judge  advocate  general. 

Samuel  L.  Mitchill,  surgeon  general. 

Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  his  Wife. 
My  Dear  Harriot.  Washington,  Dec.  18,  1819. 

I  have  been  so  much  pressed  with  calls  and  calling  on  others,  dispatch 
ing  papers  and  documents,  that  I  have  not  been  able  before  to  give  you  an 
account  of  our  Mess.  There  are  ten  of  us  together,  Bucktails,  Democrats, 
and  Federalists ;  Wendover  of  New  York,  and  Tompkins  of  Westchester 
(brother  of  Vice  President)  are  among  the  number,  all  political  discussions 
are  prohibited.  We  pay  ten  dollars  a  week  for  our  board  ;  cider  and  ale 
are  the  only  drinks  at  our  table  which  are  at  our  cost,  and  as  to  eatables 
we  are  well  furnished.  My  expenses  including  everything  will  fall  short 
of  what  I  contemplated. 

The  climate  is  fine  and  well  calculated  for  my  shattered  frame,  we  have 
neither  had  snow  or  rain  since  I  have  been  here,  and  the  weather  is  al 
most  like  June  with  us  at  the  north.  I  wish  Elizabeth  would  send  me, 
without  delay  the  printed  orders  organizing  the  Militia  into  twenty-five 
Divisions ;  if  there  is  no  order  to  be  found  in  my  office,  let  her  take  it 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  339 

from  the  Orderly  Book.  I  only  want  the  Major-Generals  and  the  num 
ber  of  the  brigades  attached  to  each.  I  am  one  of  the  Military  Committee 
and  my  military  duty  will  be  this  winter  amusing  to  me.  Let  Rensselaer 
request  Major  Clinton  to  send  rne  any  Military  papers  which  may  be  in  his 
Father's  office.  I  am  in  high  repute  here ;  Mr.  Clay,  the  Speaker,  Mr. 
Randolph  and  other  great  men  are  very  friendly  to  me.  Clay  wished  to 
place  me  at  the  head  of  the  Committee  upon  Military  Affairs,  the  duties 
of  which  are  very  extensive,  and  I  could  only  get  rid  of  it,  by  saying  that 
the  Military  duties  of  my  own  State  (as  Adjutant  General)  would  not 
allow  me  to  pay  the  attention  that  was  necessary.  He  then  appointed  the 
noted  General  Smyth  who  is  every  thing  my  ideas  had  formed  of  him  —  a 
very  great  fool !  I  attend  a  party  at  the  French  Ministers  to  night  and 
have  been  to  the  party  of  Mrs.  Adams. 

Your  affectionate  Husband,         SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Gen.  Lewis  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 

My  dear  General,  Staatsburg  31  Decem.,  1819. 

Accept  my  unfeigned  thanks  for  your  polite  attention  in  transmitting 
me  a  copy  of  the  President's  Message,  and  accompanying  documents,  relat 
ing  to  the  Spanish  Negotiations.  I  feel  the  obligation  the  more  sensibly, 
by  contrasting  it  with  the  conduct  of  some  pretended  friends,  who  were 
assiduous,  on  every  occasion,  to  loud  me  with  civilities,  as  long  as  I  had 
the  power  of  serving  them,  and  no  longer.  Self  is,  so  generally,  the  great 
incentive  to  human  action,  and  so  few  have  been  the  exceptions  I  have 
met  with,  through  the  course  of  a  long  life,  that  when  they  do  occur  the 
gratification  is  much  heightened  by  the  reflection. 

Congress  have,  at  this  Session,  to  act  on  two  very  interesting  Subjects. 
The  final  issue  of  which  I  look  for  with  no  small  anxiety.  I  need  scarcely 
say,  I  allude  to  our  Affairs  with  Spain,  and  the  question  of  admitting  the 
new  States,  west  of  the  Mississippi,  into  the  Union,  on  condition  of  their 
prohibiting  Slavery.  I  hope  to  see  the  first  conducted,  with  firmness  and 
moderation.  The  Second,  I  view,  as  far  the  most  important.  My  feelings 
are  in  favor  of  freedom  —  and  I  have  uniformly  indulged  them,  with  respect 
to  my  own  Slaves  —  having  liberated  all  that  were  old  enough.  But  all 
that  has  been  said,  and  written  on  the  Subject,  has  not  been  sufficient  to 
satisfy  my  mind,  of  the  right  of  Congress,  to  impose  conditions  of  admission 
into  the  Union,  unknown  to  the  constitution,  and  repugnant  tj  the  Idea 
of  Equality.  Should  it  be  persisted  in,  it  requires  no  Prophet  to  forsee 
that  it  will  terminate  in  a  Severance  of  Empire. 

How  stand  opinions  at  Washington,  among  men  who  do  not  sacrifice 
every  consideration  to  parti/  (if  any  such  you  are  acquainted  with)  as  to 
the  Question  between  the  Vice  President  [Daniel  D.  Tompkins]  and  the 
Comptroller  [Archibald  Mclntyre]  of  this  State  ?  Much  pains  has  been 
taken  here,  to  make  it  altogether  a  party  Question,  particularly  by  those 
who  wish  to  bring  forward  the  Vice  President  as  the  Opponent  of  Mr.  Clinton , 
at  the  next  election  for  President ;  under  the  idea  that  he  will  be  the  most 
powerful  opponent.  I  have  little,  if  any  thing,  to  do  with  politicks  :  and 
am  pretty  much  surrounded  by  persons  very  hostile  to  Mr.  Cliqton.  Yet, 
among  those,  I  can  discover  that  the  Comptroller's  Statements,  of  defalca 
tion,  have  made  a  deep  Impression. 

Accept  assurances  of  sincere  friendship  from     Your  faithful 

MORGAN  LEWIS. 

Genl.  Solomon  Van  Kensselaer,  in  Congress,  Washington. 


340  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

General  Jackson  had  been  very  demonstrative  respecting  our  Spanish 
affairs;  his  conduct  was  censured  by  very  many  but  approved  of  bv  the 
president.  He  had  marched  into  Florida,  taken  possession  of  St.  Marks  ; 
and  two  of  the  principal  men  in  the  Spanish  garrison  being  accused  of  excit 
ing  the  Seminole  Indians  to  hostilities,  were  tried  by  a  court  martial,  and 
executed  by  his  orders. 

Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  his  Wife. 

Washington  Jany.  3,  1820. 

I  thank  you  my  dear  Harriot  for  your  affectionate  letter,  nothing  since 
I  left  home  has  given  me  half  the  pleasure.  Indeed  if  it  was  not  for  the 
interest  of  you  and  our  dear  ones,  nothing  would  induce  me  to  be  here, 
the  sacrifice  of  feeling  and  comfort  are  too  great  in  being  separated. 
Were  you  with  me  I  should  be  perfectly  happy,  this  would  be  my  home 
as  well  as  Albany  or  any  other  place,  and  if  fortune  smiles  on  us,  you 
must  accompany  me  next  Session,  and  divest  yourself  of  the  cares  of  a 
family  at  least  for  a  season  ;  my  heart  is  now,  as  it  always  has  been  entirely 
devoted  to  }rou.  I  told  you  of  my  fixed  resolution  to  go  only  once  to  the 
parties  of  the  Head  of  Departments,  the  foreign  Ministers  and  to  Col. 
Taylor,  who  formerly  belonged  to  the  Dragoons  with  me,  and  then  I  halt. 
I  have  nearly  finished  those  I  intended  to  go  to  —  the  Presidents,  the 
Secretary's  of  War  and  Treasury  are  the  last,  excepting  the  one  for  to 
morrow,  and  there  I  shall  go  out  of  curiosity ;  was  you  to  see  me  at  those 
places,  as  well  as  all  others,  you  would  be  gratified.  Tell  the  girls  as  soon 
as  I  have  time,  I  will  give  them  an  account  of  those  parties  —  but  of 
course  they  would  think  them  not  equal  to  those  at  Albany.  How  grati 
fied  I  feel  at  the  good  conduct  of  Rensselaer,  nothing  can  be  more  grateful  to 
the  heart  of  a  parent  which  you  do  and  can  feel.  I  have  procured  you  a 
fine  pair  of  Spectacles,  and  a  pair  for  myself,  as  I  can  only  write  at  night 
and  now  can  do  so  as  well  as  in  the  day.  From  the  inclosed  letter  to  the 
Patroon  —  which  I  wish  you  to  read  —  you  will  see  how  my  time  is  taken 
up;  seal  and  send  it  by  liensselaer.  I  now  return  Margaretta's  honora 
ble  school  Certificate,  and  inclose  a  little  present  for  her.  I  am  much 
gratified.  Good  night  my  dear  Harriot,  kiss  our  flock  for  me. 

Yours  Unalterably 

Mrs.  Van  Rensselaer.  SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Judge  Van  Ness  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 

My  dear  Friend,  Albany  5th  January  1820. 

We  yesterday  obtained  a  glorious  victory.  John  C.  Spencer  is  Speaker 
by  a  majority  of  13  —  our  actual  majority  is  about  17  in  the  Assembly  and 
I  think  we  shall  increase  it  in  a  few  days.  Every  thing  here  at  present 
looks  well ;  and  of  one  thing  you  may  rest  assured  that  Daniel  D.  Tomkins 
is  utterly  and  totally  disgraced  and  annihilated.  Yet  I  believe  he  will  be 
the  Jacobin  Candidate,  but  we  shall  beat  him  from  ten  to  fifteen  thous 
and.  We  are  however  obliged  to  be  industrious.  The  powerful  Bucktail 
Corps  is  here  in  all  their  strength.  They  are  violent  and  abusive  be 
yond  example,  the  great  attack  on  me  is  to  be  made  in  the  Assembly  in  a 
day  or  two.  [As  to  legislative  corruption,  in  regard  to  the  charter  of  the 
bank  of  America,  which  was  bought  through,  it  was  said,  in  which  trans 
action  Klisha  Williams,  William  W.  Van  Ness,  and  other  eminent  men 
were  thought  to  be  disgracefully  implicated.]  I  am  ready  for  them.  I 
wish  you  was  here.  The  Patroon  has  behaved  like  a  man.  Why  don't 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  341 

you  write  to  me  ?  There  is  a  report  here  that  J"  D.  Dickenson  is  hostile 
arid  that  he  has  become  more  so  at  Washington.  I  know  this  is  a  false 
hood,  but  I  want  you  to  see  him  and  to  let  me  hear  from  you.  Speak 
boldly  at  Washington,  about  Clinton.  My  federal  friends  in  the  Assembly 
have  behaved  nobly.  We  are  nearly  unanimous.  In  fact  there  are  but 
about  four  apostates.  George  Tibbits  andElisha  B.  Strong  of  Ontario 
are  the  only  unexpected  apostates.  Rufus  King  will  be  chosen  Senator, 
though  many  of  the  bucktails  are  violently  opposed  to  him.  It  would  be 
very  easy  to  defeat  him,  but  I  am  decidedly  in  favor  of  his  appointment. 
We  feel  well  and  strong,  but  we  may  be  deceived.  I  want  you  to  be 
come  acquainted  with  Ilenry  R.  Storrs  of  Columbia  County,  a  member  of 
your  house.  He  is  a  clever  fine  fellow  and  one  of  our  most  eloquent  men  in 
Congress.  '  W.  W .  VAN  NESS. 

Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Esq.  In  Congress,  Washington. 

This  eminent  jurist,  Judge  Van  Ness,  was  just  and  discriminating  and 
possessed  high  intellectual  elements  which  enabled  him  to  adorn  the 
bench,  and  made  him  very  careful  ot  the  reputation  of  others.  Politi 
cal  parties,  however,  then  as  now,  in  the  zeal  of  heated  contests,  greatly 
exaggerated  the  consequences  for  good  or  evil,  which  were  to  result  from 
their  success  or  failure. 

The  Patroon  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 
My  Dear  Sir,  Watervliet  Jan  11,  1820. 

This  morning  Mr.  Clinton's  Council  was  elected.  Mr.  Dudley  [Charles 
E.]  obtained  several  Federal  votes,  Me  Kown  [James]  among  the  number, 
and  George  Tibbits  I  understand  voted  the  whole  Bucktail  ticket.  John 
Lounsberry  has  eight  more  votes  than  Dudley.  The  Clintonians  are  in 
high  spirits.  The  Vice  President,  it  is  said,  will  be  too  heavy  a  weight 
and  it  is  probable  Judge  Yates  will  be  the  Candidate.  I  think  it  very  doubt 
ful  who  will  succeed.  Pray  tell  me  how  you  are  pleased  at  Washington. 
Remember  me  to  my  friend  Randolph.  I  hope  you  have  visited  Colonel 
Johnson  of  Kentucky,  he  was  our  friend. 

1  was  last  evening  elected  President  of  the  Board  of  Agriculture,  one 
deferential  vote.  Watson  solicited  the  appointment,  and  is  really  ex- 
tremly  vexed  at  his  failure.  Your  friend, 

S.  V.  RENSSELAER. 
Major  Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  M.  C.  Washington. 

Judge  Van  Ness  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 
My  dear  Sir,  Albany  18th  Jany,  1820. 

I  have  just  received  yours  and  thank  you  for  it.  The  state  of  things 
here  is  daily  and  hourly  improving.  It  is  with  equal  pride  and  exulta 
tion  that  I  confidently  assert,  that  I  have  never  known  any  administration 
surrounded  and  supported  by  such  a  combination  of  talent  —  virtue  — 
and  patriotism  as  Governor  Clintons.  There  is  not  now  an  influential  or 
respectable  federalist  who  is  not  with  us.  The  few  who  have  gone  off  are 
objects  of  disgust  and  contempt.  We  are  erecting  upon  the  most  solid 
basis,  a  glorious  edifice  which  will  I  trust  long  remain  the  boast  and  orna 
ment  of  our  State  and  elevate  its  character  both  at  home  and  abroad. 
The  parricides  from  our  State  at  Washington  last  winter  I  know  have 
done  much,  too  much,  to  misrepresent  and  degrade  us,  but  we  shall  give 
the  lie  to  our  calumniators,  by  such  a  demonstration  of  moral  power  and 


I 

342  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

wisdom,  as  will  extort  applause,  when  otherwise  it  would  be  withheld  by 
envy,  meanness,  or  malignity.  I  repeat,  the  good  and  great  of  all  nations- 
are  rallying  about  our  State  Administration  with  a  vigor  and  zeal  that  is 
unexampled,  while  you  see  collected  in  the  opposite  ranks  every  specula 
tive-disgraced  petifogger  and  public  defaulter.  The  whole  phalanx  of 
public  plunderers,  who,  under  the  great  leader  of  all  that  is  base  and  dis 
honorable —  Tompkins,  lived  upon  the  treasury,  is  in  dismay,  and  shudder 
at  the  appalling  denunciation  which  now  thunders  from  the  Capitol  "  the 
day  of  plunder  shall  be  no  more."  I  rejoice  to  hear  my  worthy  friend 
Dickinson  feels  as  I  knew  he  would  feel.  He  is  not  the  only  honest  man 
who  has  been  claimed  by  the  apostates  among  us.  John  W.  Wheeler  has 
been  wavering,  but  I  believe  he  is  now  settled  down  with  us.  It  is  yet 
doubtful  who  will  be  the  opposing  Candidate.  Tompkins  is  daily  expected 
here,  and  I  suspect  will  finally  be  nominated.  Great  efforts  are  made  to 
induce  Thompson  to  stand,  but  he  is  too  wise  I  hope  to  consent,  tho'  don't 
however  care  a  rush  who  is  taken  up,  we  challenge  the  whole  field,  and 
will  beat  any  man  by  more  than  10,000  majority.  Our  friend  McKown 
does  not  behave  well.  He  split  his  ticket  in  the  question  of  Council,  and 
separates  himself  from  all  those  to  whom  he  owes  his  election  as  Member 
of  Assembly.  However  we  don't  give  him  up  —  he  is  a  man  of  honor 
and  will,  we  hope,  finally  do  what  is  right.  Your  family  is  well.  In  great 
haste  my  Dear  Solomon,  I  am  yours,  W.  W.  VAN  NESS. 

Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  In  Congress,  Washington. 

"  The  New  York  legislature  about  these  times  had  some  few  members 
to  represent  their  constituents  who  cared  but  little  for  etiquette.  Among 
these  was  a  major  who  manifested  his  singular  indifference  to  the  most 
common  observances  of  cultivated  life,  by  his  inveterate  habit  of  spitting 
in  every  direction  upon  the  carpet.  One  day  when  preparing  a  speech  to 
be  delivered  before  the  august  body  of  his  peers,  a  servant  came  into  his 
room  to  perform  some  office,  and  observing  this  filthy  habit,  shoved  the 
spittoon  in  front  of  him  :  the  major  was  oblivious,  and  out  went  another 
mouthful  to  the  left;  the  servant  moved  the  polished  receptacle  of  filth  to 
the  left.  The  eyes  of  the  major  were  still  bent  upon  his  paper,  and  his 
mouth  was  working  nervously ;  it  soon  filled,  and  away  went  another 
copious  ejectment,  this  time  to  the  right.  The  major's  salivary  glands 
rapidly  secreted  again,  and  while  his  lips  were  gathering  for  one  grand 
discharge  in  front,  the  servant  gave  the  appurtenance  a  desperate  shove 
with  the  broom  in  that  direction.  'Now,  see  here!'  said  the  major,  'do 

you  take  that  d d  thing  right  out  of  the  way,  or  I'll  spit  in  it ! '     This 

story  soon  leaked  out." 

Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  his  Wife. 
My  dear  Harriet,  Washington,  Jany  22d,  1820. 

I  this  evening  received  your  letter  of  Jany.  Vlth\  thanks  to  my 
Spectacles  or  I  could  not  answer  it.  I  hail  that  day  [the  anniversary  of 
marriage]  as  the  happiest  of  my  life ;  if  some  part  of  the  time  since  has 
been  checkered,  it  was  owing  to  Rascals  who  have  injured  me  in  private 
as  well  as  in  public  life.  No  young  man  who  started  in  life  as  I  did,  has 
made  greater  exertions,  in  public  or  private  life,  to  provide  for  a  wife  I 
adored  and  her  children,  than  I  have  done.  And  after  surmounting  all 
difficulties  to  be  cut  short  in  both  —  the  one  purchased  with  my  blood, 
and  the  other  with  the  sweat  of  my  brow — had  nearly  overcome  my 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  343 

reason  ;  and  I  know  the  effects  of  which  had  nearly  destroyed  me.  Those, 
too,  for  whom  those  feelings  were  excited  on  some  occasions,  I  regret  were 
the  sufferers,  but  it  is  past,  forget  my  love  those  occurrences.  I  shall  do 
all  I  can  for  you  and  ours;  if  my  means  were  only  equal  to  my  wishes, 
you  should  be  completely  happy.  You  and  they  deserve  and  possess  the 
tenderest  feelings  of  husband  and  father  ;  dismiss  then  all  fears,  and  make 
yourself  as  happy  as  our  separation  will  admit  of.  This  advice  I  give  you 
without  being  able  to  practice  it  myself,  for  I  assure  you  that  I  feel  as  if 
I  was  alone  in  the  world  without  you.  If  you  was  only  with  me,  my  situa 
tion  would  be  enviable,  for  in  every  other  respect  I  am  comfortable.  In 
my  dear  wife  and  children  my  attachment  and  every  wish  upon  earth  is 
centred.  If  I  return  to  this  place,  I  pray  to  God  to  be  enabled  to  bring 
you  with  me,  I  shall  then  be  perfectly  happy,  and  make  you  so  too.  Write 
to  me  as  often  as  you  can,  I  look  with  anxiety  for  every  mail  and  feel 
disappointed  if  I  do  not  get  a  letter  from  one  of  you.  I  cannot  write  as 
frequently  as  I  wish,  for  independent  of  my  duties  here,  I  have  communi 
cations  from  every  part  of  the  State  and  even  out  of  it,  they  must  con 
sider  me  a  great  man  and  that  I  can  force  through  any  thing  for  them. 
I  attend  to  all  as  far  as  I  can,  at  all  events  I  answer  them.  I  have  now 
got  through  with  the  parties  at  the  Heads  of  Departments  and  Foreign 
Ministers.  All  the  dinner  and  evening  parties  I  have  declined  on  account 
of  my  wounds;  while  this  excites  sympathy,  it  saves  me  much  time  and 
expense  in  hack  hire.  *  *  * 

I  received  your  letter  of  last  Monday  [March  20th,  1820,]  for  which  I 
thank  you.  The  account  of  the  winking  and  nodding  of  my  dear  little 
pets  was  very  interesting  and  very  gratifying  to  "  papa/'  Kiss  the  little 
dears  for  me.  Write  as  often  as  you  can,  which  will  be  reciprocated 
by  me  as  often  as  our  business,  which  is  beginning  to  press,  will 
allow.  Tell  Ilensselaer  to  act  prudently  and  attend  closely  to  his 
studies  and  the  concerns  of  the  family.  Let  me  know  how  things  are 
going  on  in  relation  to  the  farm.  I  am  very  pleasantly  situated  in  a  pru 
dent  Mess,  but  it  is  nothing  like  home.  How  I  wish  to  see  our  little  ones, 
tell  Harriet  Maria  and  "  Dada,"  that  I  will  bring  them  a  pretty  doll.  Is 
your  River  closed  ?  the  weather  here  is  quite  warm.  If  you  want  anything 
let  me  know.  Ever  and  Sincerely  your  affectionate  husband, 

Mrs.  Solomon  Van  Reusselaer.  SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

In  the  letter  above  referred  to,  my  mother  had  written  :  "  The  prattle  of 
our  little  pets  is  incessant.  Catharina  tells  everybody  that  you  have  sent  me 
'  two  Eyes  from  Washington/  You  can  have^io  idea  how  she  does 
chatter;  she  came  out  from  the  front  room,  the  other  day  and  said,  '  Papa 
did  wink  at  me,'  Then  Harriet  Maria  replied,  '  lie  did  shake  his  head 
for  me.'  They  look  at  your  portrait  so  long  that  they  really  fancy  as 
true,  what  they  entertain  each  other  with/'  While  General  Van  Ilens 
selaer  was  in  Washington,  a  large  portrait,  painted  on  canvas  by  the 
celebrated  Ezra  Ames,  and  just  completed,  was  brought  home.  Your 
mother,  dear  Hattie,  then  a  child  of  not  four  years,  had  not  seen  our 
father  for  many  months  ;  she  was  present  when  the  strikingly  correct 
picture  was  uncovered.  Not  a  word  was  spoken  till  the  little  one  clapped 
her  hands,  and  then  after  gazing  at  it  for  a  moment  with  a  surprised  ex 
pression,  exclaimed  in  a  grieved  tone  of  voice,  after  running  to  our  mother  — 
"  Poor  papa  got  no  legs!"  All  of  the  interested  family  present,  were  de- 


344  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

lighted  with  the   child's  naivete,  and  Mr.  Ames  declared  he  desired   no 
better  evidence  of  its  being  u  perfect  likeness  and  a  beautiful  painting. 

"  Mr.  Ames  took  Sir  Joshua  Reynolds  for  his  guide  in  early  life,  and 
through  him  became  acquainted  with  every  really  eminent  painter, 
ancient  or  modern  j"  and  many  years  previous  to  tins-satisfactory  produc 
tion,  it  was  said  "  friends  have  witnessed  the  mighty  efforts  of  Ames's 
genius  in  the  line  of  his  noble  profession,  and  the  day  is  not  far  distant 
when  the  brush  of  Stuart  shall  meet  its  rival  in  Albany.  An  elegant 
portrait  of  the  HON.  GEORGE  CLINTON  when  vice  president  of  the  United 
States,  painted  just  before  his  death  in  1812,  by  Mr.  Ames  of  Albany, 
was  sent  to  the  Academy  of  the  Fine  Arts  in  Philadelphia."  [See  frontis 
piece  for  portrait.] 

Judge  Spencer  to  Sol.    Van  Rensselaer. 

Dear  Sir  :  Albany,  Feb.  15,  1820. 

Will  you  have  the  goodness  to  hand  the  enclosed  to  Gen.  Brown,  it 
will  reach  him  safer  in  this  channel.  So  Tompkins  stands  his  hand  —  and 
thus  ends  the  deception  practised  upon  the  federal  tamnanies  at  the  beginning 
of  the  Session.  We  will  cure  his  itch  to  come  before  the  people  —  rely 
upon  it  he  will  fail  by  many  thousands.  Is  it  true  that  he  was  against  any  re 
striction  in  regard  to  slavery  in  Missouri  ?  It  is  very  important  that  we  should 
be  able  to  fix  that  charge  upon  him  if  it  be  true  —  let  me  know  as  soon  as 
possible.  You  may  remember  that  we  conversed  about  some  Mangle 
Wurtzel  seed  before  you  went  on  —  don't  forget  to  procure  me  a  pound  of 
it  as  you  return  thro'  Philadelphia,  enquire  Tor  the  best  kind.  Is  there 
such  a  thing  to  be  procured  in  Philadelphia  as  Orchard  Grass  seed  ? 
What  is  the  price  and  when  is  it  to  be  sowed  ? 

Your  friend  Judge  Van  Ness,  I  have  no  doubt,  will  come  out  as  pure  as 
gold  from  the  refiners  hand.  Yours  Sincerely 

Genl.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  A.  SPENCER. 

Representative  in  Congress,  Washington. 

The  late  Chief 'Justice  Ambrose  Spencer  was  a  severe  and  stern,  but 
also  a  just  and  humane  judge.  His  mind  was  remakable  for  the  quickness 
of  its  perceptions,  for  its  penetration'  and  its  comprehensiveness.  He 
died  March  13,  1848,  in  the  eighty-third  year  of  his  age. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE  MISSOURI  COMPROMISE. 

Judge  Van  Ness  to  Sol.  Van  ^Rensselaer. 
My  Dear  Friend,  Albany,  Feb.  20,  1820. 

I  have  no  time  to  say  any  thing  more  about  politics,  except  that  we 
shall  carry  the  election,  and  as  I  verily  believe  by  au  immense  majority. 
The  residue  of  my  letter  must  be  short  and  relate  to  my  own  concerns. 
[His  Impeachment.]  You  mentioned  to  me  a  conversation  you  had  with 
Mr.  Fowler  of  Newburgh,  in  which  he  stated  to  you  the  reasons  assigned 
by  B.  for  attacking  and  endeavouring  to  destroy  me.  The  testimony  of 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  845 

Mr.  Fowler  may  be  important  to  me,  and  T  will  be  much  obliged  to  you 
to  give  me  a  detailed  statement  of  what  Mr.  Fowler  communicated  to  you, 
your  name  shall  not  be  revealed.  I  understand  Mr.  King  speaks  dis 
respectfully  of  me,  and  injures  me  when  he  can.  Do  you  know  any  thing 
of  this  ?  I  hear  too  Dickinson  is  more  than  cold  towards  me  and  for  that 
reason  I  am  afraid  to  write  to  him  as  I  had  intended  to  do.  How  do  you 
understand  him  ?  I  hear  he  is  a  violent  Tammany  man  and  regret  it. 
One  word  more  and  I  have  done  —  my  enemies  are  malignant  —  inde 
fatigable  —  and  profligate  — •  I  set  them  at  defiance  ;  and  tho'  I  feel 
mortified  and  indignant  at  the  base  attempts  made  to  destroy  me,  I  am 
tranquil  and  firm  in  the  midst  of  persecution.  I  hope  my  friends  will 
have  reason  to  say  I  meet  the  shock  like  a  man,  and  that  I  have  never 
wavered,  nor  faultered  for  a  single  moment.  I  wish  it  had  so  happened 
that  you  could  be  here  —  but  that  is  out  of  the  question  —  one  of  the 
principal  witnesses  against  me,  I  understand  is  Gat.  Van  Wie. 

Yours  affectionately, 
Hon.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  In  Congress.         W.  W.  VAN  NESS 

Dr.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 

My  dear  Sir,  Green  Bush,  March  1,  1820. 

You  will  excuse  me  for  intruding  a  few  moments  upon  your  time, 
when  you  have  so  many  important  concerns  on  hand,  if  I  say  that  you 
may  do  me  a  favor.  In  1814,  I  had  employed  Mr.  G.  V.  Denniston  in 
some  business  relative  to  my  deceased  brother  John  —  and  had  supposed 
that  it  was  all  settled  —  when  he  told  me  yesterday  that  by  requesting 
your  attention  I  could  recover  some  considerable  pay  that  was  due  at  the 
time  of  his  death.  He  says,  that  the  only  thing  requisite  would  be  an 
Examination  of  the  Returns  of  the  23rd  Regt.  (of  Infantry  I  think)  in 
which  he  enlisted  on  the  25th  of  April,  1814.  It  will  be  there  seen  how 
much  pay  he  had  received  and  what  balance  was  still  due.  Your  atten 
tion  to  this  will  much  oblige  me.  Will  you  inform  me  if  any,  and  what 
other  steps  may  be  necessary  ?  Since  my  return  home  from  Europe,  it 
has  often  been  my  intention,  and  still  oftener  my  wish  to  write  to  you. 
I  know  not  how  it  is,  but  the  Genius  of  Laziness  seems  to  claim  as  vota 
ries  all  those  who  reside  at  Green  Bush,  and  to  throw  her  spells  over  all 
visitors.  Indeed  for  a  non-resident  there  are  so  few  attractions  in  this 
place  that  I  should  be  half  dead,  if  it  was  not  for  your  good  family.  Yours 
is  the  only  house  in  Albany  I  visit,  and  I  see  the  folks  often  and  always 
with  renewed  pleasure.  Poor  little  Harriet  Maria  has  suffered  greatly, 
but  everything  has  assumed  a  more  favorable  appearance  than  when  I 
first  saw  her.  Inclosed  is  a  slip  from  the  news-paper  containing  an  ac 
count  of  part  of  my  trip  —  ascent  to  Mount  Vesuvius. 

If  the  domestic  circle  is  quiet,  the  Political  world  is  all  in  confusion 
and  tumult.  The  Nominations  of  Daniel  D.  Tornpkins  and  Genl.  Moore's 
you  have  doubtless  seen  in  the  public  prints.  Of  their  addresses  to  the 
Electors  I  say  nothing  —  but  that  they  were  penned  by  the  fellows  who 
alone  voted  against  Rufus  King  as  our  Senator.  Their  last  Meeting  is 
said  to  be  the  largest  that  has  ever  assembled  in  Albany  —  Query  —  How 
many  of  them  were  entitled  to  vote  for  Governor  ?  The  arraignment  of 
Judge  Van  Ness  has,  I  am  sorry  to  say,  made  an  unfavorable  impression 
in  the  minds  of  many  good  federalists  —  and  thus  their  infernal  schemes 
are  succeeding,  even  when  they  shall  be  forced  to  acquit  him.  One  of 

44 


346  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

their  party  lately  told  me,  "  if  we  can't  prove  him  guilty,  his  reputation 
will  at  any  rate  be  damned."  I  trust  however  that  his  character  will 
stand  still  unblemished  in  the  minds  of  the  most  respectable  part  of  the 
community.  For  the  present  adieu  —  If  your  time  allows,  I  shall  be 
happy  to  hear  from  you  —  to  ask  it,  is  almost  too  much  when  you  have 
so  many  demands  upon  you.  We  are  all  well  here,  thank  God. 

I  remain,  yours  Most  Sincerely, 

JER.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 
Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  M.  C.,  Washington. 

While  Dr.  Van  Rensselaer  was  traveling  in  Europe,  his  instructive  and 
pleasant  letters  were  frequently  published  in  the  leading  journals  of  the 
day.  He  subsequently  took  his  family  abroad,  remaining  many  years,  and 
in  1852  moved  into  what  was  once  called  the  "  Cralo  Fort"  at  Green- 
bush. 

"  The  following  extract  of  a  letter  is  from  Dr.  Jeremiah  Van  Rensselaer, 
of  Greenbush,  New  York  —  a  young  gentleman  now  in  Europe,  and  where 
he  has  been  for  several  years,  to  complete  his  studies  in  the  medical  art." 
April  20,  1819.  I  begin  my  letter  to  you  on  the  crater  of  Mount  Vesuvius. 
The  extreme  heat  of  the  river  of  lava,  by  the  light  of  which  I  wrote  the 
above,  prevented  my  continuing.  WTe  have  descended  about  150  feet  — 
our  guides  would  go  no  farther.  Our  company  have  gone  to  Naples.  H. 
and  myself  have  determined  to  pass  this  night  here,  and  are  now  writing 
by  the  light  of  a  torch  on  warm  lava,  that  flowed  seven  days  ago.  An 
eruption  of  some  consequence  took  place  last  night,  and  the  lava  is  running 
in  a  stream  of  about  7  feet  wide,  at  the  rate  of  about  three  miles  an  hour. 
Nothing  can  possibly  be  imagined  more  sublime  —  the  smoke  issuing  from 
the  glowing  torrent,  is  like  a  cloud  of  fire  —  part  of  the  mount  seems  on 
fire,  while  below  it  appears  the  very  centre  of  desolation  and  gloom.  At 
break  of  day  we  mount  again,  to  descend  further  into  the  crater,  and  see 
the  sun  rise  from  its  mouth.  I  may  perhaps  try  more  experiments.  I  have 
written  your  name  in  the  burning  lava,  and  it  has  cooled  —  the  piece  is 
beside  me.  I  also  put  in  a  five  franc  piece  —  the  impression  is  good,  and 
you  shall  one  day  see  it.  Our  torch  is  about  going  out,  and  I  must  stop 
to  finish  to  morrow  at  Naples.  Two  distinct  eruptions  have  just  taken 
place,  and  cast  out  heated  stones  to  the  height  of  100  or  150  feet.  Naples, 
22d.  I  scarcely  know  what  you  will  think  when  you  open  this  letter.  If 
it  was  not  for  the  sake  of  the  place  where  I  began  it,  you  should  never  see 
it.  We  passed  the  night  very  well  on  the  mountain.  Our  guides  cleared 
away  the  larger  stones,  and  left  us  none  bigger  than  eggs  —  we  spread  our 
great  coats  in  this  little  hollow,  and  were  comfortable  enough.  We  re 
quired  no  covering  —  at  our  feet  issued  a  small  column  of  heated  air  — 
beneath  us  too  warm  air  oozed  up  j  but  the  great  coats  prevented  our  being 
steamed.  H.  found  that  he  was  too  warm,  and  got  up  to  walk  about.  I  laid 
quiet,  to  enjoy  the  superb  sight  before  me.  Some  provisions  were  sent  to  us 
by  the  party  —  it  arrived  about  eleven  o'clock.  Fatigue  was  a  good  opiate, 
and  our  sleep  was  sweet.  Our  guides  slept  on  the  bare  stones  beside  us. 
At  3  o'clock  we  took  some  bread  and  wine,  and  began  again  the  ascent. 
Our  route  now  lay  in  another  direction.  It  was  not  so  difficult  as  what  we 
had  ascended  the  evening  before.  Before  5  we  were  at  the  top,  and  waited 
only  a  few  minutes  to  see  the  purple  tinge  of  the  horizon  gradually  change 
into  brightened  gold.  A  sea  of  clouds  floated  far  beneath  us  —  it  resem 
bled  an  undulated  plain  of  cotton,  whose  edges  were  tinged  and  burnished 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  317 

by  the  first  rays  of  the  morning.  The  scenery  below  was  lost  —  nought 
appeared  but  the  fiery  summit  on  which  we  stood,  and  the  tops  of  lofty 
mountaitt^around  that  rose  above  the  clouds  that  settled  on  their  sides. 

We  continued  our  labor,  and  got  near  the  mouth  of  the  crater  —  the 
wind  drove  the  smoke  towards  us,  and  we  were  obliged  to  descend  and  try 
the  other  side.  We  rose  to  the  highest  point,  and  thence  a  gradual 
descent  took  us  to  the  mouth  of  the  largest  crater.  Its  shape  constantly 
varied  —  at  present  there  are  two  fountains,  whence  issue  the  smoke  and 
stones.  We  could  not  observe  the  bottom  very  plainly  —  to  descend  was 
impossible.  The  smaller  crater  has  three  of  these  nostrils  or  breathing 
holes,  smaller  than  the  first,  but  more  active.  The  wind  drove  the  smoke 
in  such  a  manner,  that  we  saw  the  bottom  on  the  other  side.  Our  guides 
were  urging  us  to  descend  —  a  shower  of  hot  stones  and  cinder  had  more 
influence  than  their  entreaties.  The  lava  is  seen  in  neither  crater,  but 
flows  through  a  subterranean  canal,  almost  horizontal ;  and  does  not  appear 
till  it  forces  through  the  crust  about  150  yards  from  the  crater.  It  forms 
at  once  a  river  about  seven  feet  wide,  and  flows  at  the  rate  of  between  2£ 
and  3  miles  an  hour  ;  its  depth  cannot  be  told.  The  present  stream 
issued  in  this  spot  seven  days  ago,  and  continues  still  running  —  it  re 
sembles  flowing  liquid  iron,  running  in  a  gutter,  which  it  seems  to  have 
formed,  having  on  either  side  a  perpendicular  wall  of  lava,  about  three 
inches  thick,  serving  as  a  kind  of  raceway.  About  a  mile  from  the  orifice, 
it  spreads  into  a  large  bed  or  lake,  and  there  cools,  gradually  becoming 
black  on  the  surface,  and  still  glowing  beneath.  Occasionally  the  river 
changes  its  course  —  this  gave  an  opportunity  of  breaking  several  times 
the  crust  that  covers  the  stream,  to  see  the  hot  lava  below.  In  some 
places,  where  all  was  cold,  we  broke  it  and  found  it  quite  hollow  beneath, 
by  the  extrication  of  the  gas.  Usually  a  heavy  wind  breaks  the  crusts, 
and  then  they  fall  in  every  direction,  giving  the  whole  mountain  a  terrific 
appearance.  At  a  distance  it  looks  like  new  ploughed  land,  and  of  the 
same  colour  :  as  we  approach,  it  is  much  more  rough  and  hideous.  Having 
taken  some  more  impressions  in  the  lava,  we  turned  to  survey  the  scene 
around  us.  The  clouds  hung  on  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  and  only  per 
mitted  us  to  see  the  gloomy  cone  on  which  we  stood.  The  genius  of 
desolation  may  be  said  to  reign  over  this  dreary  realm ;  not  a  sign  of 
vegetation  relieves  the  eye,  wearied  and  sad  with  the  horrible  and  bleak 
expanse  that  environed  us  :  How  melancholy  are  the  feelings  excited  in 
such  a  situation  !  How  much  more  so  are  the  recollections  it  recalls !  I 
felt  as  if  we  alone  stood  on  the  ruins  of  the  universe  —  as  if  chaos  was 
come  again  ;  nor  can  I  think  of  it  without  emotion.  A  long  and  distress 
ing  walk  on  the  broken  lava  brought  us  to  the  place  where  we  had  slept. 
Our  last  descent  began  here,  and  when  once  at  the  foot  of  the  upper  part 
of  the  mountain,  we  rapidly  went  in  seven  minutes,  the  same  distance 
that  we  were  an  hour  in  ascending  the  day  before.  The  fathers  received 
us  kindly  at  the  hermitage,  where  we  breakfasted  on  bread  and  wine. 
The  clouds  had  now  dispersed,  and  we  enjoyed  a  view  of  the  superb  bay  of 
Naples.  I  must  say  (nor  do  I  know  how  far  prejudice  influences  my 
saying  so),  that  it  is  inferior  to  the  bay  of  New  York.  The  famed  places 
that  skirt  its  shores,  give  to  it  a  reputation  and  a  classic  interest  that  New 
York  cannot  boast  —  and  as  long  as  Homer,  Virgil,  Horace  and  Pliny 
are  read  so  long  will  this  bay  be  the  most  interesting  in  the  world.  In 
dependent  of  these  writers,  the  fertile  soil  that  envelopes  the  foot  of 
Vesuvius,  with  its  burning  craters,  the  number  of  cities  and  villages  de- 


348  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

stroyed  by  its  dreadful  workings,  will  ever  attract  the  lover  of  landscape 
and  the  student  of  nature.  The  cities  over  which  we  walk  —  the  palaces 
over  which  we  sail — the  lakes,  half  swallowed  —  and  mountaiifc  ejected 
in  a  single  night  —  all  add  to  the  interest  of  the  place. 

Such  were  my  thoughts  as  my  mule  came  down  the  base  of  the  mount 
ain,  at  the  little  village  of  Rescina,  from  whence  we  had  descended  the 
day  before  into  Herculaneum.  The  theatre  alone  is  now  shown  ;  some 
persons  having  been  lost  in  the  excavations,  they  are  closed  to  the  public  — 
and  through  the  inadvertency  of  others,  we  are  deprived  of  pleasure  and 
instruction.  To  Pompeii  is  8  miles,  and  we  took  a  kind  of  chaise  for  the 
day.  The  Neapolitan  chaise,  or  cabriolet,  is  a  very  small  gig,  into  which 
two  very  small  persons  may  squeeze;  one  of  them  drives,  and  the  coach 
man  stands  behind  to  whip  the  horse,  which  is  exclusively  his  prerogative, 
and  the  passenger  cannot  prevent  him  from  making  the  horse  run  all  the 
distance.  Pompeii,  as  it  is  shown  to  visitors,  is  more  interesting  than 
Herculaneum  ;  since  it  is  part  of  a  city  exposed  to  light,  and  open  to  day. 
We  walk  by  daylight  in  the  streets ;  enter  the  houses  and  temples,  and 
visit  the  forum  and  tombs,  the  same  as  any  ancient  town  —  but  cannot 
forget,  that  since  the  year  79,  till  within  a  short  time,  the  ashes  of  Vesu 
vius  have  hid  it  from  the  day.  The  temple  of  Isis  is  the  most  complete; 
few  houses  have  the  second  story ;  the  first  are  perfect,  and  are  easily 
known.  Thus  several  cook-shops,  a  bake-house,  a  surgeon's  or  druggist's, 
a  milkman's  &c.,  are  at  once  recognized  by  the  signs  painted  on  the  walls, 
and  frequently  the  name  is  seen  too.  One  of  the  streets  must  have  been 
superb  ;  it  yet  exhibits  the  marks  of  carnage  wheels.  The  workmen  and 
guides  are  very  strict;  I  wanted  a  small  square  piece  of  marble,  which 
served  as  a  floor  to  one  of  the  courts  —  although  it  laid  loose  on  the  ashes, 
yet  they  replaced  it;  nor  had  a  bribe  far  beyond  its  intrinsic  value,  any 
effect.  They  gave  me  to  understand  that  both  their  necks  would  answer 
for  it. 

I  wrote  to  you  from  Leghorn.  We  went  from  thence  to  Pisa,  Lucca, 
and  Florence;  the  latter  is  a  beautiful  and  interesting  place,  in  the  vale 
of  Arno,  one  of  the  most  luxuriant  in  the  world.  From  Florence  to  Rome 
is  200  miles,  we  arrived  in  the  Holy  Week,  and  saw  the  ceremonies  of 
Easter.  The  religious  ceremonies  were  the  most  splendid  I  ever  saw. 
The  pope,  20  cardinals,  30  bishops,  and  lots  of  deacons  officiated  —  about 
30,000  persons  were  in  St.  Peter's  during  the  service.  We  got  by  chance 
with  the  ambassadors  ;  but  though  luck  favored  us  in  the  cathedral,  it  left 
us  to  shift  for  ourselves  at  the  door,  and  we  mingled  in  a  crowd  of  150,000 
persons,  who  knelt  to  receive  the  benediction  of  his  holiness. 

The  illumination  of  St.  Peter's,  and  the  fire  works,  were  superb  beyond 
description.  They  are  said  to  have  cost  more  than  one  million  of  dollars, 
and  still  his  holiness  cannot  clear  his  dominions  of  banditti  —  he  is  too 
poor  !  Part  of  the  way  from  Rome  to  this  place,  guard  houses  are  built 
every  quarter  of  a  mile,  and  we  had  frequently  a  soldier  on  each  side  of 
the  carriage  to  protect  us  from  robbers.  Still  the  traveller  sees  every  mile 
crosses  erected  on  the  grave  of  some  murdered  traveller,  or  the  limb  of 
some  wretched  victim  of  the  law. 

From  Rome  we  crossed  the  Pontine  marshes  —  the  travelling  is  10  miles 
an  hour  —  the  people  look  as  if  nature  was  sinking  to  rest ;  still  they  are 
the  only  contented  folks  I  have  seen  in  Italy.  Formerly  felons  were  con 
demned  to  act  here  as  postillions ;  at  present  things  are  not  so  bad,  and 
only  want  proper  management. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  349 

"  The  above  interesting  extract  was  penned  by  Dr.  Jeremiah  Van  Rensse- 
laer,  a  gentlenlan  of  the  old  school,  distinguished  for  his  large-hearted 
charity  and  courteous  bearing  towards  all,  the  fragrance  of  his  gentle 
Christian  character  will  long  remain  to  justify  the  appropriate  inscription 
upon  his  tomb — 'the  memory  of  the  just  is  blessed/  He  was  the  son 
of  John  J.  Van  Rensselaer,  who  died  in  1828,  and  occupied  the  quaint 
'  Old  Van  Rensselaer  Mansion '  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Hudson  river, 
just  below  the  village  of  Greenbush,  opposite  the  city  of  Albany.  It  is 
a  fine  old  mansion,  delightful  in  location,  with  the  broad,  silvery  Hudson 
washing  its  bank,  and  the  sad  and  joyous  associations  of  more  than  two 
centuries  clustering  around  it.  A  dense  hedge  of  lilacs,  rich  in  the  pro 
fusion  of  spring  flowers,  borders  and  overtops  the  picket-fence  which  fronts 
the  house  and  runs  nearly  parallel  with  the  road  and  river.  Within  the 
hedge,  a  lawn  kept  with  cultivated  taste,  attracts  the  attention  of  the  pass 
ing  traveler,  as  he  looks  through  the  openings  with  a  longing  desire  to 
enjoy  the  cool  and  quiet  seclusion  of  its  retreat.  The  building  was  erected 
as  early  as  1663,  and  no  doubt  was  used  in  those  early  times  as  a  fort, 
some  of  the  stone  port-holes  still  remain  visible  in  the  walls. 

"  Around  the  fireplace,  in  the  upper  chambers,  are  a  number  of  tiles, 
of  a  dull  purple  color,  containing  Scripture  illustrations.  One  represents 
the  flight  of  Joseph  into  Egypt.  Another  is  that  of  Dives  and  Lazarus ; 
another  of  the  tiles  represents  the  baptism  of  Christ  in  the  river  Jordan. 
There  are  altogether  between  forty  and  fifty  of  these  tiles  all  of  which  have 
Scripture  subjects  upon  them.  Here,  too,  was  seen  the  heavy  wooden 
chest,  in  which  the  linen  of  our  ancestors  was  sent  to  Holland  to  be 
washed,  showing  how  exclusive  was  their  entire  dependence  on  the  mother 
country  during  their  early  residence  in  this  western  wilderness.  After 
this  old  mansion  had  been  built  more  than  a  hundred  and  twenty-five  years, 
a  few  very  enterprising  New  Englanders  passed  by  and  made  a  settlement 
of  the  village  of  Troy.  We  may  imagine  the  mingled  surprise  and  indig 
nation  of  the  good  old  burghers  of  staid  Albany,  when  they  found  that 
{  Big  Jacob,'  grandson  of  the  venerated  Derick  Van  Derheyden,  had  fallen 
into  the  hands  of  the  Philistines  and  sold  a  portion  of  the  farm  of  490 
acres,  leased  from  the,  Patroon,  at  an  annual  rent  of  three  bushels  and 
three  pecks  of  wheat  and  four  fat  fowls." 

Gov.  Clinton  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 

Dear  Sir,  Albany,  17  March,  1820. 

I  intend  to  lay  before  the  Legislature  at  their  request  evidence  of  the 
interference  of  the  General  Govt.  in  our  Elections.  With  this  view  I  am 
anxious  to  have  authenticated  accounts  of  the  Post  Master  General's 
[Return  J.  Meigs]  conduct  on  Van  Buren's  [Martin  Van  Buren,  a  mem 
ber  of  the  New  York  Senate]  Letter,  and  for  this  purpose,  I  have  written 
to  Messrs.  Munell  and  Lyman.  Cannot  V.  B's  letter  be  procured  by  a 
call  of  the  House  ?  Will  you  see  to  this  and  also  procure  such  other 
testimony  on  this  Subject  as  may  be  in  your  power  ?  We  stand  well  here. 
Thousands  and  thousands  of  office  seekers  under  the  new  Council. 

Yours  truly, 

DE  WITT  CLINTON. 

Hon.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  In  Congress,  Washington. 


350  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

The  Patroon  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 

My  dear  Sir,  W.  Vliet,  March  17,  1820. 

Your  letter  and  the  documents  I  received  and  handed  them  to  the 
Governor.  Both  parties  are  very  sanguine.  I  think  however  the  Buck- 
tails  are  rather  below  par —  if  the  Western  District  give  Clinton  their  votes 
his  party  calculate  on,  then  he  succeeds.  The  Federals  in  the  State 
except  N".  York  will  give  him  their  support,  some  however  reluctantly. 
We  are  determined  to  rally  under  our  old  banner  and  support  McKown 
against  Duer  (for  Assembly)  who  has  joined  the  Bucktails  and  Gibbons. 
You  have  seen  E.  Clark's  letter  to  Morris  Miller.  I  think  he  will  feel 
small  when  he  meets  his  old  friends.  What  do  you  think  of  our  address 
to  the  Agricultural  Societies  ?  I  sent  one  to  Randolph,  has  he  received 
it  ?  We  have  excellent  sleighing  yet.  I  hope  to  see  you  the  beginning 
of  next  month.  Mrs.  R.  on  Tuesday  presented  me  with  a  fine  boy,  she 
is  as  well  as  usual  on  those  occasions.  Your  friend, 

S.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Major  General  Van  Rensselaer,  Washington. 

Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  his  Wife. 

My  dear  Wife,  Washington,  March  20,  1820. 

I  wrote  you  we  had  made  up  a  party  to  go  to  Alexandria  and  Mount 
Vernon,  we  returned  on  Saturday  evening,  in  a  fine  moonlight,  at  10 
o'clock,  from  the  Seat  of  the  Father  of  his  Country.  My  time  will  not 
allow  me  to  give  you  a  description  of  the  place  or  of  my  feelings  ;  these 
must  be  reserved  for  a  happy  fireside  chat,  in  the  midst  of  all  I  love  dearly, 
sometime  about  the  first  of  May.  Ask  the  young  farmer  whether  it  will 
not  be  best  to  sow  the  back  lot  with  pea.s,  and  the  low  land  with  barley 
and  oats.  If  he  has  not  been  able  to  get  manure  on  the  back  lot,this  crop 
will  be  the  most  profitable  there.  If  the  peas  are  rolled  in  plaster,  and 
plaster  sowed  over  them,  the  ground  will  produce  a  good  crop,  and  will  be 
handy  to  turn  in  the  hogs.  The  ground  should  be  handsomely  turned 
over  and  lightly  harrowed  before  sowing,  or,  if  it  is  well  plowed,  perhaps 
first  harrowing  will  be  unnecessary.  He  should  sow  twenty  bushels  upon 
this  lot,  or  at  least  two  bushels  to  the  acre,  and  get  them  in  as  early  as 
possible.  Three  ploughs  will  soon  turn  it  over.  *  *  * 

Dear  Harriot,  Washington,  March  22,  1820. 

I  have  only  time,  after  writing  to  several,  to  say  that  an  affair  of  honor 
took  place  this  morning  between  Commodores  Decatur  and  Barren,  in 
which  both  fell  at  the  first  fire.  The  ball  entered  Decatur's  body  two 
inches  above  the  hip,  and  lodged  against  the  opposite  side.  I  just  came 
from  his  house.  He  yet  lives,  but  will  never  see  another  sun.  Barren's 
wound  is  severe,  but  not  dangerous.  The  ball  struck  the  upper  part  of 
his  hip,  and  turned  to  the  rear.  He  is  ruined  in  public  estimation.  The 
excitement  is  very  great.  Kiss  all  my  Coveys  for  me.  In  haste. 

Truly  yours, 

SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Mrs.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany,  N.  Y. 

Washington,  March  22, 1820.  A  duel  was  fought  this  morning  between 
Commodore  Stephen  Decatur  —  one  of  the  first  officers  of  our  navy  —  the 
pride  of  his  country  and  Commodore  James  Barron.  Commodore  Decatur 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  851 

was  supported  by  Com.  Rodgers  in  whose  arms  he  was  sustained  from  the 
battle  ground  to  his  residence.  Evening:  Com.  Decatur  still  lives.  His 
surgeon,  however  says  that  he  cannot  live  until  morning-.  I  walked  to 
his  dwelling  this  afternoon  to  enquire  about  him.  Every  person  in  the 
city  appears  dejected  at  this  unfortunate  and  melancholy  affair.  Grief 
and  sorrow  are  depicted  in  the  countenances  of  all,  for  the  fate  of  poor 
Decatur.  Barron  is  severely  wounded  and  had  the  ball  struck  one  inch 
above  his  hip  bone  instead  of  on  it,  he  would  have  been  now  in  the  same 
situation  with  Decatur.  The  quarrel  has  been  of  about  five  months  stand 
ing  and  grew  out  of  the  old  Chesapeake  affair.  Barron  it  appears 
applied  to 'command  the  Columbus.  Decatur  opposed  his  application, 
which  gave  offence  to  Barron  —  Com.  Bainbridge  was  the  friend  to 
Decatur,  Captain  Elliott  the  friend  to  Barron.  They  fought  at  the  dis 
tance  of  eight  paces  on  the  celebrated  battle  ground  near  Bladensburg. 
"  The  fatal  wound  was  given  on  Wednesday  morning  and  the  noble  Naval 
Hero  expired  in  agony  at  11  o'clock  the  same  night.  The  sad  news  of 
the  duel  created  unusual  feeling  and  sensation  in  the  House  j  so  generally 
was  Com.  Decatur  beloved  by  the  members  and  so  anxious  were  they  to 
hear  the  particulars,  that  it  was  difficult  for  the  speaker  to  keep  them  in 
order.  The  funeral  was  attended  on  the  afternoon  of  Friday  24th  with 
every  demonstration  of  respect  and  due  Military  honors.  The  volleys  of 
musketry  which  announced  the  consignment  of  the  hero's  remains  to  the 
tomb,  sounded  as  the  knell  of  departed  chivalry.  Mrs.  Decatur  was  in  an 
agony  of  despair,  distressed  beyond  expression,  they  have  no  children. 
Mrs.  D.  died  at  Georgetown  D.  C.,  in  I860." 

Judge  Me  Kown  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Albany    22nd  March  1820. 

You  have  no  doubt  seen  the  report  of  our  Committee  of  Ways  and  Means 
on  the  subject  of  the  Vice  President's  affair.  Last  night  his  Excellency, 
the  ci-devant  and  would  be  Governor,  transmitted  to  the  House,  a  corres 
pondence  which  he  had  entered  into  with  the  Committee  pending  the  En 
quiry.  The  whole  of  the  Correspondence  goes  decidedly  to  shew  that  he 
had  determined,  and  such  was  his  object,  not  to  do  or  say  any  thing  de 
cidedly  on  any  special  part  of  the  subject,  but  to  throw  a  mist  over  it,  that 
might  leave  him  some  kind  of  pretences  of  complaint  of  unfair  treatment 
before  the  Committee.  But  the  strangest  thing  of  all  was,  that  one  of  his 
minions,  it  appeared,  had  got  or  stolen  a  private  letter  written  by  the 
Chairman  of  Committee,  to  one  of  his  Country  friends,  in  which  he  had 
expressed  an  opinion  pretty  harshly  against  Tompkins,  and  a  copy  with  the 
official  correspondence  of  the  Committee  was  sent  to  the  House  by  T  —  in 
apparent  great  triumph.  But  he  did  not  stop  here.  In  oae  of  his  letters 
to  the  Committee,  which  he  had  the  audacity  to  send  to  the  house,  he  said 
substantially,  that  it  was  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  the  Committee  made 
an  uni'avorable  report,  as  some  of  them  had  prejudged  his  case,  and  that 
the  source  which  appointed  them  was  personally  and  politically  hostile  to 
him  ! !  Directly  insulting  the  House  by  saying,  in  very  plain  terms,  they 
were  a  set  of  perjured  rascals  who  had  determined  to  act  corruptly  and 
judge  partially.  How  his  advisers,  who  certainly  are  shrewd  men,  ever 
permitted  Tornpkius  to  overshoot  his  mark  in  this  way  I  cannot  conceive. 
I  must  believe  he  did  this  without  advice  of  his  friends.  Every  one  was 
astonished,  and  you  may  suppose  the  majority  of  the  House  was  at  once 
in  a  flame.  Of  consequence  they  refused  to  have  his  communication  printed 


352  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

or  have  any  thing  to  do  with  it  ;  and  ordered  the  Clerk  to  deliver  his  papers 
to  him  again. 

Our  Committee  of  enquiry  enter  on  Van  Ness  conduct,  after  an  inter 
val  of  about  two  weeks,  to  re-commence  the  examination  of  witnesses  this 
day.  I  believe  about  a  dozen  new  witnesses  have  arrived  from  New 
York.  I  hope  we  may  be  able  to  finish  the  examination  this  week. 


The  Ron.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,        l  am  Dear  Sir'  TYours 
House  of  Representatives,  Washington. 

[Hon.  Daniel  D.  Tompkins  was  vice  president  of  the  United  States 
under  President  Monroe  ;  he  had  many  opponents  in  his  political  career. 
Still  he  had  many  valuable  points,  and  as  a  firm,  efficient,  and  zealous 
friend  to  his  country,  in  times  of  great  difficulty  and  need,  he  was  not 
excelled.  He  died  in  the  year  1825.  Judge  William  W.  Van  Ness  was 
strangely  misunderstood  ;  but  now  that  the  feverish  state  of  things  has 
passed  away,  and  selfishness  no  longer  warps  the  minds  of  men  regarding 
those  events  in  a  most  remarkable  period  of  time,  full  justice  is  awarded 
to  as  noble  a  man  as  ever  lived.  He  ever  was  distinguished  for  his  high 
intellectual  endowments  and  his  courteous  bearing  in  all  the  relations  of 
life,  and  the  voice  of  history  mourns  over  the  strange  infatuation  that  then 
prevailed.] 

Gov.  Clinton  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Albany,  27th  March,  1820. 

I  have  received  a  copy  of  Van  Buren's  famous  letter  on  the  "  Rascally 
P.  Masters."  It  is  equally  offensive  to  grammar  and  truth.  It  is  per 
fectly  satisfactory  and  will  produce  a  great  effect.  When  were  the  P. 
Masters  mentioned  in  his  letter  removed?  They  are  —  Holt  of  Her- 
kimer  —  Howell  of  Bath  —  Smith  of  Little  Falls  —  Chamberlin  of  Oxford. 
Why  is  Holt  retained  if  so  ?  I  had  a  hint  about  the  maueuvre  to  remove 
P.  Masters  in  Jefferson  and  have  written  to  your  Colleague,  William  D. 
Ford,  on  the  subject.  As  letters  on  file  are  public  documents,  why  not 
boldly  request  a  copy  —  let  it  by  all  means  be  attended  to.  An  idea  of 
importance  has  struck  me.  Suppose  that  you  and  a  Colleague  desired  a 
private  interview  with  the  President  [James  Monroe,]  stated  the  conduct 
of  the  P.  M.  General  in  removing  Post  Masters  on  the  eve  of  the  elec 
tion  —  that  it  was  reported  that  this  measure  had  met  his  approbation. 
That  you  wished  to  give  a  liberal  support  to  his  administration  and  to 
guard  him  against  misrepresentation,  that  you  respectfully  desired  to 
know  whether  he  had  or  had  not  sanctioned  and  whether  he  did  or  did 
not  approve  of  the  measure.  In  either  case  it  was  due  to  his  candor  and 
magnanimity  to  remove  all  doubt  on  this  at  ouce.  If  I  were  with  you  I 
would  do  this  at  once.  If  he  denied,  it  will  be  well,  if  he  admits,  then 
the  charge  can  be  brought  directly  home  to  him.  If  he  is  silent  so  much 
the  better.  In  all  respects  the  step  is  proper,  decorous  and  respectful  ; 
will  do  you  honor  and  is  worthy  of  a  Representative  of  the  people. 

Col.  Livingston,  of  Saratoga  has  a  claim  which  has  been  transmitted  to 
the  Speaker.  Will  you  tell  him  to  notice  it  and  to  write  to  his  consti 
tuents  frequently.  He  stands  well  there  and  our  friends  are  making 
favorable  demonstrations  in  that  quarter.  Cramer  is  full  of  bitter  de 
nunciations  against  the  Speaker.  Our  accounts  from  the  Counties  are 
very  favorable.  I  am  yours  truly, 

DEW  ITT  CLINTON. 

Gen.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  —  In  Congress,  Washington. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  353 

"  April  6,  1820.  Report  of  the  Committee  in  the  Case  of  Judge  Van 
Ness.  After  a  long,  faithful,  and  impartial  investigation,  the  committee 
appointed  for  the  purpose  of  examining  the  official  conduct  of  the  Hon. 
William  W.  Van  Ness,  made  their  satisfactory  Report  to  the  State  Legis 
lature,  and  we  feel  a  sincere  gratification  in  saying,  that  the  elevated 
character  of  our  judiciary  stands  unimpaired,  and  the  reputation  and  in 
tegrity  of  one  of  its  most  useful  ornaments,  untouched  and  unsullied. 
The  report  although  brief,  is  full,  satisfactory  and  conclusive.  He  has 
passed  through  the  ordeal  unharmed  —  and  that  too,  at  a  period  of  party 
excitement  almost  without  a  parallel.  Every  engine  that  party  rage, 
wealth,  and  influence  could  command,  has  been  set  on  motion  to  impeach 
his  conduct  —  with  certain  charges  preferred  against  him  by  the  editors 
of  the  American — but,  after  the  strictest  scrutiny  NOTHING  could  be 
proved  against  him.  On  the  contrary  his  INNOCENCE  has  been  completely 
established,  and  the  purity  of  the  bench  declared  by  the  unanimous  voice 
of  the  people  through  their  representatives.  We  congratulate  the  public 
upon  the  honorable  exculpation  of  this  distinguished  citizen,  and  brilliant 
ornament  of  the  bench." 

Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  his  Wife. 
My  dear  Harriot,  Washington,  April  20,  1820. 

Instead  of  the  first  of  May,  I  fear  in  consequence  of  the  arrival  of  the 
Spanish  Minister,  Congress  will  not  adjourn  until  the  eighth.  The  Patroon 
is  with  us,  and  is  much  improved  in  health,  is  also  in  very  good  spirits. 
He  is  highly  pleased  and  gratified  with  the  standing  and  conduct  of  his 
Aid,  and  very  affectionate  to  him  ;  my  neat  quarters  he  is  pleased  with  &c. 

Mr.  Gracey  of  New  York  —  Rodgers  of  the  same  place,  together  with 
Greigg  from  Ontario  and  the  Patroon  dined  with  me  yesterday  ;  we  had 
a  neat,  substantial  dinner  and  pleasant  jovial  little  party.  Last  night  I 
introduced  them  into  the  Queen's  drawing-room,  she  was  a  Miss  Kortright, 
distinguished  alike  for  her  beauty  and  accomplishments,  and  to  night  we 
take  tea  with  Mrs.  Senator  Brown,  an  old  acquaintance  from  Kentucky. 
The  Patroon  leaves  this  on  Saturday,  would  to  heavens,  I  could  accompany 
him,  but  fear  we  shall  not  adjourn  until  the  eighth  of  May,  if  we  do  then. 
I  regret  our  dear  little  patient  Hat  suffers  so  much,  I  was  in  hopes  she 
was  better.  Tell  her  and  the  little  one,  I  will  bring  them  each  a  doll,  an 
orange  and  sugar-plums  —  kiss  them  for  me. 

Washington,  May  4th.  You  will  see  my  dear  Wife,  by  these  papers, 
that  both  Houses  of  Congress  have  agreed  to  adjourn  on  the  15th  Instant. 
Although  the  day  is  more  distant  than  I  could  wish,  yet  I  am  delighted 
to  know  the  time  when  I  shall  press  to  my  heart  those  I  love  so  dearly. 

Affectionately  Yours, 

SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Mrs.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany,  N.  Y. 

Just  before  the  hour  of  meeting  on  Friday  evening  May  12th,  an  inci 
dent  took  place  in  the  chamber  of  representatives,  worthy  of  note,  from 
not  having  been  fatal  in  its  consequences.  The  chain  by  which  was 
suspended  the  massive  brass  chandelier,  hanging  in  the  center  of  the  hall, 
gave  way,  as  one  of  the  attendants  on  the  house  was  lighting  the  lamps,  and 
fell  with  a  force  proportioned  to  its  great  weight.  The  servant  was  thrown 
some  distance  from  the  ladder,  and  escaped  unhurt ;  and,  although  the  mem- 

45 


354  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

bers  were  gathering  fast  in  the  hall,  and  the  fragments  of  the  chandelier 
covered  a  considerable  space,  it  happened  the  seats  immediately  within  its 
reach  were  not  yet  occupied,  and  no  member  was  seriously  hurt.  A  more 
providential  escape  can  scarcely  be  imagined,  the  weight  of  the  chandelier 
being  several  hundred  pounds.  The  chandelier  was  imported  from  Eng 
land,  and  cost  1,  300  dollars. 

The  first  session  of  the  sixteenth  congress,  was  terminated,  about  four 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  of  May  15th,  by  the  adjournment  of  the  two  houses 
until  the  second  Monday  of  November  next,  being  the  13th  day  of  the 
month.  The  session  closed  in  perfect  harmony.  No  session  of  congress 
has  been  marked  by  more  deliberation  and  coolness  in  its  closing  scene. 

Monday,  Nov.  13,  1820,  the  second  session  of  the  sixteenth  congress 
began.  Wednesday  Nov.  15.  The  house  then  again  proceeded  by  ballot 
to  the  election  of  a  speaker,  and  upon  an  examination  of  the  twenty-second 
ballot,  it  appeared  that  JOHN  W.TAYLOR,  one  of  the  representatives  from 
the  state  of  New  York,  was  duly  elected  SPEAKER. 

In  Senate  on  November  15,  1820.  "  Kesolved  that  his  excellency,  the 
governor  be  requested  to  lay  before  the  senate  all  the  information  that  he 
may  possess  in  relation  to  that  part  of  his  speech  which  alludes  to  the 
general  government,  or  its  officers,  '  as  an  organized  and  disciplined  corps 
in  our  elections/ 

Ordered,  That  the  clerk  deliver  a  copy  of  said  resolution  to  his  excel 
lency  the  governor.  By  order, 

JOHN  F.  BACON,  Clerk. 
To  the  Senate, 

Gentlemen  :  Fully  appreciating  the  patriotic  solicitude  of  the  senate  to 
prevent  all  unwarrantable  intrusions  in  the  political  affairs  of  the  state,  I 
have  received  their  application  for  information  on  this  subject  with  plea 
sure,  and  I  shall,  in  due  time  make  them  a  communication,  which,!  trust, 
will  be  satisfactory  in  its  nature  and  salutary  in  its  tendency. 

Albany,  Nov.  16,  1820.  DEWITT  CLINTON. 

Gov.  Clinton  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Albany  18  Nov.,  1820. 

Can  you  procure  forme  a  statement  of  the  whole  number  of  Post  Offices 
in  this  State,  and  the  aggregate  of  compensation  ? 

We  have  received  the  President's  Message,  but  no  account,  as  yet,  of 
the  Election  of  Speaker  in  Mr.  Clay's  place.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  Tay 
lor  [John  W.  Taylor]  has  succeeded.  Our  Legislature  are  yet  in  Session. 
Everything  is  working  right.  Yours  Sincerely, 

DEWITT  CLINTON. 

Honorable  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  In  Congress,  Washington. 

Charles  G.  Raines  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  General,  New  York  Nov.  20,  1820. 

The  recent  triumph  of  Northern  politics  has  imparted  joy  and  congrat 
ulations,  among  all  our  friends  in  this  City.  To  you  great  Credit  is  given. 
We  feel  confident  that  you  boldly  and  persevcringly  led  the  way  to  victory, 
and  animated  the  courage  of  the  timid  and  desponding.  Next  comes  the 
Missouri  Constitution.  For  God's  sake  stand  firm,  and  reject  this  odious 
and  abominable  instrument.  If  it  is  received  by  Congress  in  its  present 
shape,  I  would  not  give  a  single  farthing  for  the  American  Confederacy. 
It  will  be  trampled  under  foot,  openly  violated,  and  virtually  destroyed. 
There  is  a  great  sensibility  here  on  this  subject.  A  few  of  us,  including 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  355 

all  parties  combining  men  of  candor  and  reason,  met  on  Saturday  Evening 
last  to  consult  on  the  propriety  of  calling  a  general  meeting;  but  upon 
the  whole,  after  full  debate,  it  was  concluded  not  to  do  it.  But  we  stand 
strong,  firm  and  resolute,  if  Civil  War  and  division  of  the  Union  come, 
so  be  it!  Rather  have  these,  than  the  extended  horrors  of  Slavery.  How 
do  the  Southern  People  feel  ?  If  we  do  our  duty,  nothing  can  resist  the 
tide  of  Northern  feeling  and  Northern  independence  that  has  set  in.  The 
Bucktails  stand  mute  and  thunderstruck.  My  opinion  is,  that  Governor 
Clinton's  Administration  stands  stronger  than  it  did  one  year  ago,  by  many 
thousands.  Our  triumph  next  Spring  is  certain  if  we  do  any  thing  worthy 
of  our  cause.  In  all  your  operations  at  Washington,  I  hope  nothing  will 
be  said  of  making  Mr.  Clinton  our  President.  My  feelings  towards  him 
you  know  and  God  knows ;  but  we  must  embrace  the  whole  ground,  and 
this  cannot  be  done,  if  we  build  upon  the  name  and  merits  of  any  particu 
lar  individual.  This  is  Gov.  Clinton's  own  opinion,  as  well  as  my  own. 
Do  let  me  hear  from  you  and  send  me  any  Documents  that  may  be  interest 
ing.  When  will  Crawford  make  his  Report  ? 

With  great  respect  and  esteem, 

Gen.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  CH.  G.  HAINES. 

Member  U.  S.  Congress,   Washington. 

The  Patroon  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 

Dear  Sir,  Albany  Nov.  20,  1820. 

I  regret  that  I  was  disappointed  in  not  seeing  you  in  N.  York.  I  called 
several  times  at  your  Hotel  and  you  was  out. 

Mr  Taylor's  election  shews  that  the  North  have  Strength,  if  united. 
We  had  a  tumultuous  Session,  parties  very  violent.  I  pray  that  when  they 
assemble  again,  they  will  be  more  moderate.  Make  my  respects  to  Mr/ 
Calhoun  and  remind  him  of  the  Son  of  the  old  Soldier  who  wishes  a  place 
at  West  Point ;  he  is  now  at  our  Academy  and  improves  in  Mathematics 
daily  ;  his  name  is  S.V.R.  Ryan.  Rev.  Dr.  Bradford's  defence  was  opened 
yesterday  by  Mr.  Henry  in  very  strong  language.  I  thought  it  had  an 
effect.  Make  my  respects  to  Mr.  Beecher,  Brush  and  rest  of  your  old  mess. 
I  hope  to  see  you  in  January  for  a  few  days.  Your  friend. 

S.  V.  RENSSELAER. 

Major  Genl.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  M.  Congress,  Washington. 

Gov.  Clinton  to  Gen.   Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Albany  22  Nov.,  1820. 

The  Session  has  passed  over  to  the  mortification  of  the  Jacobins.  The 
Convention  bill  was  modeled  for  the  express  purpose  of  sustaining  them 
in  power  —  Election  in  February  —  Session  in  June.  You  ought  to  write 
to  all  your  friends  urging  them  to  active  exertions.  The  victory  is  certainly 
ours  if  we  act  nobly.  Th  election  of  Speaker  is  very  gratifying.  I  see  in 
Force's  National  Calender  that  compensation  is  still  allowed  to  the  Col 
lectors  of  Internal  Revenue.  Is  this  true  ?  Write  to  me  on  the  subject. 
Can  you  furnish  me  with  any  evidence  about,  the  interference  of  Jacobins 
in  state  concerns  ?  Yours  Truly  —  C  — 

Hon.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  In  Congress,  Washington. 

"The  legislature  of  1820  was  one  of  the  most  remarkable  in  many  re 
spects  ever  convened  in  this  State.  De  Witt  Clinton,  as  governor,  had 
such  a  large  majority  of  the  members  who  were  personal  friends  of  his  and 


356  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

pledged  to  support  his  canal  policy,  that  it  was  familiarly    called  the 
"Cliutonian  House/ 

"Additional  interest  is  also  attached  to  this  legislature  from  the  fact  of 
the  impeachment,  trial  and  triumphant  acquital  of  the  Judge  W.  W.  Van 
Ness,  of  Claverack,  Columbia  county,  in  the  conduct  of  which  the  names 
of  Erastus  Root,  Thomas  J.  Oakley  and  Elisha  Williams  figure  conspicu 
ously,  and  which  called  out  the  famous  mathematical  speech  of  Mr.  Root, 
as  well  as  some  of  the  most  brilliant  speeches  ever  heard  in  the  old  Assem 
bly  Chamber." 

Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Ms  Wife. 
My  dear  Wife.  Washington  Nov.  24,  1820. 

The  Mail  has  removed  from  my  heart  a  load,  which  I  have  sustained 
with  difficulty,  and  the  next  I  hope  will  entirely  remove.  Our  dear 
Adeline's  letter  is  before  me,  if  your  sore  finger  only  prevents  your  not  writ 
ing,  and  not  sickness,  I  am  satisfied,  but  let  me  beg  of  you  to  remove  anx 
iety  as  soon  as  possible. 

Every  thing  is  going  on  well  here,  we  have  received  one  great  victory 
in  the  choice  of  Speaker,  which  like  the  Allies  over  Bonaparte,  has  given 
our  ranks  confidence  ;  arid  I  hope  and  believe  we  will  put  down  the 
Missouri  Constitution.  Our  opposers  treat  us  with  great  civility,  for  they 
have  been  made  to  understand  that  they  are  men  no  better  than  ourselves, 
and  that  their  blustering  and  swaggering  will  be  promptly  met.  I  have 
received  several  congratulatory  letters  from  the  City  of  New  York  in  which 
they  do  me  more  credit  than  I  deserve,  for  doing  my  duty.  I  wish  our 
friends  to  act  mildly,  but  they  shall  not  yield  one  inch  of  ground  if  I  can 
prevent  them,  and  rest  assured  they  as  well  as  our  opposers  have  the  full 
est  confidence  in  my  firmness.  Carter  sends  the  Statesmen  regularly  to 
me  and  I  send  you  the  paper  of  this  place.  Kiss  our  good  and  affection 
ate  children  for  me ;  let  one  or  the  other  write  by  every  mail,  if  only  three 
lines  they  will  be  more  acceptable  than  I  can  get  from  others. 

Unalterably  Yours, 

Mrs.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany.        SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

The  slavery  question,  as  connected  with  the  Missouri  Constitution,  at 
this  time,  distracted  the  whole  country.  "Good  citizens  were  appalled, 
and  painful  feelings  were  inspired  that  the  traffic  in  public  offices  became 
the  most  formidable  auxiliary  of  the  supremacy  of  the  slave  oligarchy, 
many  were  controlled  by  it,  almost  despotically.  The  politicians  of  the 
tory  and  slavery  school  would  never  have  had  such  a  long  lease  of  power, 
if  they  had  not  been  able  to  hold  out  the  bait  of  office  to  their  most  unscru 
pulous  camp  followers,  from  their  acquired  influences."  The  speaker, 
Henry  Clay  wrote  to  John  J.  Crittenden  as  follows:  "  The  Missouri  sub 
ject  monopolizes  all  ouraconversation,  all  our  thoughts  and,  for  three  weeks 
at  least,  to  come,  will  occupy  all  our  time.  Nobody  seems,  to  think  of  or 
care  about  anything  else.  The  issue  of  the  question  in  the  House  of  Repre 
sentatives  is  doubtful.  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  it  will  be  finally  com 
promised." 

James  W.  Barbour  in  a  letter  to  the  same  person  says  :  "  you  have  been 
relieved  from  one  of  the  most  irksome  tasks  I  have  ever  experienced,  the 
discussion  of  the  Missouri  question.  Who  could  have  thought,  last  session, 
that  the  little  speck  we  then  saw  was  to  be  swelled  into  the  importance  it  has 
^now  assumed,  and  that  upon  its  decision  depended  the  duration  of  the 
Union?  The  dissolution  is  one  of  the  alternatives  spoken  of,  rather  than 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  357 

submit  to  the  spirit  of  aggression  which  marks  the  course  of  our  antago 
nists.  A  proposition  has  now  been  mad  e  for  a  compromise,  the  amend 
ment  proposed  by  Thomas,  which,  I  believe,  unpleasant  as  it  is,  will  be  ac 
ceded  to,  as  a  lesser  evil  than  either  dividing  the  Union,  or  throwing1  it 
into  confusion.  The  great  movers  of  this  question  are  against  all  compro- 


N.  H.  Carter  to  Gen.  Van  Rcnsselaer. 

Dear  Sir,  Albany,  24th  Nov.  1820. 

By  your  politeness  and  that  of  your  friend  Dr.  Bay,  who  called  at  my 
room  on  Wednesday  Evening,  I  had  the  pleasure  of  reading  your  last 
letter  ;  and  now  take  the  liberty  to  express  to  you  the  satisfaction  I  de 
rived  from  a  perusal  of  its  contents.  Permit  me  to  reciprocate  your 
congratulations  on  the  election  of  the  Speaker  —  Mr.  Taylor.  It  is  indeed 
a  glorious  triumph,  in  whatever  point  of  view  we  consider  it,  whether  as 
citizens  of  this  State  —  of  the  Northern  States  —  or  as  friends  of  our  own 
Executive.  The  intelligence  created  a  burst  of  joy  among  us  all,  and 
utter  dismay  among  our  opponents.  The  Post-Office  was  thronged  for  an 
hour  before  the  mail  was  opened,  and  every  one  stood  on  tip  toe,  while 
waiting  for  the  news  of  Taylor's  fate.  There  was  a  great  collection  at 
Cook's  Heading  Room;  and  when  it  was  announced  that  Taylor  had  suc 
ceeded,  some  of  "  the  high-minded  gentlemen"  gave  vent  to  their  feelings 
of  disappointment  and  chagrin.  William  A.  Duer,  John  A.  King,  and 
Gulian  Verplank  publicly  denounced  Mr.  Taylor  as  a  man  of  no  talents, 
no  qualifications  for  the  office,  and  a  miserable  tool  of  De  Witt  Clinton  ! 
But  as  our  friend  Van  Buren  says,  this  will  have  a  good  effect,  and  indeed 
its  effects  are  already  visible. 

It  gave  me  sincere  pleasure  to  learn  that  you  had  called  on  the  Post 
Master  General,  and  demanded  a  sight  of  the  letter  of  Van  Buren  about 
the  "  Rascally  Post  Masters."  I  want  to  see  this  subject  probed  to  the 
bottom,  that  we  may  know  precisely  on  whose  shoulders  the  responsibility 
rests.  You  will  greatly  oblige  me  by  communicating  any  information 
you  may  be  able  to  obtain  in  relation  to  this  transaction.  You  will  see  by 
the  Statesman  of  to-day,  that  the  proceedings  of  the  legislature  have  pro 
duced  a  very  great  degree  of  political  excitement  in  this  State.  Albany 
is  in  a  complete  ferment.  Men  who  have  been  neutral  heretofore,  now 
speak  out.  I  am  told  that  Mr.  A.  Van  Vechten  has  to  day  expressed 
himself  very  decidedly  against  the  outrageous  proceedings  of  the  Senate 
and  Assembly.  Public  sentiment,  so  far  as  I  can  learn,  is  in  favor  of  the 
Governor  and  the  Council  of  Revision.  Depend  on  it,  the  intemperate 
proceedings  at  the  close  of  the  Session  will  recoil  on  the  Bucktail  party, 
and  produce  a  strong  reaction  in  our  favour.  Governor  Clinton  is  firm 
and  unshaken  as  Atlas,  and  our  friends  will  manfully  breast  themselves 
to  the  shock.  We  will  "  in  due  time"  defeat  our  opponents,  and  gain  a 
glorious  triumph. 

I  had  the  pleasure  of  passing  last  evening  in  company  with  your  daugh 
ters  at  .Judge  Spencer's,  and  lest  they  should  not  write  you,  I  have  the 
satisfaction  to  add,  that  your  family  and  friends  are  in  good  health.  If 
you  find  a  leisure  moment  to  spare,  I  need  not  tell  you,  that  a  line  from 
you  would  be  very  gratefully  received.  I  have  the  honor  to  be  very 
respectfully  and  sincerely,  Your  friend  and  obedt.  servt. 

Gen.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  N.  H.  CARTER. 

House  of  Representatives,  Washington  City. 


358  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Charles  G.  Haines  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
My  Dear  Sir,  New  York  Nov.  28,  1820. 

I  return  you  many  thanks  for  your  kind  letter.  I  reciprocate  the  noble 
sentiments  which  it  breathes,  with  pride  and  with  pleasure.  Lowndes  Re 
port  has  reached  us.  It  excites  astonishment,  and  kindles  indignation.  I 
never  saw  a  more  pitiful,  stupid  Document.  It  calls  down  execrations  on 
the  head  of  the  honorable  Chairman.  [Hon.  William  Lowndes  of  South 
Carolina  one  of  the  Committee  in  charge  of  the  Missouri  constitution.] 
We  stand  better  in  this  State,  in  my  opinion,  than  we  did  a  month  ago. 
The  Bucktails  are  aiding  our  cause  by  their  violence  and  Jacobinism.  The 
Council  of  Revision  are  right,  Woodworth  shamefully  deserted  us.  I  think 
that  Adams  is  gaining  ground,  and  Crawford  losing  his  hold.  The  South 
ern  people  will  kill  him.  Stand  firm  and  God  bless  you! 

Sincerely  yours,  CH.  G.  HAINES. 

Gen.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  M.  C.,  Washington. 

Governor  Clinton  to  Gen,  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Albany  29  November,  1820. 

In  Buel's  paper,  of  last  Spring,  there  is  a  letter  from  the  Post  Master- 
General  to  Mr.  Martin  Van  Buren  in  answer  to  a  complaint  about  "Ras 
cally  Post  Masters, "  which  letter  of  complaint  does  not  appear.  Now  it 
is  important  to  have  the  whole  correspondence,  which  can  be  done  only  by 
the  consent  of  the  P.  M  G.  or  by  a  call  of  Congress.  The  preceding  let 
ters  of  Van  Buren  will  fix  a  connexion  and  give  a  character  to  the  whole 
transaction.  Charles  wrote  to  you  about  the  allegation  in  the  Argus  re 
specting  the  Speaker.  This  ought  to  be  met.  It  will  injure  him  essen 
tially  and  not  the  Governor.  Great  efforts  are  making  to  frustrate  him. 
Cramer  swears  vengeance  &c.  Every  thing  is  proceeding  nobly  in  our 
quarter.  Yours  Sincerely 

DE  WITT  CLINTON. 
Hon.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  In  Congress,  Washington. 

Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  his  Wife. 
My  dear  Harriot,  Washington  Dec.  1,  1820. 

I  feel  much  fatigued  but  cannot  let  the  mail  close  without  informing 
you  that  I  reached  this  place  this  evening  in  perfect  health  and  without 
injury,  although  our  stage  turned  over  twice  between  New  York  aad  Phil 
adelphia  without  detriment  to  any  one.  And  to  day,  when  within  a  few 
miles  of  this  city,  the  tung  broke  and  we  were  nearly  going  over  a  bridge 
of  about  12  or  14  feet  high ;  the  stage  was  full,  and  for  a  time  we  were 
doubtful  of  our  personal  safety,  but  all  escaped  destruction,  and  nothing 
was  injured  but  one  of  the  horses.  It  has  been  a  tedious  ride,  jolting  over 
very  bad  roads,  though  we  had  the  satisfaction  of  scanning  the  fine  scenery 
and  enjoying  the  jollity  of  pleasant  companions.  I  again  occupy  my  old 
room  where  every  thing  is  snug  and  comfortable  for  me. 

Your  affectionate  Husband, 

SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Mrs.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany,  N.  Y. 

F.  Pell  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  General,  New  York  Dacr.  1,  1820. 

You  have  doubtless  long  ere  this  received  the  warm  expression  of  thanks 
from  our  friends  in  this  City  for  your  intrepid  and  independent  conduct 
in  respect  to  the  Letter.  It  gave  us  all  a  spur  here,  and  since  that  time 


LEGACY  OP  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  359 

we  have  been  very  alert  in  collecting  information.  I  believe  the  Governor 
will  give  them  a  stomacher.  Never  were  our  friends  in  better  heart  than 
at  this  moment.  We  hear  of  no  defections.  The  office  holders  know  they 
will  bo  turned  out  if  they  persevere,  and  not  a  man  flinches  from  his  post. 
The  Tammanies  are  to  have  a  great  meeting  to  night  at  Tammany  Hall, 
to  denounce,  and  urge  a  Convention. 

Our  friends  met  last  night  in  confidence,  appointed  a  committee  to  pre 
pare  resolutions  and  an  address  for  a  general  meeting  to  be  called,  ap 
proving  the  conduct  of  the  Council  of  Revision,  and  I  have  no  doubt  we 
shall  have  an  overwhelming  meeting  in  the  course  of  ten  or  twelve  days 
'Be  assured  the  Southern  distrust  will  show  a  diiferent  tone  next  spring. 
All  our  friends  hope  the  question  on  the  Missouri  Bill  will  be  hard  pressed. 
It  is  idle  now  to  talk  of  conciliation  —  nothing  but  sheer  strength  must 
carry  the  day  — and  we  are  only  waiting  a  fair  signal  to  second  the  attack. 
That  signal  must  come  from  Washington.  I  am  collecting  information 
here  about  the  Navy  Yard  at  Brooklyn  —  and  'am  under  the  impression 
that  a  large  sum  of  money  is  expended  and  a  considerable  body  of  men 
in  the  Service  of  the  U.  S.  employed  there  steadily.  Of  the  men  I  can 
learn  here,  but  not  of  the  amount  of  money.  What  I  want  is,  the  annual 
ex.pense,  and  the  purposes  to  which  it  is  applied.  Can  you  afford  me  any 
aid,  through  the  Naval  Committee  or  otherwise  ?  If  I  could  also  get  the 
amount  expended  in  this  harbour  for  the  support  of  the  troops,  and  of 
the  officers  through  whose  hands  it  passes,  it  may  be  turned  here  to  good 
account.  We  are  determined  to  sift  this  matter  of  government  interfer 
ence  to  the  bottom,  and  we  shall  show,  why  the  City  of  New  York  is  so 
hostile  to  Governor  Clinton.  We  shall  follow  it  up  all  winter,  and  if  pos 
sible  trace  the  channel  through  which  every  dollar  passes.  I  shall  be 
obliged  by  any  communication  from  you  ;  and  any  hints  you  may  suggest 
of  the  course  to  be  pursued  here,  will  be  attended  to. 

I  am  Dear  Sir,  Very  respty.  Yours, 

Hon.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  Washington.  FERRIS  PELL. 

Gov.  Clinton  to  Gen.  Van  ^Rensselaer. 
My  dear  Sir,  Albany  30  December,  1820. 

After  the  compliments  of  the  New  Year,  I  am  desirous  of  acknowledging 
the  receipt  of  Several  interesting  communications  from  you.  Munell  has 
also  come  safely  to  hand.  The  proof  I  think,  will  be  satisfactory  to  the 
whole  Nation.  No  well  informed  man  denies  the  existence  of  extraneous 
influence,  but  it  has  been  a  very  laborious  work  to  collect  testimony. 

I  want  to  know  the  expense  of  M.  S.  Miller's  abortive  attempt  to  nego 
tiate  with  the  Seneca  Indians  two  or  three  years  ago.  His  compensation  — 
that  of  his  Secretary  and  other  incidental  expenses,  as  specific  as  possible. 
As  one  of  the  Military  Committee  you  are  peculiarly  entitled  to  this.  The 
Governor  will  have  to  make  a  direct  attack  on  the  P.  M.  General.  Facts 
will  warrant  it,  and  it  is  absolutely  necessary.  How  far  will  he  be  autho 
rized  to  implicate  the  Head  of  the  Executive  in  the  execution  of  Van 
Buren's  Mandate  ?  Depend  on  it  —  we  are  doing  well  —  and  we  improve 
every  day.  Whatever  you  have  to  communicate,  let  it  be  done  immedi 
ately 

The  Honorable 

Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  In  Congress,  Washington. 

"  There  is  a  species  of  curiosity  which,  in  great  and  cultivated  minds, 
leads  to  substantial  good  and  lasting  benefit  to  the  community  because 


360  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

cases  of  corruption  are  gaining  strength  and  should  be  investigate^.  It  is 
never  right  to  countenance  a  departure  from  those  safe  and  sure  princi 
ples  of  moral  rectitude  which  have  stood  the  test  of  time  and  received  the 
approbation  of  the  good." 

Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  his  Wife. 
My  Dear  Harriet,  Washington,  Jany  17,  1821. 

Our  House  sat  until  after  sunset  to  day.  General  Smyth's  substitute 
for  our  bill  was  rejected  by  a  very  large  Majority.  The  question  was  to 
strike  out  the  first  Section  of  the  Bill  to  reduce  the  Army  —  which  was  in 
effect  to  destroy  it,  this  wily  maneuver,  however,  was  negatived  by  an 
overwhelming  Majority.  The  Bill  is  entitled  "  An  act  to  reduce  and  fix 
the  military  peace  establishment  of  the  United  States."  It  is  to  cut  down 
the  Army  to  one  Brig.  Genl.  and  six  thousand  men,  and  of  course  will 
pass.  Yesterday  —  Tuesday  16th  —  another  member  from  Kentucky  — 
Henry  Clay  —  appeared  and  took  his  seat,  no  doubt  to  labor  for  the  ad 
mission  of  Missouri  into  the  Union  with  her  constitution  to  legalize  slavery 
and  perpetuate  that  cursed  institution.  Jacob  H.  De  Witt  is  still  very 
weak,  but  out  of  danger.  *  *  ? 

["  Mr.  Clay,  with  all  his  power,  urged  the  admission,  on  the  ground  that 
to  Missouri  alone  belonged  the  subject  of  her  domestic  slavery;  declaring 
at  the  same  time,  that,  so  great  was  his  detestation  of  the  system,  were  he 
a  citizen  of  that  state,  he  would  never  consent  to  a  State  Constitution 
which  should  not  provide  for  its  extinction.]  After  the  adoption  of  the 
'Missouri  Compromise'  of  1820  that  'Pandora's  box,' which  held  the 
seeds  of  deadliest  mischief  and  misery  the  whole  country  fell  into  a  deep 
slumber  over  the  question  of  slavery.  The  fires  of  discussion  and  agitation, 
which  had  blazed  so  fiercely  and  furiously  during  the  Missouri  struggle, 
had  died  out,  and  been  followed  by  a  general  stupor  so  profound  that  the 
few  persons  who  still  4  remembered  that  God  was  just,  and  that  his  justice 
would  not  sleep  forever '  were  paralyzed  by  discouragement  and  fearful 
foreboding  of  evil  days  to  come." 

Judge  Van  Ness  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
My  Dear  Friend,  Claverack,  24th  Jany.,  1821. 

It  has  been  my  intention  to  write  to  you  for  many  weeks,  but  I  have 
been  so  much  engaged  and  in  so  many  different  ways  that  I  have  not  had 
time  to  attend  to  it.  Your  letters  directed  to  me,  while  I  was  at  New 
York,  were  all  duly  received,  and  I  return  you  my  best  acknowledgments 
for  them.  I  would  have  written  from  New  York,  but  I  was  so  incessantly 
engaged,  that  I  had  no  opportunity  to  frame  such  a  letter  as  I  wished  to 
address  to  you,  and  as  you  would  expect  to  receive.  The  vote  on  the 
Missouri  Constitution  was  a  proud  victory  of  principle  over  cupidity  and 
selfishness.  It  has  done  more  to  restore  the  North  to  its  just  weight  and 
influence  in  the  National  Councils  than  any  event  which  has  occurred  for 
twenty  years.  Let  us  but  be  faithful  to  ourselves  in  the  further  progress  of 
this  question  and  we  shall  be  redeemed  from  the  contempt  which  was 
brought  upon  us  by  that  miserable  Sycophant  who  betrayed  us  to  the 
lords  of  the  South,  to  enable  him  to  subserve  his  own  purposes.  I  allude 
to  that  smallest  of  small  men  Daniel  D.  Tompkins.  He  has  done  more 
to  disgrace  the  character  of  the  North  than  all  the  other  men  who  con 
spired  together  to  barter  away  our  rights  to  the  usurpers  at  Washington. 
In  looking  over  the  proceedings  of  your  house,  lately,  I  confess  that  I  am 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  361 

not  without  my  fears  that  you  will  find  yourselves  in  a  minority,  on  the 
final  vote,  respecting  Missouri.  I  really  think  you  have  delayed  this 
subject  too  long.  It  is  much  to  be  apprehended  that  the  weight  of  the 
Cabinet  will  prove  to  have  been  too  successfully  and  fatally  exerted  on 
this  vital  question  —  it  should  have  been  disposed  of  long  ago  when  you 
felt  and  were  certain  of  your  strength.  The  report  of  the  Military  Com 
mittee  commands  my  entire  approbation,  and  I  venture  to  say,  its  passage 
will  be  supported  by  every  enlightened  Statesman  in  all  the  independent 
States.  The  Army  and  Navy  with  their  endless  train  of  dependents, 
have  done  more  to  place  the  State  Authorities  under  vassalage,  to  the 
General  Government,  than  all  other  causes  combined.  It  is  time  the 
machinery  at  Washington  should  be  simplified,  that  the  enormous  patron 
age  of  the  national  administration  should  be  curtailed,  that  abuses  should 
be  exposed  and  reformed,  that  public  expenditure -should  be  retrenched, 
and  that  a  few  men  there  should  no  longer  be  permitted,  at  the  expense 
of  the  nation,  to  perpetuate  their  own  authority  and  importance.  The 
enormous  expenses  of  both  the  Army  and  Navy  are  no  longer  tolerable, 
we  are  growing  poor  both  as  a  government  and  as  individuals,  and  our 
means  are  inadequate  to  the  maintenance  of  the  worse  than  useless  mili 
tary  establishments  which  now  exist. 

The  opposition  to  the  State  administration  here  is  becoming  more  and 
more  violent  and  unprincipled.  I  think,  however,  they  have  pitched 
their  key  much  too  high,  and  that  many  reflecting  men  have  become 
terrified  at  the  excesses  which  have  lately  been  committed.  You  have 
no  conception  of  the  extent  to  which  the  Majority  in  the  Legislature  in 
tended  to  have  gone,  if  they  had  succeeded  in  getting  a  party  Convention. 
The  firmness  of  the  Governor  and  Council  of  Revision  has  saved  the 
Government,  and  I  am  perfectly  satisfied  that  their  conduct  is  approved 
by  a  vast  majority  of  the  people.  Let  the  Dominant  party  but  go  on  with 
removals  and  appointments  and  there  will  be  a  larger  majority  with  the 
Governor  in  the  Legislature  next  winter,  than  he  has  had  any  time  since 
his  Election.  What  do  you  think  of  the  message  of  the  Governor  to  the 
Assembly,  respecting  the  interference  of  the  U.  S.  Officers  with  our 
local  elections  ?  It  is  a  noble  State  paper,  worthy  of  its  Author,  and  which 
will  produce  more  good  than  any  thing  that  has  been  said  or  written  since 
1800.  The  Bucktails  are  outrageous,  and  in  absolute  dismay.  They  had 
no  conception  of  such  an  exposure.  I  should  like  to  know  what  impres 
sion  this  message  makes  at  Washington.  If  I  am  not  mistaken,  President 
Monroe  will  never  cease  to  regret  that^he  has  lent  himself  to  Martin  Van 
Buren  and  his  coadjutors.  We  feel  well  about  our  own  affairs.  The 
Governor  commands,  more  and  more,  the  confidence  of  all  the  reflecting 
portion  of  the  people.  As  the  views  of  his  opponents  are  unfolded,  the 
more  general  becomes  the  conviction  that  the  peace  and  welfare  of  the 
State  is  identified  with  his  continuance  in  office.  I  was  a  good  deal 
alarmed  at  a  report,  which  was  circulated  in  Albany,  that  you  was  sick. 
Your  family  was  very  much  terrified,  but  their  fears  as  well  as  my  own 
were  allayed  before  I  left  Albany.  How  does  Henry  R.  Storrs  act  ?  to 
what  party  does  he  profess  to  belong  ?  How  very  foolishly  this  young 
man  has  thrown  himself  away.  Make  my  best  respects  to  my  friend 
James  Strong,  he  is  a  good  and  true  man.  What  has  become  of  my  friend 
John  1).  Dickenson  and  family?  I  have  not  heard  from  him  this  winter. 
One  word  more  and  my  paper  is  full.  Affectionately  Yours, 

Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  In  Congress,  Washington.         W.  W.  VAN  NESS. 
46 


362  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Gov.  Clinton  to  Gen.  Van  Renssdaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Albany,  31  January,  1821. 

I  think  that  you  had  better  forward  the  returns  of  which  you  speak  in 
your  letter,  as  soon  as  possible.  Root  [Erastus  Root]  is  muzzled  by  the 
promise  of  being  your  successor.  The  whole  State  is  alive  for  office,  and 
next  week  will  exhibit  a  scene  of  office-hunting,  heretofore  unknown  in 
the  annals  of  the  Community. 

I  am  in  favor  of  retrenchment  because  I  believe  that  the  pecuniary 
pressure  of  the  Country  requires  it,  and  because  I  conceive  that  the 
national  administration  have  grossly  abused  their  patronage  for  the  pur 
pose  of  individual  aggrandizement.  When  Mr.  Calhoun  gave  in 
his  project  for  the  reduction  of  the  army,  he  knew  the  chances  for  a 
general  retrenchment.  I  am  very  unwilling,  however,  to  carry  this  System 
too  far  or  to  such  an  extent  as  to  exalt  unworthy  men,  or  to  injure  the 
substantial  defence  of  the  Country.  You  know  my  opinion  of  Scott.  And 
my  high  estimation  of  Brown  and  Jackson.  [Maj.  Gens.  Jacob  Brown 
and  Andrew  Jackson.]  Calhoun  is  unquestionably  the  only  great  man  in 
the  cabinet,  the  only  one  possessed  of  an  intuitive  mind.  On  military 
principles  you  ought  to  retain  one  Major  General  at  least. 

You  may  let  Colonel  Pell  see  this  letter,  and  I  will  thank  you  to  hand 
him  the  accompanying.  Yours  truly, 

The  Honorable,  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  D.  W.  C. 

In  Congress,  Washington. 

Judge  Van  Ness  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
My  Dear  Friend,  Claverack  7th  Feb.  1821. 

I  perceive  that  you  have  again  had  the  Missouri  question  under  discus 
sion.  My  solicitude  on  this  subject  increases  the  more  1  reflect  upon  it. 
I  perceive  Mr.  Clay  has  taken  a  part  in  the  debate,  and  I  presume  it  was 
with  a  view  to  this  question  that  he  ca'rne  to  Washington.  He  is  an  able 
man,  and  I  understand  a  clever  fellow,  but  I  hope  he  may  not  be  able  to 
delude  any  of  the  friends  of  freedom  in  this  momentous  subject.  I  fear 
not  his  eloquence  or  arguments,  however,  half  as  much  as  I  do  the  over 
whelming  influence  of  the  Cabinet.  Press  a  final  decision  of  this  affair, 
as  soon  as  you  can.  I  have  no  doubt  the  friends  of  the  resolution  will 
endeavor  to  protract  the  discussion,  so  as  to  defeat  a  rejection  of  it  by  the 
present  Congress,  in  the  hopes  that  they  may  have  a  better  chance  with 
the  next.  You  must  bear  in  min(^too,  that  we  have  no  right  to  calculate 
upon  so  unanimous  a  vote  of  the  next  delegation  from  this  State.  Several 
Bucktails  will  be  elected  in  districts  now  represented  by  firm  and  in 
dependent  men.  I  have  seen  with  great  satisfaction  thatyowr  Army  bill 
has  passed  the  House  of  Representatives  by  a  triumphant  majority.  This 
augurs  well  — one  source  of  corruption  will  I  hope  now  be  cut  up.  Until 
within  a  few  days,  I  never  read  the  bill— -  and  I  was  not  therefore  fully 
apprised  of  all  its  details.  It  has  occurred  to  me  on  examining  it,  that  it 
is  hardly  in  the  nature  of  things  that  such  a  thorough  reform  can  be 
effected  at  a  single  stroke.  The  whole  influence  of  the  Army  will  now  be 
exerted  to  prevail  upon  the  Senate  to  introduce  such  modifications  into  the 
bill  as  to  produce  a  reconsideration  of  the  whole  project  in  your  house. 
The  Senate  seeing  the  immense  majority  by  which  the  bill  was  sent  to 
them,  will  no  doubt  be  cautious;  but  that  some  material  amendments  will 
be  made  —  I  can  hardly  doubt.  The  majority  of  the  Senate  are  more 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  363 

purely  party  men  than  in  the  house  of  Representatives  —  they  are  better 
disciplined  —  and  the  power  of  the  cabinet  can  be  brought  to  bear  upon 
them  with  better  effect,  and  greater  facility  than  upon  the  more  numerous 
branch  of  the  legislature.  True  wisdom  and  policy  would  seem  therefore 
to  dictate  a  mild  and  temperate,  but  at  the  same  time  a  firm  course  to  your 
house. 

It  would  be  expedient  to  adopt  such  amendments  proposed  by  the 
Senate,  as  do  not  essentially  affect  the  principles  of  the  bill,  as  you  have 
passed  it.  I  mean  such  amendments  as  your  honor  and  your  duty  will 
allow  you  to  sanction.  Any  alteration  calculated  to  divide  your  friends 
and  in  the  end  to  frustrate  your  whole  plan  should  be  promptly  and  in 
dignantly  rejected.  By  attempting  to  affect  too  much,  I  have  frequently 
found  that  a  whole  measure  has  been  jeopardised  and  sometimes  lost.  On 
reading  a  New  York  paper,  a  day  or  two  ago,  I  observe  that  a  fear  ex 
pressed  that  in  case  of  the  discharge  of  the  Major  Generals,  the  Command 
of  the  whole  Army  will  be  committed  to  Gen.  Scott  —  of  whom  you  know 
I  entertain  the  utmost  contempt.  Now  suppose  the  Senate  should  pro 
pose  that  one,  or  both  the  Major  Generals  should  be  retained,  what  would 
it  be  proper  for  your  house  to  do  ?  I  am  speaking  of  a  subject  I  confess 
which  I  do  not  profess  to  understand  half  as  well  as  you  do,  and  therefore 
speak  with  diffidence.  It  seems  to  me,  however,  in  the  event  I  have 
supposed,  that  the  house  ought  to  recede,  provided  you  are  satisfied  the 
Senate  is  in  earnest,  and  resolved  to  suffer  the  whole  measure  to  fall  to 
the  ground  unless  this  point  shall  be  yielded  to  them.  Indeed  it  rather 
appears  to  me  that  there  is  a  propriety  in  having  an  Officer  at  the  head 
of  the  Army  of  superior  rank.  If  the  Senate  should  insist  that  the  Com- 
mander-in  chief  should  be  a  Major  General,  the  question  arises  whether 
in  preference  to  hazarding  the  whole  bill  this  proposition  should  not  be 
conceded.  On  these  points  however,  you  are  better  able  to  form  just  con 
clusions  than  I  am,  and  whatever  you  may  judge  to  be  best  calculated  to 
promote  the  public  interest,  and  to  establish  a  just  economy,  you  will  find 
your  friends  will  approbate.  Let  me  hear  from  you  on  this  subject.  I 
go  to  Albany  to  the  Court  of  Errors,  in  a  day  or  two,  and  will  you  direct 
your  letters  to  that  place.  Martin  Van  Buren  was  yesterday,  no  doubt, 
elected  to  the  Senate  of  the  U.  S.,  in  the  place  of  Sanford.  The  latter 
in  the  Bucktail  Caucus  had  24  votes  and  V.  B.  58.  Had  Sanford's  friends 
been  true  to  him,  he  might  have  been  chosen  with  the  utmost  ease.  I 
suspect  our  friends  have  not  even  voted  for  him.  They  probably  have 
thrown  away  their  votes  upon  a  man,  they  will  find,  who  has  a  decided 
political  character,  The  new  Council  meets  to  day  and  the  next  mail  will 
probably  bring  you  the  news  of  your  removal,  as  Adjutant  General,  and 
of  Roots  appointment  in  your  place.  Rely  upon  it  the  next  Election  will 
set  every  thing  right  again.  Most  affectionately  Yours, 

Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  M.  C.,  Washington.      W>  W'  VAN  NESS' 

Gov.  Clinton  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
My  Dear  Sir,  Albany  14th  Feb.  1821. 

I  have  received  your  three  packages  of  Military  Returns  by  this  day's 
mail. 

Your  removal,  from  Adjutant  General,  is  generally  and  justly  obnox 
ious.  There  is  no  doubt  of  your  re-nomination  for  Congress,  and  there  is 
no  doubt  but  that  the  proceedings  of  the  Council  have  prostrated  the  faction. 

Charles  E.  Dudley  is  appointed  Mayor  of  Albany.     All  their  appoint- 


364  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

merits  are  injudicious  and  many  of  them  very  Scandalous.  The  dis 
satisfaction  among  the  Bucktails  is  general.  We  think  that  the  Army 
ought  to  stand  on  the  Senate  Bill  :  so  say  all  judicious  friends.  John  Brush 
a  valuable  friend  wishes  the  appointment  of  Post  Master  in  Poughkeepsie. 
He  has  a  brother  in  your  house  from  Ohio.  Can  you  promote  the  object 
and  confer  with  him  on  this  subject?  Yours  Sincerely, 

DE  WITT  CLINTON. 
Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  in  Congress,  Washington. 

Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  7iis  Wife. 

My  Dear  Harriot,  Washington  Feb.  17.  1821. 

Before  the  Mail  closes,  I  must  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  Mag's,  Ade 
line's  and  your  letter  of  llth  Inst.  dismiss  my  love,  all  fears  about  me. 
I  am  in  perfect  health  and  only  wish  for  the  happy  moment  when  I  shall 
embrace  you  :  this  life  of  separation  is  a  horrid  one  to  me.  If  I  return  to 
this  place,  I  pray  to  God  to  be  enabled  to  bring  you  with  me.  I  shall 
then  be  perfectly  happy,  and  make  you  so  too ;  my  every  happiness  is 
centred  in  you ;  you  first  warmed  my  heart,  which  love  has  increased  with 
time  until  you  have  became  part  of  myself.  I  now  feel  in  high  spirits 
that  two  weeks  from  this  day  will  close  the  Session.  ^  #  ^ 

Chas.  G.  Haines  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Genl.  New  York,  27  Feb.,  1821. 

You  will  this  day  receive  a  Letter  from  a  Committee,  requesting  in 
formation  as  to  your  return  to  this  City  from  Washington.  A  public 
Dinner  has  been  decreed  to  you,  and  on  no  ground  must  you  shrink  or 
disappoint  us.  I  had  the  honor  of  bringing  forward  the  proposition  to  a 
number  of  highly  respectable  Citizens  at  Washington  Hall,  and  it  was  re 
ceived  with  unbounded  enthusiasm.  It  has  gone  through  the  City  and 
inspired  the  same  elevated  and  honourable  feelings.  This  will  not  be  a 
party  Dinner.  The  Committee  of  Arrangements  are  taken  from  various 
quarters.  It  will  be  strictly  a  CITIZENS  DINNER,  and  one  of  the  most  re 
spectable  that  has  ever  been  given  in  this  City.  Our  political  prospects 
are  glorious.  With  one  bold  effort  we  can  prostrate  the  Jacobins.  I  am 

tlad  to  see  the   old  North  behave  so  nobly  on  the  Missouri  question, 
tand  firm  :  God  and  the  Nation  are  with  you.     Again  I  say,  you  must 
not  disappoint  your  friends.  Sincerely  Yours, 

Hon.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Washington,         CHAS.  G.  HAINES. 

The  Missouri  Compromise  allowed  slavery  south  of  36°  30'  north  lati 
tude,  and  in  that  state.  "  Missouri  had  applied  for  admission.  The  ques 
tion  arose  should  she  be  admitted  as  a  slave  state  ?  After  a  strong  debate, 
it  was  decided  that  slavery  should  be  tolerated  in  Missouri,  but  prohibited 
in  all  the  territory  of  the  United  States  north  and  west  of  Arkansas. 

"  March  3,  1821.  A  resolution  providing  for  the  admission  of  the  state 
of  Missouri  into  the  Union  on  a  certain  condition  was  approved  and  signed 
by  the  president." 

Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Jiis  Wife. 
My  dear  Harriet,  Washington,  March  3,  1821. 

We  have  this  evening  finished  the  Missouri  question,  and  have  been 
beaten  by  a  Majority  of  Three.  The  subject  was  so  warmly  contested  that 
to  allay  the  terrible  storm,  that  was  brewing  with  danger  to  the  Union, 
Mr.  Clay  proposed  the  "  Missouri  Compromise"  which  allows  slavery  in 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  365 

that  State  even  after  admitted,  but  prohibits  it  north  of  36°  30'.  The 
contemptible  bargaining  Yankees  were  frightened  by  the  braggadocio 
Southern  Nabobs,  some  bolted,  and  others  voted  against  us.  They  are  a 
despicable  set,  and  instead  of  governing,  which  they  had  the  opportunity 
to  do,  they  gave  all  up.  They  are  not  fit  for  negro  drivers  to  the  people 
of  the  South,  and  even  they  despise  such  vacillation  and  political  servi 
tude.  I  am  respected  even  by  the  Southerners  because  I  have  ever 
opposed  them  manfully.  We  would  have  defeated  the  whole  clique,  had 
the  three  members  from  our  State  acted  as  firmly  as  they  said  they  would, 
never  to  give  up  the  question  whatever  might  be  the  consequence.  Those 
three  firm  men  :  Caleb  Tompkins  (a  brother  of  the  "Vice- President) 
Walter  Case  and  Harmanus  Peck  of  Schenectady  bolted  upon  the  last 
question.  We  sat  without  dinner  every  day  this  week  until  nine  o'clock 
at  night.  Our  caucus,  in  which  a  strenuous  effort  was  vigorously  put 
forth  against  Slavery  in  any  shape  whatsoever,  might  have  won  honorable 
fame  to  itself,  and  greatly  benefited  the  country  if  they  had  only  acted 
with  firmness  and  courtesy.  But  with  an  impetuous  and  inconsiderate 
rashness  our  Government  is  being  placed  in  an  attitude  of  peril,  and  from 
this  critical  emergency  we  have  tried  to  save  her  by  wholesome  measures 
which  have  been  frustrated.  Mr.  Clay  as  a  sagacious  counsellor  and 
statesman  has  exerted  his  influence  to  bring  around  the  practical  measure 
upon  which  this  amicable  agreement  between  the  North  and  South  has 
now  been  adjusted,  and  the  honor,  if  there  is  any  in  this  affair,  belongs 
to  him  for  a  successful  issue  to  his  well  meant  efforts.  The  House  does 
not  meet  tomorrow,  therefore  I  shall  take  a  ride  on  horseback  for  ten  or 
twelve  miles  out  into  the  country.  I  have  been  so  much  confined  that  I 
much  need  the  diversion,  but  I  am  in  perfect  health  of  body,  only  just 
heartily  home-sick  and  never  wished  so  much  to  see  you;  but  it  is  impossi 
ble  to  say  when  that  wished  for  moment  will  arrive.  Write  me  how 
Tompkins  and  politics  come  on  ;  about  my  friend  Judge  Van  Ness  &c., 
with  all  the  items  of  home  news.  I  received  Adeline's  letter  yesterday, 
and  one  to  day  from  a  Gentleman  saying  he  had  attended  our  girls  splendid 
party,  and  that  all  the  guests  were  pleased.  This  gentleman  is  Peter 
Gansevoort;  I  wish  much  I  could  have  made  one  of  the  happy  number. 
Good  night  my  Love,  kiss  our  little  ones  for  me  and  big  ones  too.  Believe 
me  unalterably  your  affectionate  Husband.  SOL.  VAN  PtENSSELAER. 
Mrs.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany,  N.  Y. 

"  The  admission  of  Missouri  as  a  state  into  the  Union,  was  made,  by 
its  connection  with  the  subject  of  slavery,  one  of  the  most  violently  con 
tested  questions  that  ever  agitated  the  councils  of  the  nation.  A  bill  had 
been  introduced  into  congress,  providing  for  the  admission  of  Missouri,  on 
the  condition,  that  all  children  of  slaves,  born  after  the  passage  of  the  ;  ct, 
should  be  free,  after  reaching  the  age  of  twenty-five  years,  and  that  the 
further  introduction  of  slavery  should  be  prohibited.  The  excitement  in 
congress  infected  the  people  when  this  bill  was  defeated  aud^the  north  was 
arrayed  against  by  the  south." 


366  LEGACY  OP  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

APPOINTMENT  OF  ALBANY  POST  MASTER. 

Tribute  of  Respect. 

The  following  letters  were  copied  in  the  New  York  Columbian  prefaced 
by  these  remarks : 

"  We  have  obtained  from  the  gentlemen  whose  names  are  subscribed  to 
the  following  correspondence,  copies  thereof  for  publication.  The  senti 
ments  contained  in  the  letter  to  Gen,  Van  Rensselaer,  as  well  as  his 
answer,  do  honor  to  the  parties,  and  cannot  fail  to  sink  deep  into  the 
minds  of  all  good  men.  It  is  probable  that  this  correspondence  would 
never  have  met  the  eyes  of  the  public,  had  it  not  been  for  the  calumnies 
on  the  character  of  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer,  which  have  recently  appeared 
in  the  factious  papers  of  this  city." 

To  Gen.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer. 
Sir,  New  York,  March  5,  1821. 

As  friends  to  personal  merit  —  as  friends  to  elevated  and  manly  prin 
ciples  —  and  as  friends  to  the  honor  and  credit  of  the  state  of  New  York, 
a  large  and  respectable  number  of  your  fellow  citizens,  in  this  city,  are 
anxious  to  greet  your  return  from  the  seat  of  government  by  some  public 
testimony  of  esteem  and  respect  compatible  with  the  tone  of  popular  feel 
ing,  inspired  by  your  removal  from  the  office  of  adjutant  general;  and 
the  just  appreciation  of  your  important  services  to  the  state  and  to  the 
nation.  They  have  agreed  to  give  you  a  public  dinner,  and  only  wait 
your  acceptance  of  this  proffered  tribute  of  regard,  to  make  the  necessary 
arrangements.  In  times  when  worth,  valor  and  talent  are  proscribed  in 
the  civil  commotions  of  a  state,  there  is  a  gratification  in  seeing  a  free  and 
intelligent  people  indicate  their  regard  and  attachment  for  the  victims  of 
party  exclusion — for  men  who  'deserve  the  gratitude  of  the  present  age, 
and  the  gratitude  of  posterity  for  men,  whose  deeds  of  bravery  will  ever 
form  an  illustrious  example  on  the  page  of  history,  and  whose  political 
course  has  been  distinguished  by  integrity,  honor,  firmness  and  decision. 

Your  early  military  services,  your  brilliant  exploits,  during  the  late 
war,  your  scars  and  your  wounds,  nobly  received  in  the  defence  of  your 
country,  as  well  as  your  recent  services  on  the  floor  of  Congress  deserve 
far  more  than  any  homage  which  we  can  render  you.  Please  to  inform 
us  on  what  day  we  shall  have  the  pleasure  of  waiting  on  you. 

ROBT.  BOGARDUS,     BENJ.  G.  MlNTURN, 

BENJ.  FERRIS,  CHAS.  G.  HAINES, 

ISAAC  M.  ELY,  JONAS  MAPES, 

J.  LE  ROY,  Committee. 

Gentlemen,  City  Hotel  New  York,  March  6,  1821. 

Your  flattering  demonstration  of  public  regard  has  been  received  with 
the  most  grateful  sensibility.  However  little  I  may  deserve,  for  any  serv 
ices  rendered,  so  distinguished  a  mark  of  approbation,  or  be  entitled  to 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  367 

your  animated  eulogiurns,  it  is  solacing  to  reflect,  that  my  motives  have 
been  justly  appreciated. 

In  the  various  public  stations,  to  which  I  have  been  called  by  the  in 
dulgent  confidence  of  my  fellow  citizens,  it  has  ever  been  my  ambition  to 
promote  the  prosperity,  and  maintain  the  honor  of  the  State.  And  their 
approbation  constitutes  the  most  welcome  reward  for  past,  and  the  noblest 
incentive  to  future  exertions. 

I  regret  that  my  health  is  so  impaired  by  recent  fatigue,  as  to  compel 
me  to  decline  your  flattering  invitation.  Be  pleased  to  accept  on  behalf 
of  yourselves  and  your  fellow  citizens,  the  assurance  of  my  most  grateful 
respect.  SOLOMON  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

To  Robert  Bogardus,  Benj.   C.    Minturn,  Benjamin   Ferris,  Charles  G. 
Haines,  Isaac  M.  Ely,  Jonas  Mapes,  J.  Le  Roy,  Committee. 

"  March  14,  1821.  General  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  was  yesterday 
unanimously  nominated  for  a  re-election  to  Congress  by  the  Albany  County 
Federal  Rupublican  Convention  for  Representative  to  Congress."  On 
February  12th,  while  General  Van  Rensselaer  was  attending  to  his  con 
gressional  duties  at  Washington,  he  was  removed  by  the  new  Council  of 
Appointment  from,  the  office  of  adjutant  general  —  a  situation  he  had 
been  allowed  to  retain  during  the  administration  of  Governors  Jay, 
George  Clinton,  Lewis,  Tompkins  and  De  Witt  Clinton's  till  this  year, 
having  fulfilled  the  duties  of  the  responsible  station  to  the  entire  satisfac 
tion  of  the  country.  Upon  being  superseded  by  William  L.  Marcy,  Esq., 
the  above  re-nomination  was  immediately  made.  At  the  time  of  election  — 
by  an  overwhelming  majority  over  the  Democratic  candidate,  Hon.  Har- 
inanus  Bleecker,  it  was  certified  that  :  "  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  by  the 
greatest  number  of  votes  in  the  Ninth  District  was  elected  Representative 
for  this  state  in  the  House  of  Representatives  of  the  Seventeenth  Congress 
of  the  United  States."  This  official  return  was  hailed  with  great  joy  by 
numerous  friends. 

Judge  Van  Ness  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  New  York  May  16, 1821. 

I  saw  the  Chancellor  [James  Kent]  yesterday  and  had  a  long  talk  with 
him  on  the  subject  of  the  Convention.  I  am  authorized  in  saying  that  if 
you  think  proper  to  nominate  him  as  one  of  your  candidates,  he  will  not 
decline.  We  all  here  think  he  ought  to  be  in  the  convention  and  I  hope 
you  will  send  him  if  you  can.  I  also  think  it  of  the  highest  importance 
that  the  Chief  Justice  [Ambrose  Spencer]  should  be  in  the  convention 

I  have  this  dny  written  to  the  Patroon  in  relation  to  the  Chancellor. 
It  would  be  well  enough  for  you  to  mention  this  to  a  few  confidential 
friends.  You  may  say  you  are  authorized  to  declare  that  if  the  Chancellor 
is  nominated  he  will  not  decline  —  my  name  need  not  be  mentioned.  I 
wrote  to  Dr.  Bay  on  these  subjects.  I  shall  be  at  home  on  Sunday.  God 
bless  you.  W.  W.  VAN  NESS. 

Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer  Albany. 

"  This  convention  of  the  people  of  the  State  of  New  Yrork,  assembled  at 
Albany,  on  the  twenty-eighth  day  of  August,  1821,  pursuant  to  an  act  of  the 
legislature  of  the  said  state,  entitled  'an  act  recommending  a  convention  of'the 
people  of  this  state,  passed  March  13th/  The  object  of  this  convention  was 
to  decide,  by  a  majog^y  of  votes  as  given  against  the  amended  constitution, 
then  it  should  be  deemed  rejected  by  the  citizens  of  this  state  :  But  if  a 


368  LEGACY  OP  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

majority  of  the  said  votes  are  for  the  amended  constitution,  then  the  same 
shall  be  deemed  to  be  ratified,  and  confirmed,  by  the  citizens  of  the  state." 

The  First  Session  of  the  seventeenth  congress  began  December  3,  1821, 
and  General  Van  Rensselaer  entered  upon  his  second  congressional  term. 

Representatives  of  the  State  of  New  York  in  Congress :  xviith  CON 
GRESS. —  Cadwallader  D.  Golden,  Silas  Wood,  C.  C.  Cambreleng,  John 
I.  Morgan,  Jeremiah  H.  Pierson,  William  W.  Van  Wyck,  Walter  Patter 
son,  Silas  Tuthill,  Gharles  H.  Ruggles,  Richard  McCarty,  Solomon  Van 
Rensselaer,  John  D.  Dickinson,  John  W.  Taylor,  Nathaniel  Pitcher,  Reu 
ben  H.  Walworth,  John  .Gebhard,  Alfred  Conkling,  Samuel  Campbell, 
James  Hawks,  Joseph  Kirkland,  Thomas  H.  Hubbard,  Micah  Sterling, 
Elijah  Litchfield  William  B.  Rochester,  David  Woodcock,  Elijah  Spen 
cer,  Benjmain  Ellicott.  Senators  —  Rufus  King,  Martin  Van  Buren. 

Philip  P.  Barbour  of  Virginia  was  chosen  speaker  of  the  house. 

Officers  of  the  Government  of  the  United  States:  James  Monroe, 
president,  Daniel  D.  Tompkins,  vice  president ;  John  Q.  Adams,  secre 
tary  of  state;  William  H.  Crawford,  secretary  of  the  treasury;  John 
C.  Calhoun,  secretary  at  war;  Smith  Thompson,  secretary  of  the  navy; 
Return  J.  Meigs,  post-master  general;  John  Marshall,  chief  justice. 

Officers  of  the  Government  of  the  State  of  New  York  :  His  Excellency 
De  Witt  Clinton,  governor  ;  John  Taylor,  lieutenant  gov. ;  James  Kent, 
chancellor;  Ambrose  Spencer,  chief  justice;  William  W.  Van  Ness, 
Joseph  C.  Yates,  Jonas  Platt,  John  Wood  worth,  justices  of  S.  C.  John 
V.  N.  Yates  secretary  of  state  ;  John  Savage,  comptroller  ;  Benjamin 
Knower,  treasurer;  Simeon  De  Witt,  surveyor  general;  Samuel  A.  Tal- 
cott,  attorney  gen.;  William  L.  Marcy,  adjutant,  general;  Gerrit  V. 
Dennistou,  judge  advocate  general;  Archibald  Campbell,  deputy  secre 
tary. 

DIED.  At  his  seat  in  Greenbush,  Rensselaer  county  on  Tuesday  evening 
December  llth,  1821,  MAJOR  NANNING  I.  VISSCHER  aged  forty-nine. 
Major  Visscher  received  his  first  commission,  as  ensign,  in  the  United  States 
army  under  President  Washington,  at  the  early  age  of  nineteen,  and  entered 
into  immediate  service.  He  received  regular  promotion  in  our  then  small 
military  establishment,  and  served  under  Gen.  Wayne  during  the  whole 
of  that  dangerous  warfare,  until  our  Indian  enemies  were  driven  back  and 
peace  was  made  with  them.  Possessing  an  ardent  zeal  for  the  service,  and 
being  rigidly  exact  in  the  performance  of  every  military  duty,  he  was  en 
trusted  by  his  general  with  the  command  of  several  important  military 
posts,  and  often  placed  in  highly  responsible  situations,  where  his  bravery 
and  prudence  rendered  him  essentially  useful.  He  was  again  promoted 
by  President  Adams  in  the  second  regiment  of  infantry,  in  1801,  where 
he  remained  till  1810,  when  he  was  transferred  to  the  rifle  regiment. 
Having  obtained  permission  to  go  to  England,  on  his  private  affairs,  about 
the  commencement  of  the  late  war,  he  hastened  the  settlement  of  his  busi 
ness  in  that  country,  and,  on  his  return,  solicited  from  government  employ 
ment,  with  a  rank  to  which  he  justly  deemed  his  long  service,  and  the  aug 
mentation  of  the  army  entitled  him.  The  places  he  had  a  right  to  expect, 
however,  having  been  filled  up  with  oificers  who  had  been  junior  to  him 
in  rank,  he  felt  himself  bound  to  tender  his  resignation.  Major  Visscher 
was  ever  considered  a  valuable  officer  and  a  worthy  citizen.  His  urbanity 
of  manners  and  gentlemanly  deportment,  gave  him  many  friends.  Those 
who  were  more  particularly  intimate  with  him,  andJrad  an  opportunity  to 
know  his  unaffected  generosity  and  genuine  goodness  of  heart,  will  long 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  369 

remember  him  with  sincere  affection.  His  death  will  be  deeply  felt  by 
an  extensive  circle  of  friends  and  connections,  but  by  none  so  acutely,  as 
his  afflicted  widow.  Respect  for  his  memory  was  marked  by  the  numbers 
who  attended  his  funeral  on  Thursday,  13th  instant.  Several  of  the  uni 
form  companies  of  Albany,  notwithstanding  the  unfavorable  state  of  the 
weather  and  dangerous  crossing,  with  their  characteristic  promptness, 
volunteered  in  paying  the  last  honors  to  the  deceased  fellow-soldier. 

Gov.  Clinton  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
My  dear  Sir,  Albany,  25  December,  1821. 

Knowing  your  indisposition  to  an  Epistolary  Correspondence,  I  did  not 
intend  to  trouble  you  with  any  of  my  letters  until  something  should  occur 
of  considerable  interest,  and  a  rumor  which  has  just  reached  me  has 
prompted  this  communication.  It  is  said  that  the  Post  Master  General 
has  notified  the  Post  Master  of  this  City,  that  if  he  does  not  make  good  his 
defaults  by  the  first  of  January,  he  will  be  removed.  And  as  this  will  be 
out  of  his  power,  a  Scramble  will  take  place  for  the  spoils.  Judge  Howe 
it  is  said  is  already  at  work.  Can  you  ascertain  the  truth  of  this  and  let 
me  know  who  the  Sureties  are  and  whether  we  ought  to  stir  in  this  affair, 
as  we  are  all  concerned  in  having  a  good  post  master.  Our  Legislature  meet 
on  the  1st  of  January.  The  Speech  will  be  sent  to  you  immediately  after 
it  is  delivered.  The  public  mind  is  in  a  favourable  tone,  and  I  think  that 
great  events  are  yet  in  store  and  will  in  time  be  realized.  Send  the  docu 
ments  regularly. 

One  of  your  Daughters  sustained  an  injury  by  a  fall  but  she  is  now 
almost  well  and  the  rest  of  your  family  entirely  so. 

I  am  dear  Sir,  Your  sincere  friend, 

DE  WITT  CLINTON. 

The  Honorable  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  In  Congress,  Washington. 

Sol.  Van  Rensselaer  to  the  Patroon. 
My  Dear  Sir,  Washington  Dec.  26,  1821. 

I  have  just  received  your  letter  for  which  I  thank  you.  Your  congratu 
lation's  on  my  escape  in  the  stage,  and  your  pious  thanks  to  Him  who  has 
so  often  protected  me  in  danger,  calls  forth  feelings  which  are  easier  felt 
than  expressed.  To  that  All-powerful  Being  I  also  feel  grateful,  in  which 
an  interesting  and  affectionate  family  have  reason  to  participate.  This 
warm  expression  of  your  feelings  is  the  more  grateful  to  my  heart,  as  I 
feared  from  some  circumstances  that  I  had  been  mis-represented.  It  was 
my  intention  to  have  spoken  to  you,  on  this  subject,  that  I  might  meet 
my  calumniator  before  you,  but  a  conscious  pride  that  I  had,  at  the  risk 
of  promotion,  office  and  more  serious  consequences  at  this  place  —  defended 
you,  kept  me  silent.  I  never  wrote  or  urged  any  person  living  in  favor 
of  my  nomination  [to  Congress],  which  took  place  three  days  after  I  got 
home.  When  Mr  Schuyler  called  upon  and  urged  me  to  decline,  and  after 
I  told  him  that  it  was  not  from  ambition,  but  to  save  something  for  my 
family  that  I  could  not,  he  spoke  of  my  pecuniary  obligations  to  the  family  I 
it  roused  my  indignant  feelings.  I  told  him  if  you  had  of  your  own  accord 
paid  money  for  me,  Iliad  staked  my  life,  and  spent  my  blood  in  defence 
o/YOUR  honor  and  reputation.  I  regretted  I  had  said  so  much  but,  the 
indelicate  manner  in  which  he  treated  me,  at  the  moment,  called  it  forth  ; 
besides  from  what  passed  between  us  at  this  place,  I  was  satisfied  you  knew 

47 


370  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

nothing  of  the  project.  At  this  crisis  too  I  had  been  removed,  [from  being 
Adjutant  General]  and  one  charge  against  me  was  for  pushing  the  pro 
motion  of  the  very  man  who  wished  my  place  here  [in  Congress.] 

You  have  formed  a  proper  opinion  of  Eustis,  he  is  amiable,  weak  and 
honest,  he  is  particularly  friendly  to  me,  before  he  left  the  War  office,  he 
put  me  down  as  a  Brigadier-General.  He  is  easily  managed,  has  no 
opinion  of  his  own.  The  Committee  will  go  with  me,  and  as  that  is  well 
known  I  receive  every  attention.  We  have  had  three  meetings,  T  waved 
the  subject  of  the  army  ;  we  meet  again  tomorrow  when  I  shall  be  ready 
to  act.  I  rejoice  that  our  opinions  on  this  subject  coincide,  but  my  opinion 
shall  not  be  known  before  hand.  Calhoun  called  and  set  with  me  an  hour, 
this  morning,  to  explain  the  difficulty  at  West  Point.  He  asked  me  to 
take  a  family  dinner  with  him,  but  which  I  declined  as  I  was  engaged  at 
the  Presidents  —  out  of  alphabetical  order. 

Van  Buren  is  very  civil,  he  and  all  the  Bucktails  have  been  to  see  me. 
I  am  upon  good  terms  with  them  all,  but  they  are  detested  by  the  very 
men  they  voted  with  on  the  subject  of  the  Speaker.  Van  Buren  stays 
with  Dickinson,  Patterson  and  others  at  Strothers ;  he  spoke  at  the  table 
in  handsome  terms  of  me.  He  knows  nothing  of  the  object  I  have  in 
view.  The  office  of  Post  Master  at  Albany  will  become  vacant  unless  he 
makes  deposits  to  a  large  amount  in  the  State  Bank  without  delay.  He 
has  been  written  to  more  than  a  fortnight  since,  and  up  to  this  day  the 
Post  Master  General  has  received  no  answer  from  Southwick.  The  Post 
Master  General  is  my  decided  friend,  I  will  also  have  the  support  of  the 
Secretary  of  War  [John  C.  Calhoun].  I  think  also  all  the  members  from 
our  State  in  our  House,  Ohio,  Kentucky  and  Tennessee  will  vote  that 
office  to  me;  and  if  a  strong  recommendation  comes  from  Albany,  and  you 
write  to  King  and  Van  Buren  in  such  terms  as  the  occasion  will  warrant, 
I  think  by  abandoning  politics,  with  a  strict  regard  to  my  duty,  I  may  sit 
down  in  comfort,  peace  and  quietness  with  an  affectionate  family  the  rest 
of  my  precarious  days.  I  have  indeed,  as  you  say,  made  sacrifices  enough. 

Without  any  trouble  I  will  procure  the  nomination  of  Stephen.  What 
ever  interesting  occurs  you  shall  be  made  acquainted  with.  I  stay  at  the 
same  house,  and  in  the  same  room  you  found  me,  opposite  to  Calhouns, 
where  I  shall  be  rejoiced  to  see  you.  Randolph  —  he  is  as  crazy  as  ever, 
but  very  friendly,  and  many  others  asked  about  you. 

Whatever  Providence  has  decreed  for  me,  I  never  shall  be  wanting  in 
gratitude  or  affection  for  you. 

Southwicks  fixed  Salary,  free  of  expenses  is  $2000,  his  son  who  is 
dead  got  $800  and  another  son,  a  little  boy  $150,  besides  two  clerks  at 
$300  each.  I  have  written  to  Denniston  and  McKown  on  this  subject. 

Your  Obt.  Servt. 

SOL.  VAN  BENSSELAER. 
Gen.  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany,  N.  Y. 

Denniston  told  me  before  I  left  home,  that  Southwick  was  much  in 
arrears  and  wished  me  to  enquire  about  it.  I  think  it  very  probable  that 
he  would  like  the  situation  for  his  son-in-law  Robert  Elliott  who  wag  teller 
in  the  Bank  but  has  resigned  his  situation. 

Judge  McKown  to  Gen.  Van  JKenssdaer. 
My  dear  Sir,  Albany,  26  Dec  ,  1821. 

Mr  Denniston  has  shewn  me  your  letter  to  him.  I  believe  he  writes 
himself  by  this  mail,  but  immediately  on  reading  your  letter  he  did  not 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  371 

hesitate  to  say  instantly  that  he  would  not  make  any  interest  for  himself, 
but  would  cordially  assist  in  every  way  you  might  point  out  or  that  he 
could  himself  suggest  to  give  effect  to  your  application.  And  he  desires 
by  all  means  that  you  should  not  let  any  circumstance  escape  you  at 
Washington  that  might  further  your  prospects.  I  do  not  understand 
you  to  say  in  your  letter  that  I  shall  communicate  with  our  friends 
Alexander  and  Van  Vechten  on  the  subject  at  present,  and  I  shall  wait 
your  instructions,  lest  by  doing  so  I  shall  be  premature.  I  hazard 
nothing  when  I  say  we  can  raise  the  united  voice  of  the  wealth,  character, 
and  business  of  our  City  in  your  favor.  As  to  those  who  do  not  pay  12  J 
cents  postage  a  year,  they  may  be  induced  to  recommend  the  first  Specu 
lator  and  adventurer  that  applies.  But  the  1*.  M.  Genl.  and  the  heads 
of  Department  know  full  well  how  to  estimate  those  who  apply  by  numbers 
of  those  who  recommend. 

The  Government  were  imposed  upon  in  the  appointment  of  the  present 
incumbent,  and  I  should  suppose  they  would  rather  take  a  man  they  did 
know,  and  who  the  country  knew,  than  one  recommended  by  others,  no 
matter  how  high  in  office  those  were  who  solicited  for  him.  If  there  was 
not  a  defalcation,  the  great  dissatisfaction  and  distrust  of  the  office  that 
at  present  exist  here  among  the  business  part  of  the  Citizens  of  every 
denomination,  ought  to  induce  the  removal  of  the  Incumbent  without 
hesitation.  I  take  it  for  granted  it  must  be  so.  Now  for  Mr.  Van  Buren 
to  think  of  the  appointment  of  Chancellor  Lansing  is  perfectly  idle,  for 
reasons  which  he  knows  as  well  as  any  one.  That  Chancellor  L.  is  poor 
or  insolvent  ought  never,  to  say  the  least,  be  made  a  claim  for  such  an 
office  where  there  is  so  much  responsibility.  Indeed  with  reflecting  men 
it  would,  I  should  think,  operate  against  his  application.  But  he  is  too 
old  —  between  65  and  75,  can  it  be  expected  infirm  as  he  is,  he  can  go  into 
such  an  office  to  do  business?  And  let  me  say  our  Citizens  will  never  be 
satisfied  unless  the  head  of  the  office  shows  himself  in  it.  If  Chancellor 
Lansing  gets  the  office,  no  doubt  it  is  to  go  into  the  hands  of  his  Son-in 
Law  Livingston,  a  young  Lawyer  from  Dutchess  County,  who  is  aa 
entire  stranger  here.  And  what  can  Mr.  Van  Buren  hope  can  be 
gained  in  a  party  point  of  view  by  such  an  appointment?  Chancellor 
Lansing  has  no  longer  any  personal  or  family  influence.  There's  not  a 
man  of  any  talent  in  the  whole  concern,  except  Mr.  Sutherland,  who  is 
already  well  provided  for,  and  therefore  no  danger  of  their  losing  him. 

Let  me  hear  from  you  and  give  me  instructions.  I  say  nothing  to  any 
one  till  I  hear  from  you. 

Our  Legislature  meets  you  know  on  the  first  day  of  January.  As  poor 
D —  of  the  minority  will  of  course  have  but  little  to  say  in  organising 
the  House  —  Rouieyn  of  New  York  and  Burt  of  Orange  are  canvassing 
for  Speaker  on  the  Bucktail  side.  I  write  in  a  hurry  to  enable  me  to  get 
this  in  the  mail  this  evening.  Yours  truly 

Hon.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  JAMES  McKowN. 

House  of  Representatives,  Washington  City. 

To  THE  HON.  RETURN  J.  MEIGS   POST   MASTER   GENERAL  OF  THE 

UNITED  STATES. 

Understanding  that  there  is  a  vacancy  in  the  post  office  at  Albany  in 
the  State  of  New  York  and  the  Hon.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  is  a  candi 
date  for  the  appointment ; 


372  LEGACY  or  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

We  the  subscribers  deem  it  a  duty  due  to  merit  to  state,  that  we  are 
well  acquainted  with  General  Van  Rensselaer.  That  he  served  several 
years  in  the  army  of  the  United  States  in  the  Western  country.  That  he 
bore  a  distinguished  part  in  the  memorable  campaign  that  liberated  the 
western  country  from  the  scourge  of  Indian  warfare.  That  he  was  distin 
guished  for  his  courage  and  conduct  on  all  occasions,  that  the  place  of 
danger  was  with  him  the  post  of  honor,  and  that  he  there  received  a 
wound  through  the  lungs  which  will  probably  affect  him  through  life. 

That  his  patriotism,  without  office,  prompted  him  in  the  late  war  to  vol 
unteer  his  services  for  the  benefit  of  his  country,  and  that  his  services, 
his  wounds,  and  his  sufferings  at  Queens  Town  will  never  be  forgotten 
while  the  record  of  the  memorable  events  of  that  war  shall  adorn  the 
history  of  our  country. 

And  we  beg  leave  to  add  that  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  has  the  honor  of 
being  descended  from  a  revolutionary  patriot  and  hero  — who  contributed  by 
his  patriotism,  his  courage,  and  his  arms  to  the  achievement  of  our  inde 
pendence,  and  who  —  as  will  be  the  case  with  his  son  —  carried  the  ball 
of  the  enemy  in  his  body  to  the  grave. 

Without  any  other  motive  than  a  regard  for  a  meritorious  officer  who 
has  spent  the  flower  of  his  days  in  toils  and  dangers,  and  who  has  sustained 
an  unusual  share  of  sufferings  in  his  country's  service  —  do  we  take  an 
interest  in  the  Appointment  of  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer.  And  with  an  ar 
dent  wish  that  a  brave  and  wounded  soldier  may  be  sheltered  from  the 
storms  of  adversity,  and  may  with  his  familj-  find  a  solace  to  his  afflictions 
in  the  gratitude  of  his  country,  do  we  most  cordially  recommend  him  to 
the  favourable  notice  of  the  Post  Master  General. 

Washington  December  31st,  1821.  THOMAS  R.  Ross. 

"Twenty-two  out  of  twenty-eight  members  of  the  New  York  delegation, 
of  both  branches  of  congress  joined  in  a  request  that  General  Van  Rens 
selaer  might  be  the  one  to  supersede  Mr.  Southwick  (since  his  removal 
was  absolutely  decided  upon).  I  know  that  a  more  exact  republican  does 
not  belong  to  the  executive  branch  of  this  government  than  the  post 
master  general.  Wherever  and  whenever  he  can  ascertain  the  will  of 
the  people,  he  respects  it.  The  people  can  not  be  deceived  much  longer 
by  empty  and  sinister  professions.  They  begin  to  discover  that  real  pat 
riotism  must  be  exemplified  by  men's  actions,  and  not  merely  by  their  profes 
sions.  Mr.  Van  Rensselaer's  actions  have  established  his  reputation  as  a 
patriot.  The  evidences  of  his  patriotism  are  indelibly  fixed  upon  his  person, 
by  the  hostile  weapons  of  the  enemies  of  his  country.  Where  shall  we 
look  for  evidences  among  the  most  assuming  leaders  of  the  bucktail  party 
and  their  most  noisy  adherents?  This  appointment  will  be  a  salutary 
administration,  and  prove  that  proscription  for  nonconformity  to  their 
political  tenets  is  not  the  true  test  of  republicanism." 

The  Patroon  to  Sol.  Van  JKensselaer. 
My  dear  Sir,  Albany,  Jan.  2d,  1822. 

I  have  this  moment  returned  from  the  Capitol,  the  Governor  delivered 
a  very  long  and  interesting  speech  which  you  will  receive  by  the  next 
mail.  It  is  said,  for  I  could  not,  owing  to  the  crowd  remain,  the  ablest 
he  ever  spoke,  and  I  suspect  his  last.  I  learned  this  morning  that  Chan 
cellor  Lansing  expects  the  Post  Office,  and  that  Van  Buren  and  King  are 
his  friends  —  do  not  mention  from  whom  you  received  the  information.  I 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  373 

make  the  suggestion  that  you  may  be  on  your  guard.  The  merchants 
have  promised  to  represent  to  the  Post  Master  General  that  they  have  re 
quested  their  correspondents  not  to  remit  money  through  the  Albany 
Post-Office.  You  must  therefore  depend  on  your  own  exertions  with  our 
Members  before  they  are  engaged  by  Van  Buren.  I  will  be  with  you 
this  month. 

I  was  sorry  to  find  your  good  Wife  this  morning  so  unwell,  Elizabeth 
told  me,  she  coughed  violently  last  night.  I  hope  however,  nothing  seri 
ous  will  occur. 

Remain  is  Speaker,  and  Livingston  Clerk.  V.  D.  Heyden  is  very 
wroth,  so  is  Major  Hall  and  Esleek,  they  say,  they  are  a  perfidious  set  of 
fellows.  We  had  a  delightful  day  yesterday  for  visiting.  I  had  the  house 
full,  the  Military  and  Militia  all  called  to  see  me.  I  told  Dalaby  that  I 
hoped  the  Congress  would  not  disturb  them  this  Session  and  he  expects 
you  will  be  the  friend  of  the  Army.  Receive  my  congratulations  and 
many  happy  returns  of  the  Season.  Yours  Sincerely, 

S.  V.  RENSSELAER. 

Major  Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  Washington  City. 

The  Vice  President  to  Mr.  Thompson. 
Dear  Sir,  Washington,  January  4,  1822. 

For  the  first  I  learned  this  day  that  Solomon  Southwick  was  to  be  re 
moved  from  the  post-office  in  Albany,  and  the  only  person  recommended 
was  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  late  adjutant-general  of  New  York,  and 
now  a  federal  member  of  congress  from  that  district.  Upon  the  develop 
ment  of  this  circumstance,  Mr.  King,  Mr.  Van  Buren  and  myself  addressed 
a  note  immediately  to  the  postmaster-general  requesting  him  to  suspend 
any  appointment  for  a  fortnight,  that  our  friends  in  Albany  might  be 
advised  of  the  contemplated  removal,  and  be  enabled  to  recommend  a  suc 
cessor.  To  that  communication  we  have  this  moment  received  the  en 
closed  answer.  Mr.  King  is  at  Georgetown  ;  Mr.  Van  Buren  is  dining  at 
the  navy  barracks  with  Col.  Henderson.  I  have,  therefore,  as  the  answer 
was  directed  to  ine;  taken  the  liberty  of  advising  you  of  the  contemplated 
change  and  of  requesting  you  to  communicate  to  Mr.  Dudley,  the  mayor 
of  Albany,  Judge  Skinner  and  Treasurer  Knower,  the  fact  of  change  and 
recommendation,  and  desire  them  to  communicate  as  soon  as  possible  the 
wishes  of  the  republicans  of  Albany  to  Mr.  Van  Buren  ;  and  it  would  be 
advisable  that  they  should  send  it  part  of  the  way  by  private  conveyance 
or  mail  their  communication  this  side  of  Albany.  As  the  other  gentle 
men  cannot  unite  in  this  communication  by  the  mornings  mail,  I  have 
thought  the  matter  of  sufficient  importance  to  write  alone,  and  will  unite 
with  them  to  morrow.  If  the  president  shall  decline  to  postpone  for  a 
fortnight,  as  we  have  requested,  the  necessity  of  the  case  will  induce  us  to 
recommend  Chancellor  Lansing,  without  knowing  the  wishes  of  our  friends 
in  Albany,  and  for  which  we  shall  of  course  be  pardoned  if  we  err.  It 
will  surprise  you  to  know  that  sixteen  of  our  representatives  have  recom 
mended  Mr.  Van  Rensselaer.  "  Whip  me  such  republicans  !"  Do  not 
fail  to  communicate  this  intelligence,  which  I  would  have  communicated 
directly  to  the  gentlemen  above  named,  but  for  causes  with  which  you  are 
acquainted,  and  which  have  not  ceased  even  at  this  session  —  I  mean  the 
opening  of  letters  addressed  to  or  franked  by  me. 

Your  friend  and  servant, 
Jonathan  Thompson,  Esq.  DANIEL  D.  TOM;TKINS. 


374  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

The  above  letter  was  sent  by  the  vice  president  under  cover  to  the 
collector  of  the  port  of  New  York,  Jonathan  Thompson,  and  by  him  for 
warded  to  the  mayor  of  Albany.  In  the  note  which  accompanied  the 
document  Mr.  Thompson  says  :  "  Are  copies  of  letters  which  I  received 
this  morning  from  the  vice  president.  I  hasten  to  give  you  their  contents, 
that  you  may  be  enabled  to  make  use  of  the  information  in  the  way  sug 
gested  by  the  vice  president.  With  the  assurance  of  my  respect  and 
esteem.  JONATHAN  THOMPSON. 

"  Charles  E.  Dudley,  Esq.,  Mayor  of  Albany." 

Great  exertions  had  been  made  by  the  contending  parties  for  success, 
and  it  was  with  difficulty  that  the  opponents  of  General  Van  Rensselaer, 
could  conceal  their  chagrin  and  regret  at  what  they  feared  would  eventu 
ally  prove  the  successful  result,  of  the  determined  efforts  of  his  numerous 
and  influential  friends,  and  which  soon  culminated  in  his  appointment  to 
the  coveted  position.  He  fortunately  could  rank  among  his  supporters 
"  men,  whose  firmness  and  patriotism  would  have  done  honor  to  the  best 
days  of  Greece  and  Rome;"  who  could  understand  when  proper  checks 
and  balances  were  necessary  for  the  preservation  of  liberty,  and  did  not 
fear  to  adopt  bold  and  energetic  measures. 

Governor  Clinton  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
My  dear  Sir,  Albany  5  January  1822. 

As  the  best  mode  of  promoting  your  object  and  at  the  same  time  of 
consulting  my  own  self  respect,  I  have  thought  it  most  advisable  to  avoid 
a  direct  application  to  the  P.  M.  General,  either  by  letter  or  by  signing  a 
Memorial.  I  however  send  an  open  letter  directed  to  Col.  Pell  —  which 
you  can  send  immediately  to  the  Post  Master  General  —  or  in  concurrence 
with  the  latter  make  such  use  of  it  as  you  may  think  best  calculated  to 
effect  an  object  so  anxiously  desired  by  me  because  so  important  to  you. 
A  petition  is  in  circulation  for  you  —  it  will  be  well  signed.  I  have  spoken 
to  Major  Smith  (the  Brother-in-law  of  Judge  Howe)  he  is  decidedly 
friendly  to  your  views  and  will  not  only  sign,  but  endeavour  to  get  signa 
tures.  He  says  that  the  whole  City  will  come  out  in  your  favor.  I  shall 
urge  this  measure  on  other  friends.  Your  Wife  is  convalescent  and  the 
rest  of  your  family  well.  Let  me  hear  from  you  often. 

I  am  yours  truly  D.  W.  C. 

The  Honorable  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  In  Congress,  Washington. 

Governor  Clinton  possessed  a  truly  warm  heart  and  his  exertions  were 
never  limited  when  the  welfare  of  those  he  loved  was  the  incentive  for 
action.  "  In  the  conflict  of  honest  opinions  he  boldly  took  his  part,  and 
if  his  zeal  at  times  excited  the  fears  of  his  followers,  his  patriotism  won 
the  hearts  of  his  opponents;"  and  he  was  ever  unremitting  in  his  earnest 
efforts  to  benefit  the  oppressed  and  deserving  citizen. 

Mr.  Van  Buren  to  Mr.  Knower  and  Others. 
Gentlemen   :  Washington  January  5.  1822. 

The  accompaning  letter  will  show  you  what  has  been  done  in  regard  to 
the  post-office  and  the  present  state  of  this  question.  If  I  could  have  sup 
posed  that  our  members  could  have  recommended  Mr.  Van  Rensselaer  I 
would  have  expostulated  with  them  on  the  subject.  I  have  no  doubt  they 
are  as  much  mortified  about  it  now  as  I  am.  Before  I  knew  about  it  the 
postmaster  general  had  committed  himself  to  V.  R.  In  that  state  of  the 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  375 

question,  we  thought  proper  to  present  the  name  of  Chancellor  Lansing. 
13y  we,  I  mean  the  vice-president,  Mr.  King  and  myself.  The  president 
being  personally  acquainted  with  the  chancellor,  and  entertaining  a  per 
sonal  regard  for  him,  we  thougljt  it  the  most  likely  mode  to  defeat  the  ap 
pointment  of  V.  R.  independent  of  a  desire  on  our  part  to  do  something 
for  the  chancellor.  In  the  course  you  pursue  you  should  have  regard  to 
the  circumstance  that  the  post-master  general  is  committed,  &c.,  (was  so 
before  I  knew  that  South  wick  would  be  removed)  on  two  points,  viz.,  the 
removal  of  Southwick  and  the  appointment  of  V.  R.,  and  not  only  commit 
ted,  but  evidently  desirous  that  it  should  take  place,  and  that  nothing 
but  the  positive  interference  of  the  president  can  arrest  the  proceeding. 
In  this  view  of  the  matter  you  will  see  the  propriety  of  uniting  on  your 
candidate  and  of  making  as  impressive  an  appeal  to  the  president  as  prac 
ticable.  The  measures  I  advise  are  the  following:  1st.  Let  the  republi 
cans  of  the  city  send  a  memorial  to  the  president  recommending  the  chan 
cellor,  if  that  is  agreeable  to  them,  or  if  they  should  think  as  we  do,  that 
a  change  of  the  candidate  would  be  at  this  moment  extremely  hazardous 
if  not  decisive  against  us.  It  is  proper,  however,  that  you  should  know  that 
no  application  upon  this  subject  direct  or  indirect  has  come  from  the 
chancellor  on  this  subject,  nor  do  I  know  that  he  is  apprised  of  what  is 
done  here.  In  this  memorial  I  would  state  simply  the  respectability,  &c., 
of  the  chancellor,  and  the  desire  to  see  him  provided  for.  Such  a  petition 
I  suppose  would  be  signed  by  as  many  federalists  as  would  apply  for  V. 
R.  It  has  been  insinuated  here  that  the  place  is  desired  for  young  Mr. 
Livingston  and  not  for  the  chancellor.  Upon  this  subject  there  ought  to 
be  an  understanding.  I  do  not  think  Mr.  Livingston  has  any  such  claim 
upon  the  party,  and  if  the  office  was  not  desired  and  desirable  for  the 
chancellor  himself,  I  would  not  advocate  it.  2d.  I  would  have  prepared 
and  addressed  the  president  a  memorial  to  be  signed  by  all  the  republican 
members  of  the  senate  and  assembly  setting  forth  :  1st,  why  the  office  is 
a  matter  of  state  concern  the  reasons  for  which  will  readily  occur  to  you. 
2d,  I  would  admit  V.  R/s  services,  but  state  what  the  general  and  state 
governments  have  already  done  for  him  and  that  his  removal  was  in  con 
sequence  of  his  becoming  an  inveterate  partisan,  when  he  was  made  to 
share  the  fate  of  others,  and  that  the  government  of  the  state  have  been 
justified  by  its  people  in  the  act.  3d.  That  whatever  may  be  deemed  a 
fit  course  at  this  time  on  the  question  of  removing  federalists  from  office 
on  the  ground  of  their  politics,  you  think  that  all  other  matters  equal,  a 
republican  should  be  preferred  for  a  new  appointment  on  that  ground  only. 
I  would  present  that  question  distinctly  to  the  president,  that  we  may 
know  hereafter  what  we  are  to  expect.  It  can  scarcely  be  necessary  for 
me  to  say,  that  that  should  be  done  with  the  utmost  delicacy  and  respect. 
This  is  extremely  important.  If  the  petition  should  in  the  least  degree 
wear  the  aspect  of  threatening  or  scolding,  it  would  be  ruinous.  At  the 
same  time  let  them  speak  with  firmness,  and  as  if  conscious  of  their  rights 
and  regardful  of  their  duties;  and,  lastly,  I  would  send  a  letter  to  those 
republican  members,  who  have  subscribed  V.  R/s  petition,  viz.,  Messrs. 
Cambrelling,  Morgan,  Pearson,  Borland,  Hawks,  Campbell,  Spencer, 
Rochester,  Hubbard,  Woodcock,  and  Van  Wyck,  to  be  signed  by  all  the 
members  of  the  legislature,  setting  forth  the  strong  reasons  against  having 
a  federalist  in  the  office  at  Albany. 

The  regrets   that  are   felt  that   they   have   acted   as   they  have,   and 
requesting  them  to  withdraw  their  recommendation.     This  letter  will 


376  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

furnish  them  with  good  ground  for  doing  what  I  am  persuaded  will  be  very 
agreeable  to  them,  provided  the  request  is  couched  in  such  terms  as  are 
not  offensive,  which  must  not  be  lost  sight  of.  They  undoubtedly  did  it 
through  personal  solicitations  and  without  appreciating  at  the  moment 
the  importance  of  the  place  in  a  political  point  of  view.  I  hope, 
therefore,  that  the  utmost  delicacy  will  be  observed  towards  them,  as 
they  are  as  worthy  and  honest  fellows  as  ever  lived.  Especially  I 
wish  you  to  remember  that  dispatch  is  all  important.  By  this  means  I 
propose  we  may  defeat  V.  B/s  appointment.  I  say  may,  for  I  cannot 
speak  with  confidence,  as  the  post-master-general  is  evidently  determined 
on  his  appointment.  It  is  said  here  that  he  has  written  to  Mr.  South  wick 
that  V.  It.  is  his  successor.  Certain  it  is  that  he  has  decided  in  his 
favor,  and  that  had  it  not  been  for  our  note  to  him  V.  R.  would  have 
been  with  you  as  soon  as  this  letter.  V.  R.  says  that  two  of  the  heads 
of  department  are  in  his  favor,  of  whom  Mr.  Calhoun  is  said  to  be  one. 
I  have  not  inquired  with  what  correctness,  but  it  would  not  be  amiss 
for  Judge  Skinner  to  write  him  on  the  subject.  I  have  been  thus 
particular  because  I  believed  it  to  be  a  question  in  which  our  friends 
would  take  a  deep  interest.  Should  we  be  unsuccessful,  I  will  take 
the  liberty  of  suggesting  hereafter  the  course  I  would  advise  to  obtain 
redress,  or  rather  to  improve  our  condition. 

I  wish  Mr.  Knower  would  show  Mr.  Southwick  the  correspondence  be 
tween  us  and  Mr.  Meigs  that  he  may  know  that  we  had  not  sought  his 
removal.  As  this  is  true  it  is  but  right  that  he  should  know  it.  Since 
writing  the  preceding,  I  see  that  Mr.  Livingston  is  chosen  clerk.  This 
may  lead  to  a  wish  to  change  our  candidate  here.  I  do  not  know  that  it 
would  not  have  that  effect  upon  me  if  I  was  not  morally  certain  that  an 
attempt  to  get  another  man  under  the  circumstances  would  be  abortive. 
The  circumstances  of  the  president's  personal  knowledge  of  and  regard 
for  the  chancellor  is  decisive  with  me  as  to  the  expediency  of  pressing 
him.  I  am,  however,  under  the  direction  of  my  friends,  and  will  cheer 
fully  acquiesce  in  what  they  advise.  In  great  haste. 

Yours  Sincerely, 

M.  VAN  BUREN. 

To  Benjamin  Knower,  Charles  E.  Dudley,  Roger  Skinner,  Wni.  A. 
Duer,  M.  J.  Cantine,  Esqrs. 

Martin  Van  Bur  en  to  B.  Knower  and  Others. 
Dear  Sir,  Washington,  Jan'y  6,  1822. 

The  enclosed  letter  was  written  under  an  expectation  that  the  question 
of  postponement  raised  by  us  would  have  been  decided  yesterday.  It  is 
now  sent  on  for  the  purpose  of  apprising  you  what  is  doing  and  not  for 
you  to  act  upon  unless  and  until  you  hear  further  from  me.  In  addition 
to  the  letters  inclosed  there  are  the  following  which  are  now  in  possession 
of  the  president,  viz.,  a  letter  from  the  vice-president,  Mr.  King,  and 
myself  to  Mr.  Meigs  asking  a  postponement  until  we  could  communicate 
with  you.  His  answer  to  us  saying  in  substance  that  unless  the  president 
directs,  the  postponement  will  not  take  place. 

My  appeal  to  the  president  who  has  treated  the  matter  with  the  im 
portance  and  the  delicacy  it  deserves,  and  I  am  well  satisfied  that  if  the 
matter  rested  with  him  we  should  have  no  difficulty.  By  the  post  office 
law  the  post  master  general  has  complete  control.  The  question  of  post 
ponement  has  been  before  the  cabinet  for  two  days,  and  I  expect  an  answer 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  377 

to-morrow.  Two  of  them  are  said,  and  I  believe  with  truth,  to  be  in  favor 
of  V.  llensselaer,  but  I  have  no  explicit  information  of  this  fact  that  I 
can  avow. 

To-morrow  morning  I  will  receive  an  answer  from  the  president,  which 
will  probably  be  that  he  must  leave  the  post-master-general  to  his  course. 
If  so,  he  will  be  disposed  to  make  the  appointment  of  V.  llensselaer  im 
mediately.  To  guard  against  that,  the  vice-president  and  myself  have  in 
writing  requested  that  in  that  event  he  would  afford  us  an  opportunity  to 
make  one  more  communication  to  him,  in  which  we  will  recommend  Chan 
cellor  Lansing,  and  put  the  question  on  such  political  ground  that  the 
people  of  the  United  States  may  distinctly  understand  what  principles 
prevail  in  that  department  of  the  government,  and,  may  take  the  measures 
necessary  to  a  wholesome  reform.  This  point  must  be  settled  one  time  or 
other,  and  no  time  more  opportune  than  the  present.  It  is  one  of  the  most 
interesting  departments  of  the  government,  and  instead  of  spending  our 
time  in  small  matters,  I  am  for  taking  the  bull  by  the  horns  at  once,  and 
if  our  friends  at  home  will  sustain  us  we  will  effect  it.  I  have  requested 
a  meeting  of  the  republicans  who  have  signed  V.  llensselaer's  petition  to 
night.  Every  effort  has  been  made  to  excite  their  jealousy  on  account  of 
my  interference,  but  I  am  persuaded  they  will  in  the  end  behave  well.  I 
will  write  you  again  to-morrow.  Yours  cordially.  M.  V.  BUREN. 

To  Benjamin  Knower,  Esq.,  and  others. 

Charles  A.  Clinton  to  Qcn.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  General,  Albany,  January  6th,  1822. 

The  contemplated  vacancy  in  the  office  of  Post  master  in  this  city  has 
induced  great  exertions  on  the  part  of  your  friends,  to  effect  your  appoint 
ment.  Your  claims  will  be  supported  by  a  powerful  petition,  comprising 
the  most  respectable  inhabitants  and  most  of  the  merchants.  The  other 
candidates,  I  am  told,  are  not  inactive,  but  are  circulating  subscriptions 
in  every  direction.  They  are  Chancellor  Lansing  ;  the  old  treasurer  Dox, 
and  I  am  told  —  Ely  (the  one  in  the  comptrollers  office).  Your  ex 
ertions  at  Washington  must  correspond  with  those  making  here  ;  and 
you  will  be  successful  in  your  application.  I  ain  induced  to  mention 
this  to  you  so  that  you  may  second  your  friends,  and  not  be  induced  upon 
any  consideration  to  slacken  your  efforts. 
Ten  Eyck  is  very  active,  as  is  Dr.  Bay. 

With  best  wishes  for  your  success 
Sincerely  yours 

C.  A.  CLINTON. 
Honble.  Solorn.  Van  llensselaer,  Member  Congress,  Washington. 

"  It  behooves  the  boasting  friends  of  the  general  government  amongst 
us,  to  suppress  their  impotent  wratti  and  profit  by  the  magnanimous 
example  which  the  post  master  general  will  set  before  them  in  the  new 
appointment ;  and  we  are  authorized  to  say,  in  contradiction  to  the  asser 
tion  made,  that  Gen.  Van  llensselaer  never  received  any  grantor  gratuity 
of  land  whatever,  either  from  the  general  or  state  government  for  his  mili 
tary  services." 

Hon.  William  B.  Rochester  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  H.  of  Rep.  7  January  1822. 

I  deem  it  a  duty  always  to  be  frank  and  especially  so  in  our  intercourse 
with  those  we  esteem.  In  observance  of  that  spirit,  I  have  to  inform  you 

48 


378  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

that  having  recently  learned  from  an  unquestionable  source,  that  the  pro 
posed  appointment  of  a  successor  to  Solomon  Southwick  Esq.  P.  M.  at 
Albany,  was  giving  rise  to  much  speculation,  not  to  say  excitement  in  that 
city.  I  have  united  with  several  of  my  colleagues  in  a  request  that  a  post 
ponement  of  the  appointment  might  take  place  (in  case  Mr  Southwick's 
dismissal  were  determined  on)  until  the  citizens  of  Albany  could  have  an 
opportunity  of  being  consulted  on  the  subject :  Reflection  satisfied  me  that 
this  course  was  due  from  all  parties  to  the  respectable  citizens  of  that  popu 
lous  town ;  and  this  conviction  was  strengthened  by  a  positive  assurance 
from  two  or  three  of  my  colleagues,  that  it  was  in  perfect  accordance  with 
your  own  expressed  wishes,  at  the  time  they  subscribed  the  paper  in  your 
behalf,  to  which  I  signed  my  name  also,  out  of  respect  to  your  merit  and 
for  your  sufferings  as  a  Soldier.  I  am,  Sir,  very  respectfully  &c. 
Hon.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer.  W.  B.  ROCHESTER. 

"  Hon.  William  B.  Rochester  was  subsequently  appointed  president  of 
the  United  States  Branch  Bank,  located  at  Buffalo.  No  man  is  better 
acquainted  with  the  wants  and  abilities  of  the  people  in  this  section  of  the 
country.  He  is  deservedly  popular,  and  we  hesitate  not  to  say  that  the 
appointment  is  the  very  best  that  could  have  been  made." 

Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Dr.  Bay. 
Dear  Sir,  Washington,  Jany  7th,  1822. 

Last  Friday  my  appointment  as  Post-Master  at  Albany  was  to  have 
been  made,  but  owing  to  the  officious  interference  of  King,  Tompkins, 
Thompson  and  Van  Buren,  the  matter  was  laid  before  the  President  who 
called,  on  Saturday,  a  Cabinet  Council  on  the  subject.  The  Post  Master 
General  [Return  J.  Meigs,]  was  requested  to  attend,  and  after  having  the 
papers  rend,  the  President  asked  him,  "  if  he  was  left  to  himself,  who 
would  he  appoint?"  He  promptly  replied — GENERAL  VAN  RENSSELAER, 
and  then  gave  his  reasons  :  On  account  of  my  gallant  services  in  two  wars, 
and  that  I  represented  the  district,  as  it  were,  by  unanimous  consent. 
"  These  are  strong  grounds/'  observed  Crawford  and  Calhoun.  Thompson 
[Smith  Thompson,  secretary  of  the  Navy,]  urged  the  claims  of  Chancellor 
Lansing,  but  without  success. 

It  was  said  by  some  of  the  members,  in  reply  to  a  remark  made  in  rela 
tion  to  my  politics,  that  it  had  no  weight,  particularly  when  I  had  so 
heroically  distinguished  myself.  Much  passed,  and  the  unanimous  opi 
nion  (in  which  T  —  was  obliged  to  concur),  was,  that  the  Post  Master 
General  should  be  at  liberty  to  do  as  he  pleased. 

Yesterday  the  President  communicated  this  to  Van  Buren,  who  by 
threats  and  every  other  means  procured  a  meeting  of  the  Bucktails,  last 
evening.  He  attempted  to  persuade  them  to  recant,  on  political  grounds, 
that  "  it  was  not  expedient  to  have  such  a  rank  federalist  as  Gen.  Van 
Rensselaer  in  the  Albany  Post  Office."  However  all  the  clique's  personal 
efforts  and  expostulations  could  only  get  seven,  out  of  the  eleven  repub 
lican  members,  to  sign  a  request  that  the  appointment  should  be  delayed, 
until  the  Citizens  of  Albany  could  be  consulted,  and  it  has  taken  that 
course,  and  now  they  must  decide.  There  were  eleven  names  annexed  to 
the  Republicans  request  of  the  5th  instant. 

There  is  much  secret  manoeuvring  going  on  both  here  and  in  Albany. 
Van  Buren  and  Co.  coming  out  in  this  manner  against  the  united  voice 
of  the  Cabinet,  has  excited  very  great  indignation,  and  King  has  ruined 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  379 

himself  in  the  estimation  of  all.  The  fact  is  well  known  here,  that  I 
risked  my  office  of  Adjutant  General,  in  support  of  King  against  the 
very  two  men  he  has,  now  most  singularly,  joined  to  ruin  rne ! !  Spencer  — 
Cambreleng  —  Morgan  &c.  would  not  rescind  the  step  taken  in  my  behalf 
although  pressed  to  do  so  by  Van  Buren  and  Tompkins.  They  have 
tried  hard  to  co-erce  the  Post  Master  General  —  without  the  desired 
effect,  and  are  at  the  same  time  hand  and  glove  with  Charles  E.  Dudley, 
Benjamin  Knower,  and  Collector  Thompson  of  New  York  to  prevent  my 
appointment.  It  will  indeed  be  a  consolation  to  me  through  life  that  I 
have  been  able,  single-handed,  to  defeat  them,  even  if  Albany  under 
these  adverse  circumstances  turns  a  cold  shoulder,  and  deserts  me. 

Several  of  our  friends  will  write,  there  is  much  excitement  in  my  favor 
to  day;  before  this  our  delegation  did  not  interfere,  I  managed  the 
matter  in  my  own  way.  To  my  gallant  fellow  sufferer  Colonel  Richard 
M.  Johnson  and  other  friends  from  the  West,  I  owe  every  thing.  John 
D.  Dickinson  acts  nobly,  though  Van  Buren  belongs  to  his  mess.  Dickin 
son  stated  to  Van  Buren  at  the  table,  that  it  was  strange  they  should  put 
out  one  pauper  and  put  another  in.  Van  Buren  replied  warmly,  when 
Dickinson  said  he  could  prove  all  he  affirmed,  which  he  also  mentioned 
this  morning  to  the  Post  Master  General.  Golden  [Cadwallader  D.] 
behaves  well  like  the  rest,  he  also  writes.  Yesterday  I  flattered  myself 
that  to-morrow  I  would  have  been  on  the  way  to  Albany.  I  am  in  great  haste. 
Show  this  to  my  poor  wife,  the  Patroon,  McKown,  Denniston  and  such 
other  friends  as  you  please.  That  you  at  Albany  may  conquer  as  I  have 
here  is  my  prayer.  SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Dr.  William  Bay,  Albany,  N.  Y. 

General  Post  Office. 
Sir,  Washington  City,  7  Jany.,  1822. 

Believing  that  the  public  interest  will  be  promoted  by  the  appointment 
of  a  new  Post-master  at  Albany,  N.  Y.  I  have  accordingly  appointed 
Mr.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  Post-master'at  that  place ;  to  whom,  on  the 
receipt  of  this,  you  will  deliver  all  the  Post-office  property  in  your  pos 
session,  taking  his  receipt  therefor,  if  you  desire  it. 

You  will  forward  your  accounts  up  to  the  time  when  you  deliver  over 
the  Office.  I  am,  Sir, 

Yours  respectfully. 

To  Mr.  Solomon  Southwick.  R.  J.  MEIGS,  JR. 

"  In  June  1792,  Return  J.  Meigs  (post  master  general)  had  a  very 
narrow  escape,  when  attacked  by  two  Indians.  In  company  with  him, 
were  a  Mr.  Symonds  and  a  black  boy,  who  had  been  hoeing  in  a  corn 
field.  The  Indians  had  secreted  themselves  behind  the  path,  near  the 
Muskingura,  on  its  west  bank,  where  they  had  the  river  to  cross.  At  a 
turn  in  the  road  our  laborers  having  their  backs  towards  the  Indians, 
were  fired  upon.  Symonds  was  shot  in  the  shoulder,  when  Meigs  rushed 
on  the  largest  Indian  with  his  tomahawk  raised  to  throw  it.  He  attempted 
to  fire  his  gun  at  the  savage,  which  missed  fire.  Mr.  Meigs  then  partly 
knocked  down  the  Indian,  and  escaped  by  plunging  into  the  river  and 
swimming  it.  The  Indian  threw  his  tomahawk  at  Meigs,  which  grazed 
its  object.  Symonds  plunged  into  the  river,  and  floated  down  to  the  fort, 
though  one  arm  was  useless  in  swimming.  He  was  taken  up  by  the  men 
of  Fort  Ilarrnar,  and  eventually  recovered  of  his  wound.  The  black  boy. 


380  LEGACY  or  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

twelve  years  old,  attempted  to  escape,  but  was  tomahawked,  killed  and 
scalped  by  the  Indians.  Mr.  Meigs  saved  his  life  by  his  dauntless  attack 
of  the  Indian,  and  when  his  gun  missed  fire,  by  knocking  down  his  an 
tagonist,  and  then  out  running  the  other  Indian." 

Extract  of  a  Letter  from  the  Evening  Post's  Correspondent. 

Washington,  Jany.  7,  1822. 

With  unfeigned  pleasure,  I  inform  you  that  the  postmaster  general  has 
this  day  appointed  General  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  postmaster  at  Albany, 
vice  Solomon  Southwick  removed. 

This  affair  I  presume,  will  cause  some  little  excitement  in  New  York, 
and  your  readers  will  doubtless  be  desirous  of  learning  some  of  the  par 
ticulars  relating  to  it.  It  having  been  determined  that  Mr.  Southwick 
should  be  removed,  the  only  question  with  the  Cabinet  was,  who  should 
be  his  successor  ?  The  late  Chancellor  Lansing's  name  was  brought  for 
ward  by  his  friends,  and  backed  by  the  influence  of  the  vice  president, 
and  your  two  senators  Messrs.  Van  Buren  and  King;  Gen.  Van  Rensse 
laer  was  also  nominated,  and  he  was  backed  by  the  influence  of  the  Ken 
tucky  and  Ohio  members,  particularly  by  Colonel  Johnson,  of  the  former 
state.  When  the  question  was  first  put  to  the  members  of  the  cabinet 
they  were  all  in  favor  of  General  Van  Rensselaer,  except  the  secretary  of 
the  navy,  [Smith  Thompson]  who  objected  on  account  of  politics ;  but  he 
was  answered  by  Mr.  Wirt,  [William  Wirt,  attorney-general]  who  said 
that  such  considerations  were  out  of  the  question  now  ;  there  was  no 
longer  any  politics.  On  which  the  secretary  of  the  navy  is  said 'to  have 
acquiesced,  and  declared  himself  in  favor  of  the  appointment.  When  it 
was  known  to  your  senators,  that  it  was  determined,  that  it  should  be  made 
on  Saturday,  they  requested  that  it  might  be  postponed  till  Monday  after 
noon,  and  in  the  mean  time  they  drew  up  a  formal  memorial  against  it, 
which  was  read,  but  the  appointment  was  then  made.  It  was  thought  by 
the  president  and  by  all  the  cabinet,  that  the  services  the  General  had 
rendered  his  country  in  two  wars,  with  the  severe  and  dangerous  wounds 
he  had  received  in  the  discharge  of  his  duty,  were  paramount  considera 
tions  to  every  other,  and  ought  to  outweigh  all  the  petty  local  objections 
of  a  party  nature  that  could  be  mentioned.  I  have  the  pleasure  to  add, 
that  nothing  that  has  transpired  here,  for  a  long  time,  of  a  similar  nature, 
has  given  such  satisfaction  as  this  appointment.  General  Van  Rensselaer 
has  been  waited  on  by  a  great  number  of  members  of  congress,  to  con 
gratulate  him  on  the  event.  I  hope  the  appointment  may  afford  him  an 
honorable  and  liberal  provision  for  old  age. 

Gov.  Clinton  to  Gen.   Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Albany  7  January  1822. 

Spencer  Stafford  as  one  of  the  Sureties  of  Mr.  Southwick,  (and  a  very 
worthy  man  as  you  know  him  to  be)  is  desirous  of  removing  or.  alleviating 
the  pressure  produced  by  this  involvement.  I  recommend  him  and  his 
interests  to  your  earnest  and  powerful  intercession.  Yours  truly 

Hon.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  M.  C.  Washington.      DfiWiTT  CLINTON. 

All  these  original  letters  written  by  distinguished  men,  and  relating  to 
an  interesting  period  in  our  local  and  political  history  manifest  the  struggle 
which  took  place  fifty-two  years  ago  for  the  Albany  post  oflice.  It  was 
regarded  as  a  position  of  great  political  importance,  and  the  contest  for  it 
between  the  democratic  republicans,  whose  candidate  was  ex-Chancellor 
Lansing,  and  the  federalists,  whose  candidate  was  Gen.  Solomon  Van  Rens- 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  381 

selaer,  was  fierce.  These  old  letters  throw  a  flood  of  light  on  the  political 
life  of  that  period  of  President  Monroe's  administration  to  which  they 
relate. 

Adeline  Vein  Rensselaer  to  7ier  Father. 
My  Dear  Father,  Albany  January  8,  1822. 

Your  political  friends  in  Albany  are  very  active,  of  which  fact  you  will 
be  satisfied  very  soon  ;  but  some  of  the  Bucktaih  are  also  very  busy  this 
evening,  and  will  defeat  you  if  they  can.  They  evidently  have  had  their 
secret  instructions  from  Washington,  and  are  laying  some  plans  to  check 
mate  my  old  daddy  if  possible.  There  are,  however,  several  respectable 
democratic  republicans  on  the  List  for  you  ;  the  recommendation  from 
the  Citizens  of  dear  Albany  is  very  strong.  All  the  gentlemen  who  have 
been  around,  are  to  meet  at  James  M'  Kown's,  at  seven  o'clock  this  even 
ing  to  report.  If  they  are  all  ready  with  the  requisite  number  of  signa 
tures,  the  List  will  go  on  to  Washington  by  this  Mail,  or  if  not  completed, 
by  the  next.  If  a  powerful  commendation  and  array  of  names  will  procure 
you  the  Albany  Post  Office,  you  are  sure  of  it;  though  your  opponents  will 
not  relax  their  efforts  to  over-reach  the  Post  Master  General. 

Judge  Van  Ness,  who  arrived  to  day,  Dr.  Bay  and  others  think  the 
Clique  at  Washington  will  make  a  party  question  of  it ;  the  Mayor  [Char 
les  E.  Dudley.]  Benjamin  Knower,  D.  D.  Tompkins,  Rufus  King  and 
the  wily  Martin  Van  Buren  are  closely  leagued  together  ;  but  you  are  on 
the  spot  which  will  make  a  material  difference  in  your  favor.  G.  A.  Worth  — 
the  former  Cashier  of  the  Farmer's  Bank  —  is  to  be  a  new  competitor,  he  left 
this  several  days  since,  and  must  be  there  by  this  time.  Chancellor  Lan 
sing  has  resigned  in  his  favor,  and  if  Worth  succeeds,  Lansing's  son-in- 
law  Livingston  is  to  be  the  Deputy.  They  say  he  will  have  Van  Buren's 
influence,  so  take  care  of  him.  Such  a  struggle  and  scramble  for  the  office 
is  perfectly  surprising.  Mama  and  all  join  in  much  love. 
Your  affectionate  daughter, 

ADELINE  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Hon  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  M.  C.,  Washington. 

Charles  A.  Clinton  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  General,  Albany  January  9th  1822. 

Southwick's  friends  (principally  Bucktails)  had  a  meeting  last  night 
(Tuesday)  and  with  3  dissenting  voices  passed  resolutions  approving  of 
his  conduct  as  postmaster.  It  is  said  Elisha  Dow  was  in  the  chair  and 
Mr.  Alderman  Esleeck  [Welcome  Esleeck  ]  was  Secretary. 

I  am  told  there  are  4  or  5  new  candidates  for  the  office :  viz  John  Stillwell ; 
Judge  Howe ;  Mr.  Phelps  &c.  &c.  Southwick  has  gone  on  to  Washington. 

Sincerely  \ours,  C. 

Honble.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Member  Congress,  Washington. 

"  Solomon  Southwick,  Esq  has  been  removed  from  the  office  of  postmaster, 
in  this  city,  [Albany.]  and  GEN.  SOLOMON  VAN  RENSSELAER,  the  repre 
sentative  in  congress  from  this  county^  has  been  appointed  in  his  place. 

General  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  passed  through  New  York  January 
10th  on  his  way  to  Albany  to  enter  upon  the  duties  of  his  office,  as  post 
master,  and  Mr.  Southwick  passed  through  the  city,  that  same  Thursday,  on 
his  way  to  Washington.  Mr.  South  wick  published  a  short  address  to  the  pub 
lic,  before  he  left  Albany,  in  relation  to  the  attempt  then  making  to  effect  his 
removal.  He  says  the  grounds  alleged  by  some  were,  that  he  was  a  defaulter, 


382  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

and  that  he  did  nob  attend  to  his  business.     Both  accusations,  he  says,  are 
false  and  malicious." 

"  General  Van  Rensselaer  arrived  in  Albany,  from  Washington  on  Satur 
day  evening  12th,  and  will  probably  immediately  enter  upon  the  duties 
of  his  appointment."  Some  one  says :  "  The  parties  concerned  being  all  dead, 
the  publication  and  revival  of  reminiscences  will  be  a  valuable  contribution, 
giving  an  insight  into  the  political  management  and  secret  political  history 
of  New  York." 

General  Van  Rensselaer  had  now  entered  upon  the  duties  of  his  office, 
and  Colonel  Robert  Elliott  was  selected  as  his  deputy  in  this  trust.  Among 
the  subordinate  clerks,  one  of  the  first  appointed  was  the  notable  William 
B.  Winne  as  the  city  penny  post,  or  as  he  was  more  familiarly  called 
ie  Bitty  Winne  the  Penny  Post,"  who  was  ever  an  active,  vigilant  officer, 
and  retained  his  situation  through  a  long  series  of  years  till  in  extreme 
old  age  death  claimed  another  victim.  Mr.  Winne  was,  previous  to  this,  for 
some  time  captain  of  the  city  watch.  On  the  night  of  December  21, 
1808,  an  attempted  robbery  and  murder  was  made  by  a  highwayman  — 
Robert  Johnson  — at  the  Inn  of  one  John  Pye  on  the  Watervliet  turn 
pike  —  the  half-way  house  between  Albany  and  Troy.  The  house  is  still 
standing  a  short  distance  south  of  the  entrance  to  the  Cemetery.  Mr. 
Pye  was  badly  wounded  and  fell  back  fainting  on  the  bed,  but  Mrs.  Pye 
resolutely  defended  her  property  and  shot  the  robber  who  was  of  "  a  tall 
and  athletic  form."  After  being  wounded  the  desperado  made  his  escape, 
without  getting  the  toll-gate  money,  to  the  city.  He  was  finally  cap 
tured  by  Captain  Winne.  "  This  man,  on  finding  the  track  of  the  robber's 
horse  in  the  snow  (he  had  made  a  dreadful  leap  from  the  foot  of  Colum 
bia  street  to  the  ice  of  the  Hudson,  escaping  to  Greenbush  and  thence  to 
Aikins's  mills),  in  an  instant  sprang  off  after  him  on  a  full  run,  and  was 
heard  to  exclaim  to  himself  in  good  old  Dutch  and  English  mixed 
together  :  *  Mine  Cot  !  vat  leeps  de  horse  has  mate,  vull  twenty  veets. 
Dunder  en  bliksem  !  he's  been  de  duyfel  vor  running.'  Captain  Winne 
soon  got  the  start  of  all  other  pursuers ;  Winne  was  an  uncommon  active 
man,  which  his  sprightly  step  still  evinced  even  in  old  age.  He  had  per 
formed  many  a  feat,  both  in  pursuit  of  and  in  flight  from  Indians  in  the 
time  of  the  revolution.  Before  the  outlaw  was  secured,  by  a  powerful 
blow  he  had  dashed  all  the  officer's  front  teeth  into  his  mouth.  He  died 
from  his  wounds." 

Mr.  Van  Buren  to  Mr.  Dudley. 

Dear  Sir:  [Private.]      Washington.  Jan.  10,  1822. 

The  great  weight  which  the  New  York  delegation  is  now  capable  of  having 
from  its  members  of  congress,  the  almost  absolute  certainty  that  the  presi 
dential  question  will  be  settled  in  caucus,  and  the  immense  weight  her  in 
creased  representation  will  give  her  there,  give  her  an  influence  and  con 
sideration  which  you  cannot  so  well  appreciate  at  home  as  here.  The 
disjointed  state  of  parties  here,  the  distractions  which  are  produced  by 
the  approaching  contest  for  president,  and  the  general  conviction  in  the 
minds  of  honest  but  prudent  men,  that  a  radical  reform  in  the  political 
feelings  of  this  place  has  become  necessary,  render  this  the  proper  moment 
to  commence  the  work  of  a  general  resuscitation  of  the  old  democratic 
party ;  and  circumstances  imperiously  point  to  New  York  as  the  source 
from  which  the  good  work  ought  to  emanate.  With  prudence  here  and 
firmness  at  Albany,  this  can  effectively  be  done,  and  our  state  be  placed 
on  higher  ground  than  she  has  ever  stood.  There  are  at  this  moment  two 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  383 

subjects  which  might  be  laid  hold  of  by  the  republican  members  of  our 
state  legislature  with  great  credit  to  themselves  and  advantage  to  the 
country.  '^\\e  first  is  the  presidential  question.  On  this  subject  I  refer 
you  to  an  article  in  a  late  Intelligencer  as  containing  a  true  description  of 
the  state  of  feeling  here  in  regard  to  it,  and  a  tolerable  view  of  the  mis 
chiefs  which  are  growing  out  of  the  premature  agitation  of  this  question. 
In  congress  Messrs.  Crawford  and  Adams  and  Calhoun  have  each  decided 
and  have  active  friends  ;  every  day  produces  some  resolution  aimed  at  the 
one  or  the  other  of  the  departments  they  represent.  These  resolutions 
are  discussed  with  great  bitterness.  Every  good  man  deplores  the  state 
of  things  which  has  grown  and  is  growing  out  of  it,  and  would  hail  with 
gratitude  any  measure  having  a  tendency  to  avert  the  evils  it  must  pro 
duce. 

If  the  republican  members  of  our  state  legislature  should  hold  a  meet 
ing  and  express  their  regrets  at  the  early  agitation  of  this  matter,  and  in 
a  well-drawn  resolution  express  their  convictions  of  the  mischief  which 
must  inevitably  flow  from  it,  and  their  hopes  that  their  members  will  not 
mingle  in  the  fray,  they  would,  in  my  humble  opinion,  do  themselves  high 
honor  and  not  be  regarded  by  any  one  as  acting  out  of  the  line  of  their 
duty.  The  South  Carolina  meeting  may  be  referred  to  as  proof,  &c.  The 
other  subject  is  that  of  postmaster  at  Albany.  We  have  been  shamefully 
treated  by  the  post-master-general  in  this  matter.  I  have  no  reason  to 
complain  of  Mr.  Monroe.  On  the  receipt  of  my  letter  he  called  a  cabinet 
council,  and  the  course  he  took  was  in  pursuance  of  their  opinion  on  the 
abstract  question  of  his  right  to  interfere.  He  has  throughout  shown 
great  anxiety  on  the  subject,  and  would,  I  am  convinced,  if  the  question 
had  laid  with  him,  have  done  us  justice.  He  estimates  fully  the  probable 
effect  it  will  have  on  the  feelings  of  our  friends,  and  will  not  be  disap 
pointed  at  any  excitement  it  may  produce  with  us.  You  will  doubtless 
hear  many  things  about  the  views  of  some  of  the  members  of  the  cabinet. 
On  that  head  I  must  for  the  present  leave  you  to  such  information  as  you 
may  casually  get.  The  secretary  of  the  navy  has  conducted  himself  with 
great  spirit  in  the  matter,  and  is  alive  to  its  effect  with  you.  Our  represent 
atives  who  signed  Van  Rensselaer's  petition  acted  without  reflection.  They 
are  very  unhappy,  and  it  would  be  unwise  to  mortify  them  more.  It  will  also 
be  seen  that  all  of  them,  except  Morgan  and  Cambrellingand  Spencer  and 
Borland,  did  all  they  could  with  propriety  to  correct  their  error.  These 
signatures  did  not,  in  my  judgment,  influence  the  post-master-general  in 
any  other  way  than  to  furnish  him  with  an  excuse  to  make  an  appoint 
ment  he  was  anxious  to  make,  but  which,  without  these,  he  would  not 
like  to  venture  upon.  Before  I  was  apprised  of  the  extent  to  which  the 
matter  had  gone,  Mr.  Meigs  had  committed  himself,  and  when  he  gave 
the  president  the  papers  he  told  him  he  had  made  up  his  mind  to  appoint 
V.  It.  unless  he  was  directed  to  the  contrary  by  the  president. 

All  good  democrats  have  who  understand  the  matter  sympathized  with 
us,  and  are  happy  to  learn  that  the  vice-president  and  myself  have  held  a 
language  on  the  subject  which,  though  obsolete  here,  must  again  come  in 
fashion  before  a  situation  here  can  be  in  any  sense  useful  or  desirable, 
and  such  I  am  well  convinced  will  be  the  feelings  of  the  democrats  through 
out  the  Union.  If  you  submit  tamely  to  this  decision  you  must  expect 
hereafter  to  employ  soft,  soothing  milk  and  water  petitions  to  get  a  repub 
lican  preferred  to  a  federalist  by  the  government  instead  of  that  manly 
simplicity  and  characteristic  boldness  which  distinguished  the  conduct  of 


384  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

our  public  men  in  the  early  years  of  Mr.  Jefferson's  administration.  This 
is  not  a  dispute  between  us  and  the  president,  and  furnishes  us  with  an 
opportunity  to  hold  language  which  it  will  harm  nobody  in  the  govern 
ment  to  hear,  and  will  induce  all  who  look  to  the  presidency  to  ponder 
upon.  I  propose  nothing  to  be  done  by  you  because  what  ought  to  be 
done  is  for  you  to  decide.  But  if  the  republican  members  of  the  legisla 
ture  should  think  that  the  occasion  calls  for  an  unequivocal  expression 
of  their  sentiments,  that  they  should  speak  now  or  hereafter  be  silent, 
then  I  would  "take  the  liberty  of  suggesting  that  they  need  not  have  any 
apprehensions  that  they  will  injure  themselves  here  by  a  bold  but  respect 
ful  expression  of  their  sentiments,  that  they  may  with  entire  confidence 
rely  on  the  support  and  sympathy  gf  their  republican  friends  in  the  Union. 

That  the  most  proper  course  would  be  to  regard  this  appointment  as  a 
decision  of  that  department  that  the  wishes  of  the  great  republican  party 
of  the  Union  should  not  be  carried  into  effect,  and  in  addition  to  an  ex 
pression  of  an  opinion  on  the  matter  to  appoint  a  respectable  committee 
to  correspond  with  the  republican  members  of  other  legislatures,  now  in 
session,  to  secure  co-operation  and  unity  of  sentiment  to  affect  a  remedy. 
In  that  correspondence  much  talent  might  be  shown,  and  I  fully  believe 
that  an  application  for  the  removal  of  the  post-master  general  would  be 
acquiesced  in  by  many  of  the  states.  But  all  measures  after  the  appoint 
ment  of  the  committee  might  be  left  to  subsequent  reflection  and  advise 
ment.  It  is  only  in  the  event  of  the  members  thinking  proper  to  take 
such  a  course  that  the  vice-president  and  myself  think  our  letters  ought 
to  be  published.  With  you  we  will  go  all  proper  lengths.  Without  you 
it  might  look  like  a  disposition  to  be  querulous.  If  our  letters  are  pub 
lished,  strike  out  that  part  of  our  letter  to  you  which  asks  that  we  be  not 
requested  to  have  further  communication  with  the  post  master  general. 
Upon  reflection  it  strikes  me  that  if  you  should  deem  it  best  to  publish 
that  letter,  that  part  had  better  be  left  out.  An  expression  of  the  senti 
ments  of  the  citizens  would  be  important.  If  you  should  think  it  wise  to 
adopt  those  measures  your  representatives  may  hereafter  speak  with  some 
confidence.  If  not  the  most  supple  will  be  the  most  favored.  Show  this 
confidentially  to  such  of  our  friends  as  you  may  think  proper. 

In  haste,  yours  truly, 

Charles  E.  Dudley,  Esq.  M.  VAN  BUREN. 

Charles  E.  Dudley  to  M.  Van  Buren. 
Dear  Sir  :  Albany,  Jan.  14,  1822. 

Your  several  communications  on  the  subject  of  the  post-office  in  this 
city  have  been  received,  and  our  friends  are  highly  satisfied  with  the 
course  that  the  vice-president  and  yourself  have  pursued.  The  result 
has  indeed  been  mortifying  to  us,  but  it  ought  to  be  equally  regretted  by 
the  members  of  the  republican  party  throughout  the  state.  We  were 
glad  to  find  that  seven  of  the  eleven  members  of  congress  who  recom 
mended  Van  Rensselaer  were  willing  to  join  in  a  communication  to  the 
president,  arid  the  citizens  of  Albany  owe  something  to  them  in  point  of 
feeling  on  this  score.  The  New  York  members  probably  felt  themselves 
so  far  committed  as  it  regarded  the  appointment  of  a  post-master  for  a 
city  160  miles  distant  from  them,  that  they  could  not  retract;  their  con 
duct  towards  the  republicans  of  Albany  savors  a  little  of  the  spirit  which 
actuated  some  of  the  delegates  to  the  convention  from  their  city.  How 
would  they  have  relished  your  recommendation  of  one  of  their  most 


0    LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  385 

obnoxious  political  opponents  to  fill  the  station  now  occupied  by  Gen. 
Bailey?  No  other  atonement  can  be  iflade,  in' my  opinion,  to  the  injured 
feelings  of  the  republicans  of  this  state  than  by  the  president's  removing 
the  post-master-general  from  office.  I  indulge  the  hope  that  this  measure 
is  already  determined  on  by  Mr.  Monroe.  He  must  be  sensible  of  the 
great  importance  that  the  republican  party  in  this  state  have  been  to  his 
administration.  Although  he  may  not  know  the  difficulties  we  have  had 
to  encounter  the  faction  which  has  been  so  triumphantly  opposed,  to  main 
tain  him  in  the  presidency,  and  to  shield  the  general  government  from  the 
attack  of  a  bold  but  by  no  means  despicable  enemy.  Nor  have  you  been 
well  treated  by  the  post-master  general,  and  through  you  retribution 
ought  to  reach  him.  Our  opponents  here  exult,  but  I  do  not  apprehend 
the  political  effects  will  be  such  as  they  imagine.  We  shall  not  relax  ;  new 
vigor  will  be  infused  into  the  party,  and  there  will,  I  trust,  be  a  decided 
and  universal  expression  of  disgust  at  the  course  pursued  by  Mr.  Meigs. 

Mr.  Knower  has  your  letter  inclosing  the  correspondence  which  took 
place  at  Washington,  and  will  this  evening  consult  our  friends  as  to  the 
best  mode  of  proceeding.  We  shall  wish  to  treat  the  administration  of 
the  general  government  with  great  delicacy,  but  there  will  be  no  half-way 
expressions  as  to  the  postoffice  department.  The  postmaster  general  must 
be  denounced.  You  alluded  in  your  letter  of  the  8th,  to  a  confidential 
letter  which  you  proposed  to  write  by  the  next  mail.  I  hope  it  may  con 
tain  something  as  to  the  decision  of  the  president  upon  the  removal  of 
Meigs,  or  that  it  may  give  some  intimation  of  movements  which  may  lead 
to  it.  At  any  rate  we  have  nothing  more  mortifying  to  hear  than  what 
you  have  already  communicated. 

All  that  comes  after  this  must  be  of  an  encouraging  character. 

Hon.  Martin  Van  Buren.  Yours,         C.  E.  DUDLEY. 

The  mock  drama  performed  at  Albany  by  puppets  was  quite  an  exciting 
affair.  The  wires  of  this  political  puppet-show  were  all  pulled  at  Wash 
ington  by  the  invisible  but  skillful  hand  of  the  crafty  magician.  The  in 
teresting  letters  of  Mr.  Van  Buren  were  all  suggestive  as  to  the  republican 
meeting  to  be  held  at  Albany,  and  an  urgent  request  that  the  post  master 
general  should  be  removed  !  !  ! 

Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  to  Philip  P.  Harbour. 
Sir,  Albany  14th  Jany.,  1822. 

The  ill  health  of  my  family,  and  the  necessity  of  attending  to  my  private 
concerns,  I  hope  in  peace  and  quietness  the  residue  of  my  precarious  days, 
have  compelled  me  to  retire  from  Congress,  and  to  resign  my  seat  in  the  hon 
orable  body  over  which  you  preside  with  so  much  honor  to  yourself  and  use 
fulness  to  the  public.  In  taking  this  step,  I  would  do  injustice  to  my  feel 
ings,  were  I  not  to  express  the  sentiments  of  profound  respect  which  I 
entertain  for  the  House  of  Representatives,  and  the  grateful  sentiments 
cherished  towards  its  members,  for  the  uniform  kindness  I  have  experienced 
from  them. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be,  with  great  respect,  your  obedient  servant, 

SOLOMON  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Hon.  Philip  P.  Barbour,  Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 

On  February  llth,  the  speaker  communicated  to  the  house  the  above 
letter,  and  it  was:  "Ordered,  That  the  said  letter  lie  on  the  table,  and 
that  the  speaker  do  communicate  the  fact  of  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Van 
Rensselaer  to  the  executive  of  the  state  of  New  York." 

49 


386  LEGACY  OP  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.    % 

Proclamation  by  De  Witt  Clinton,  Governor  of  the  State  of  New  York. 
"  Whereas  in  consequence  of  the  resignation  of  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer 
Esquire,  a  Representative  in  the  House  of  Representatives  of  the  Congress 
of  the  United  States,  for  the  Ninth  District,  composed  of  the  County  of 
Albany,  a  vacancy  has  occurred  in  the  said  office,  I  do  therefore  appoint 
Monday  the  twenty-fifth  day  of  February  next  for  commencing  and  hold 
ing  an  Election  of  Representative  in  Congress,  to  supply  the  said  vacancy 
in  the  said  district." 

Hon.  John  D.  Dickinson  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Washington,  Jany:  15th,  1822. 

I  have  this  morning  for  the  first,  been  able  to  leave  my  Room  since 
you  left  this  place,  and  have  this  moment  returned  from  the  palace  from 
complying  with  your  request.  I  was  not  in  the  house  so  early  as  to  be 
able  to  ask  leave  of  absence  for  you  during  the  Session  to  day  and  on  re 
flection  have  determined  not  to  do  it  until  some  arrangement  is  made  for 
filling  up  vour  place  on  the  military  committee,  indeed  I  find  from  observ 
ations  by  some  friends,  that  it  is  thought  you  ought  to  send  your  resigna 
tion  to  the  Speaker  instead  of  asking  leave  of  absence.  This  course, unless 
you  have  reasons  for  with-holding  your  resignation,  would  appear  the 
more  correct  course.  Should  you  send  your  resignation,  I  wish,  for  par 
ticular  reasons  that  you  would  send  it  to  me.  The  different  publications 
respecting  your  appointment  have  excited  considerable  feeling  among 
some  of  our  delegation  who  are  attacked  for  their  signing  your  petition, 
they  have  —  many  of  them,  become  indignant  and  openly  justify  their 
conduct  and  I  am  in  hopes  will  come  out  in  answer  to  the  attack  of  Noah 
and  others.  The  Mail  has  just  arrived  and  brings  yours  of  llth  instant. 
Southwick  is  not,  that  I  have  yet  heard,  in  town. 

I  will  attend  to  your  wishes  and  am.         Yours  Sincerely 
Genl.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  JNO.  D.'  DICKINSON. 

Albany,  New  York. 

"  It  was  truly  wonderful  to  look  at  General  Van  Rensselaer  and  see  with 
what  indomitable  energy  the  venerable  man  had  mastered  so  many  dis 
agreeable  obstacles." 

Henry  V.  R.  Schermerhorn  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Uncle,  Geneva  Jan.  16,  1822. 

The  account  of  your  recent  appointment  has  just  reached  me,  and  I 
know  I  need  not  assure  you  that  I  heard  it  with  the  most  heartfelt  grati 
fication,  for  never  in  my  life  have  I  rejoiced  at  any  event  with  more  sin 
cere  pleasure.  You  have  now,  most  unexpectedly  to  your  friends  in  the 
country  and  very  much  to  their  delight,  been  rewarded  in  some  measure 
by  the  General  Government  of  your  country,  for  services  which  have  long 
since  entitled  you  to  this,  or  a  greater  manifestation  of  its  justice  and 
gratitude,  and  I  lose  no  time  in  congratulating  you.  The  Bucktailssay  : 
"We  admit  that  Gen.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  is  an  honest  man,  is  cap 
able  of  being  deputy  postmaster  at  Albany  ;  that  he  is  the  son  of  a  revolu 
tionary  officer,  that  he  is  a  man  of  great  personal  bravery,  that  he  loves 
his  country,  that  he  has  repeatedly  exposed  his  life  and  shed  his  blood  in 
defence  of  his  country,  that  he  was  several  times  wounded  under  General 
Anthony  Wayne  in  defending  the  men,  women  and  children  who  first 
settled  our  fine  western  country,  from  the  torch,  the  tomahawk  and  the 
scalping  knife  of  the  savage  Indians,  but,  he  was  ever  an  uncompromising 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 


387 


opponent  of  our  party,  therefore  we  strove  against  his  appointtn en t."  You 
are  no  doubt  truly  appreciative  of  all  indications  of  grateful  recollection 
on  the  part  of  your  countrymen,  and  now  having  received  this,  it  is  to  be 
hoped  that  an  invalid  soldier  may  live  long  to  enjoy  the  comfort  it  affords 
his  declining  days.  Desiring  to  be  remembered  to  the  whole  of  your  family 
I  remain  as  ever,  Your  affectionate  Nephew, 

H.    V.    R.    SCHERMERIIORN. 

Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensslaer,  P.  M.,  Albany. 

Hon.  WcdterPatterson  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 

My  dear  Sir,  Washington,  Jany.  20,  1822. 

I  send  the  enclosed  to  you,  with  the  request  that  if  the  Judge  is  not  in 

Albany,  you  will  have  the  goodness  to  forward  it  to  him.     Mr.  Dickinson 

has  your  letter  and  docu 
ments,  which  he  will  forth 
with  send  to  the  Post  Master 
General.  The  delegation 
are  much  irritated  at  Martin 
Van  Buren  and  the  Vice 
Pres.  Cambrelling  [Chur 
chill  C.  Cainbreling]  has 
written  a  letter  in  defence 
of  their  conduct,  which  will 
be  published  if  more  is  said 
on  the  subject..  The  Ad 
ministration  are  satisfied 
with  the  decision  of  the 
Post  Master  General.  The 
threats  of  Van  Buren  to 
the  contrary  notwithstand 
ing.  Southwick  is  here,  but 
can  do  nothing.  Mr.  Cal- 
houn  rises  in  favor  daily. 
If  I  can  do  any  thing  for 
you  here,  command  me.  I 
hope  you  will  send  the 
Patroon  to  us. 

Yours  truly  &c., 

W.  PATTERSON. 


8.  SOUTHWICK. 


General  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany,  N.  Y. 

On  January  21st,  a  public  meeting  was  called  at  Albany,  for  the  pur 
pose  of  expressing  much  dissatisfaction  with  the  proceedings  of  the  gene 
ral  government  at  Washington,  in  relation  to  the  appointment  of  the  post 
master  in  that  city.  The  officers  of  the  government  of  the  United  States 
were  condemned,  and  many  virulent  expressions  used,  while  they  assumed 
to  be  amazed  at  the  extraordinary,  unwarrantable,  and  unscrupulous  acts 
of  the  administration.  On  this  occasion  the  correspondence  which  took 
place  at  Washington,  relative  to  the  office,  was  laid  before  the  meeting. 
Mr.  Rufus  King  joined  his  colleague  Martin  Van  Buren  in  the  first  note, 
and  the  vice  president  and  Mr.  Van  Buren  in  the  second.  Here  Mr. 
King's  interference  appears  to  have  ceased. 


388  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 


CHAPTEK  XVIII. 

GENERAL  STEPHEN  VAN  EENSSELAER  ELECTED  TO  CONGRESS. 

Correspondence  about  Albany  Post  Office. 

Sir,  Washington,  Jany  3,  1822. 

We  have  been  informed  that  it  is  in  contemplation  to  vacate  the  office 
of  Deputy  Post  Master  for  the  City  of  Albany.  The  importance  of  the 
station  not  only  to  the  citizens  of  Albany  (but  from  the  circumstance  of 
its  being  the  principal  distributing  office  in  the  State)  to  our  citizens 
generally,  induced  us  to  request  that  we  may  be  informed  of  the  deter 
mination  of  your  department  before  the  vacancy  is  supplied;  our  object 
is  to  secure  a  n't  and  full  opportunity  to  all  concerned,  to  make  their  re 
presentations  to  you,  on  the  subject.  Will  there  be  any  objection  to  a 
compliance  with  our  request  ?  Yours  respectfully, 

K.  KING,  M.  VAN  BUREN. 

Hon.  Return  J.  Meigs,  Post  Master  General. 

Gentlemen,  General  Post  Office,  Jany  4,  1822. 

I  had  the  honor  to  receive  yours  of  yesterday.  It  has  become  neces 
sary  to  appoint  a  new  Post  Master  at  Albany.  An  application  made  by 
the  friends  of  General  Van  Rensselaer,  is  now  before  the  President  for 
his  consideration. 

It  is  desirable  that  an  appointment  shall  be  made  without  delay.  I  have 
the  honor  to  be,  With  respect  your  obt.  ser.,  R.  J.  MEIGS  JR. 

Hon.  Rufus  King,  Hon.  Martin  Van  Buren. 

Sir,  Washington,  Jan.  4,  1822. 

Having  been  informed  by  your  note  of  this  morning,  that  your  present 
deputy  Post  Master  of  Albany  is  to  be  removed,  we  have  to  request  that 
the  appointment  of  his  successor  may  be  delayed  long  enough  to  enable 
the  citizens  of  the  place  to  express  their  wishes  on  the  subject.  We  do 
this  in  consideration  of  the  importance  of  the  appointment,  and  under  a 
conviction  that  they  are  not  apprised  that  a  new  appointment  is  at  this 
time  to  be  made.  Should  you  think  proper  to  complv  with  our  request, 
we  propose  two  weeks  as  the  requisite  time,  and  in  that  event  you  will 
please  inform  us  whether  the  consideration  of  the  question  is  still  with  the 
president,  in  order  that  the  citizens  of  Albany  may  be  informed  to  whom 
their  communications  may  be  addressed.  We  request  the  favor  of  your 
answer  in  time  to  enable  us  to  make  the  requisite  communication  by  the 
next  mail. 

Yours  Respectfully, 

DANIEL  D.  TOMPKINS,  RUFUS  KING,  MARTIN  VAN  BUREN. 

Hon.  Return  J.  Meigs,  Post  Master  General. 

Gentlemen,  General  Post  Office,  Jany.  4,  1822. 

I  have  the  honor  to  state,  in  reply  to  yours  of  this  date,  that  the  Presi 
dent  has  not  decided  or  directed  in  the  case  of  the  expected  vacancy  of 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  389 

the  Post  Master  at  Albany.  It  is  desirable  that  a  new  Post  Master  should 
be  appointed  without  much  delay.  If  the  President  thinks  proper  to  have 
the  appointment  delayed,  it  will  be  so.  The  president  this  day  referred 
me  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  [Smith  Thompson]  upon  whom  I  called, 
who  informed  me  that  he  would  communicate  with  me  to  morrow. 
Very  Respectfully  yr  Obt  and  humble  Servt, 

Hon.  D.  D.  Tompkins,  R.  J.  MEIGS,  JR, 

Hon.  Rufus  King,  Hon.  Martin  Van  Buren. 

Sir,  Washington  Jan.  5,  1822. 

The  enclosed  letters  explain  our  wishes  and  the  object  of  this  applica 
tion.  If  the  delay  we  ask  can  be  granted,  we  would  be  much  obliged  by 
being  apprized  in  season  to  write  home  by  tomorrows  mail.  Sensible  of 
the  deep  interest  which  our  citizens  will,  for  a  variety  of  reasons,  take  in 
the  question,  I  would  much  regret  a  decision  without  affording  them  an 
opportunity  to  be  further  heard.  With  great  respect.  M.  VAN  BUREN. 

P.  S.  If  proper,  I  wish  the  letters  may  be  returned  to  me. 

To  the  President  of  the  United  States. 
Sir, 

We  unite  in  the  request  which  has  been  made  for  the  postponement  of 
the  appointment  of  deputy  Post  Master  for  the  City  of  Albany  (in  case 
the  removal  of  Mr.  Southwick  is  determined  on)  until  an  opportunity  can 
be  afforded  to  the  citizens  of  that  place  to  express  their  wishes  on  the 
subject,  and  earnestly  solicit  that  the  same  be  complied  with. 

We  have  the  honor  to  be,  very  respectfully  yr  obt.  Servants, 
JAMES  HAWKS,  T.  H.  HUBBARD, 

NATHANIEL  PITCHER,      E.  LITCHFIELD, 
W.  B.  ROCHESTER,  W.  W.  VAN  WYCK, 

RICHARD  M'CARTY,         R.  H.  WALWORTH, 
JER.  H.  PEIRSON,  SAM.  CAMPBELL. 

D.  WOODCOCK, 

Sir,  Washington,  Jan.  7,  1822. 

I  have  received  your  letter  requesting  a  postponement  of  any  ap 
pointment  to  the  vacancy  in  the  Post  office  at  Albany  for  a  specific 
time.  As  this  case  is  connected  with  others,  and  involves  a  principle  in 
the  administration  of  the  Post  office  department,  I  have  on  that  account 
as  well  as  my  respect  for  you  and  the  other  gentlemen,  who  have  united 
in  making  the  request,  bestowed  on  it  all  the  consideration  which  it  justly 
merited.  By  the  law,  establishing  the  Post  Office  department,  the  appoint 
ment  of  all  the  officers  employed  in  it,  under  the  Post  Master  General,  is 
exclusively  vested  in  him,  without  reference  to  the  President.  Had  it 
been  intended  that  the  President  should  control  the  appointments  in  de 
tail,  or  take  any  agency  in  them,  the  provisions  of  the  law,  and  the  powers 
granted  by  it,  would  have  been  different.  Such  also  according  to  my  ex 
perience  and  information  on  the  subject,  has  been  the  uniform  practice  of 
the  executive.  For  these  reasons  I  deem  it  improper  to  interfere.  I  am 
Sir  with  great  respect,  Your  very  obt.  Sevt.,  JAMES  MONROE. 

Sir,  Washington,  Jany.  6,  1822. 

If  an  application  for  delay  in  regard  to  the  appointment  of  deputy  Post 
Master  at  Alba*ny  be  denied,  we  have  to  request  that  you  will  indulge  us 


390  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

with  an  opportunity  of  making  further  communication  to  you  on  the  sub 
ject  before  the  ultimate'  decision  be  made. 

We  have  the  honor  to  be  your  obt.  and  very  humble  Servt's. 

D.  D.  TOMPKINS,  MAKTIN  VAN  BUREN. 
Hon.  Return  J.  Meigs,  Post  Master  General. 

Gentlemen,  General  Post  Office,  Jan.  7,  1822. 

I  do  not  deem  it  expedient  to  delay  the  appointment  of  a  Post  Master 
at  Albany.     I  can  have  certainly  no  objections  to  receive  from  you  any 
communications  which  you  may  be  pleased  to  make  on  that  subject. 
I  have  the  honor  to  be  respectfully  your  obt.  servt., 

R.  J.  MEIGS. 

Hon.  D.  D.  Tompkins,  Hon.  M.  Van  Buren.  (Received  at  Sun  Rising, 
Jany.  7,  1822.) 

These  letters  with  those  following  were  sent  to  Albany  to  the  committee. 
"  Immediately  wrote  him  a  note  that  as  the  delay  solicited  could  not  be 
granted,  he  would  receive  the  communication  contemplated  by  the  note 
of  Mr.  Van  Buren  and  myself  of  Saturday  by  1  o'clock.  Mr.  Stevenson 
delivered  the  note  personally,  and  Mr.  Meigs  was  pleased  to  say  he  would 
wait  accordingly.  D.  D.  TOMPKINS/' 

A  Letter  to  the  Post  Master  General. 
Sir,  Washington.  Jany.  7,  1322. 

Having  understood  from  you,  that  the  P.  M.  at  Albany,  was  at  all 
events  to  be  removed,  and  sensible  that  such  an  event  was  not  so  known 
or  expected  by  the  citizens  of  that  place,  as  to  afford  them  an  opportunity 
to  express  their  wishes  as  to  his  successor,  we  on  Friday  last  handed  in  a 
request  for  a  postponement  on  the  subject  until  they  could  be  apprized  of 
the  determination  of  your  department.  In  reply  to  our  note  you  was 
pleased  to  say,  that  the  consideration  of  the  subject  was  with  the  Presi 
dent,  and  that  if  he  directed  the  postponement  it  might  be  granted. 
Under  an  impression  that,  that  question  was  still  open  with  the  President, 
we  applied  to  him,  and  it  appears  by  note,  which  he  this  moment  enclosed 
to  us,  and  which  we  here  transmit  to  you,  that  a  great  proportion  also  of 
the  representatives  of  our  State,  most  of  whom  had  signed  Mr.  V.  R.'s 
application,  to  you,  addressed  a  note  to  the  President  earnestly  soliciting 
the  delay  asked  for  by  us.  At  an  early  hour  this  morning,  we  were  in 
formed  by  you,  that  you  do  not  deem  it  expedient  to  delay  the  appoint 
ment,  but  declaring  your  readiness  to  receive  the  communication,  we  had 
requested  an  opportunity  to  make,  before  your  ultimate  decision  on  the 
question  was  made.  Under  these  circumstances,  we  take  the  liberty  of 
recommending  to  you  for  the  appointment  of  deputy  at  Albany,  John 
Lansing  Jun.  Esqr.  Mr.  L.  is  one  of  the  few  surviving  patriots  of  the 
revolution;  he  was  a  member  of  the  convention  which  formed  the  con 
stitution  of  the  U.  S.,  and  of  that  which  adopted  it  in  the  State  of  N.  Y.; 
has  been  chief  justice  of  the  Supreme  Court,  and  Chancellor  of  the  State, 
which  latter  place  he  held  until  arrived  at  the  age  of  sixty,  when,  by  the 
Constitution  he  was  disqualified  from  continuing  in  it  and  reduced  to  the 
station  of  a  private  citizen.  His  integrity  and  capacity  are  unquestion 
able,  and  the  appointment  in  a  pecuniary  point  of  view  would  perhaps 
be  important  to  him,  and  to  a  numerous  and  amiable  family.  We  feel 
Sir,  that  we  speak  correctly,  when  we  say,  that  nothing  would  be  more 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  391 

grateful  to  the  feelings  of  the  people  of  our  State,  than  to  see  an  old 
patriot  thus  provided  for  in  the  evening  of  his  days. 

Of  General  Van  Rensselaer  we  have  no  desire  to  say  any  thing  which 
might  excite  personal  prejudice  ;  that  his  conduct  has  been  that  of  a  gallant 
man,  we  cheerfully  admit.  But  we  submit  to  your  consideration,  how  far 
he  has  partaken  of  the  justice  of  his  country.  It  cannot  be  unknown  to 
you,  that  the  U.  S.  have  granted  him  a  liberal  pension  for  life,  which 
with  becoming  munificence  was  allowed  to  commence  many  years  back; 
independent  of  which,  he  has  for  a  long  time  held  a  lucrative  office  in  the 
State  of  N.  York,  under  several  successive  administrations  of  different 
and  hostile  political  sentiments. 

Mr.  Lansing  is  now,  and  always  has  been,  a  firm  and  inflexible  republi 
can,  zealously  devoted  to  the  maintenance  of  the  great  republican  party 
of  the  Union. 

Mr.  Van  R.  has  throughout  been  a  warm,  active  and  indefatigable  op 
ponent  of  that  party. 

We  will  not  discriminate  between  the  pretensions  of  the  two  gentlemen, 
on  the  score  of  capacity  and  integrity,  but  assume  that  we  feel  confident 
will  not  be  denied  by  the  friends  of  Mr.  V.  R.  that  Mr.  Lansing's  are  at 
least  equal  to  his.  In  this  view  of  the  subject  we  wish  to  submit  to  you, 
whether  the  preference  ought  not  to  be  given  to  Mr.  Lansing,  because  he 
belongs  to  the  republican  party,  and  to  secure  a  decision  upon  that  ques 
tion  by  your  department,  we  now  propose,  that  if  any  objections  are  made 
to  Mr.  Lansing  which  have  weight  with  you,  we  will  suggest  the  name 
or  names  of  other  respectable  republicans  of  the  City  of  Albany,  to  whom 
the  appointment  will  be  acceptable. 

Knowing  as  we  do  that  the  republicans  of  the  State  of  New  York,  will 
regard  it  as  a  matter  of  great  importance,  that  the  Post  Office  at  the  seat 
of  government  should  be  in  the  hands  of  a  gentleman  of  the  same 
political  character  with  themselves ;  and  anxious  that  they  should 
fully  understand  the  principle  which  in  this  particular  governs  your 
department,  we  have  felt  it  to  be  our  duty  and  our  right  to  pre 
sent,  on  this  occasion,  that  question  respectfully  but  distinctly  to  your 
decision.  We  forbear  discussion  on  the  matter  and  therefore  content 
ourselves  with  observing,  that  whatever  might  be  the  correct  course 
as  to  removals  from  office,  at  this  time  when  the  feelings  of  party  are 
in  some  degree  relaxed,  we  had  flattered  ourselves,  with  the  hope  that 
for  new  appointments  at  least  (all  other  matters  equal)  a  preference  would 
be  given  by  every  department  of  a  republican  administration  to  its  repub 
lican  supporters.  There  is  one  more  point  of  view  on  which  we  wish  to 
present  the  matter  to  your  consideration.  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  held  the 
office  of  Adjutant  General  of  our  State  for  many  years,  and  as  we  have 
before  stated  under  different  administrations.  In  the  severe  and  trying 
contest  in  which  the  republicans  of  that  State  have  for  some  years  past 
been  involved,  he  yielded  his  undivided  exertions  against  them,  and  was 
a  zealous  and  efficient  partisan.  Having  succeeded  in  wresting  the  power 
from  the  hands  of  their  adversaries,  the  government  of  that  State  only  last 
winter  thought  proper  to  extend  to  him  the  rule  which  had  with  an  un 
sparing  hand,  been  applied  to  their  friends,  by  removing  him  from  office. 
The  people  of  the  State  have  at  two  successive  elections  by  large  and  de 
cisive  majorities,  approved  the  course  of  those  whom  they  entrusted  with 
the  power  of  the  state.  You  can  very  readily  estimate  the  feelings  with 
which  they  will  learn,  that  a  department  of  the  general  government  has 


392  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

so  soon,  and  under  such  circumstances,  conferred  an  office  which  will  give 
him  much  more  political  influence  and  consideration  among  them,  that 
the  one  of  which  they  have  deemed  fit  to  deprive  him ;  and  will  deter 
mine  to  what  respect  those  feelings  are  entitled. 

With  respect :  yr.  obt.  Servants, 

DANL.  D.  TOMPKINS, 
M.  VAN  BUREN. 
To  Hon.  Return  J.  Meigs,  Post  Master  General. 

Post  Master  General  to  the  Vice  President  and  Martin  Van  Bur  en. 
Gentlemen,  Genl.  P.  Office,  Jany  8,  1822. 

Your  communication  of  yesterday,  I  had  the  honor  to  receive,  and  to 
give  it  an  attentive  perusal,  and  a  respectful  consideration.  I  regret  that 
on  a  view  of  the  whole  subject,  I  have  not  been  able  to  accord  with  your 
views  and  opinions. 

With  high  respect,  I  am  your  most  obt.  Servant. 
The  Hon.  D.  D.  Tompkins.  )  R,  J.  MEIGS. 

The  Hon.  M.  Van  Buren.     } 

Extract  "  January  22,  1822.  It  is  not  a  little  singular  that  Mr  Rufus 
King  [U.  S.  Senator]  the  last  federal  candidate  for  Governor  in  this  State, 
and  the  man  to  .whom  his  friends  looked  as  the  standard  of  orthodoxy, 
should  object  to  the  appointment  of  General  Van  Rensselaer  because  he 
is  a  federalist;  and  it  is  still  more  strange,  that  the  Vice  President  and 
others,  should  claim  the  post  office  department  as  an  appendage  to  their 
party.  I  was  the  most  surprised  at  the  monstrous  attempt  to  pursuade 
the  President  and  the  Post  Master  General,  that  the  dominant  party  in 
this  state,  had  a  right  to  the  Post  Office  in  Albany  as  a  party  engine,  for 
I  can  make  nothing  less  of  their  proceedings. 

"  No  want  of  capacity  or  integrity  is  alleged  against  General  Van  Rens 
selaer  —  yet  he  stands  denounced  by  the  very  men  who  declare  that  he 
has  been  sustained  in  office  by  them  for  many  years,  when  he  was  at  the 
same  time  their  active  and  efficient  opponent.  This  is  the  highest  com 
pliment  they  could  pass  upon  him,  and  yet  the  same  men  have  the  effront 
ery  to  denounce  this  veteran  at  Washington,  and  not  only  this,  but  to 
demand  the  removal  of  the  Post  Master  General  or  the  appointment  of  a 
Post  Master  at  Albany  who  will  make  his  office  subservient  to  the  party 
views.  The  reason  they  assign  for  their  efforts  to  defeat  this  appointment 
of  the  General's  was,  because  he  ever  openly  was  adverse  and  opposed  to 
the  party  which  they  represented,  I  had  imagined  and  supposed  the 
sentiment  was  general  that  post  offices  and  mail  routes  were  established 
for  the  benefit  of  the  people  at  large  without  reference  to  political  parties 
and  I  never  before  heard  any  party  claim  as  a  right  the  appointment  of 
the  agents  employed  to  transact  the  business  in  which  every  party  had  an 
equal  interest." 

Hon.  John  D.  Dickinson  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Washington  22d  Jany,  1822. 

I  have  received  your  two  packets  containing  Letters  and  recommenda 
tion  which  had  been  sent  back  to  you  at  Albany,  and  have  personally  de 
livered  them  to  the  Post  Master  General.  You  may  rest  entirely  at  ease 
as  to  any  effort  in  the  power  of  South  wick  to  make  here.  I  have  this 
morning  had  a  conversation  with  the  Post  Master  General  on  the  subject ; 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  393 

he  remains  perfectly  satisfied  and  gratified  in  the  course  he  has  taken. 
We  are  engaged  in  the  discussion  of  the  Bankrupt  Law,  Mr.  Sergeant  the 
last  evening  delivered  a  very  able  argument  in  favour.  We  are  very  much 
gratified  with  the  information  that  the  Patroon  is  to  be  your  Successor, 
and  should  be  much  pleased  if  he  should  be  disposed  to  join  us  at  Strothers. 
Let  me  intreat  you  to  write  me  often  and  keep  me  informed  what  is  going 
forward.  I  am  yours  sincerely. 

Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Esq.  P.  M.  Albany.    JNO.  D.  DICKINSON. 

The  Bankrupt  Law  was  "An  act  to  establish  an  uniform  system  of  Bank 
ruptcy  throughout  the  United  States/'  This  act  was  not  finally  passed  till 
the  first  session  of  the  27th  congress  in  1841.  "At  the  moment  the  pre 
sident  (John  Tyler)  had  signed  the  Bankrupt  act,  a  stranger  burst  into  his 
room,  and  entreated  the  president  to  give  him  the  pen  with  which  he  had 
signed  the  bill.  The  request  was  readily  granted,  and  the  stranger  took 
it  away  with  him  to  preserve  it  as  the  instrument  with  which  an  act  of 
glorious  beneficence  had  been  executed.  It  is  a  triumph  of  CIVILIZATION  ; 
of  JUSTICE,  and  of  TRUE  LIBERTY." 

Expression  of  Thanks  from  the  Albany  Delegation. 

Albany  January  23,  1822.  It  appearing  by  the  proclamation  of  his 
Excellency  the  Governor,  that  General  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  has  re 
signed  his  seat  in  the  House  of  Representatives  of  the  Unitd  States;  there 
fore, 

Resolved  Unanimously  that  the  thanks  of  the  Delegates  of  the  City 
and  County  of  Albany  be  presented  to  GENERAL  SOLOMON  VAN  RENS 
SELAER  for  his  faithful  services  as  their  Representative  in  Congress.  And 
that  while  this  Convention  regret  his  resignation,  they  are  gratified  in 
knowing  that  the  General  Government,  in  the  exercise  of  an  enlightened 
and  liberal  policy  have  rewarded  his  valuable  services  to  his  country  by 
conferring  upon  him  a  respectable  offi.ce — the  duties  of  which  he  is  emi 
nently  qualified  to  discharge. 

"  On  motion  resolved  unanimously  :  That  the  HON.  STEPHEN  VAN 
RENSSELAER  be  and  is  hereby  recommended  to  the  electors  of  the  city 
and  county  of  Albany  as  a  suitable  person  to  represent  the  said  city  and 
county  in  the  house  of  the  representatives  of  the  United  States. 

By  order  of  the  Committee 
WILLIAM  D.  HOUGHTALING,  Chairman. 
W.  W.  Dougherty,  Sec. 

To  Hon.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  Present. 

GENERAL  STEPHEN  VAN  RENSSELAER  was  elected  over  Solomon  South- 
wick,  to  supply  the  vacancy  occasioned  by  the  resignation  of  Gen.  Solomon 
Van  Rensselaer,  with  a  majority  of  1759.  S.  Van  Renssselaer  had  2258 
votes  and  Southwick  499. 

"It  is  mentioned  as  illustrative  of  the  influence  formerly  exercised  by  the 
Dutch  landed  proprietors,  that  during  the  first  forty  years  following  the 
organization  of  the  federal  government  under  theConstitution  (from  1789 
to  1829)  the  district  embracing  Albany  was  represented  for  twenty-two  years 
by  gentlemen  bearing  the  name  of  VAN  RENSSELAER  and  connected  with 
the  family  of  tbe  Patroon,  that  is  to  say,  JEREMIAH  VAN  RENSSELAER, 
two  years,  KILLIAN  K.  ten  years;  SOLOMON  and  STEPHEN  ten  years  in 
the  aggregate.  " 

50 


394  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Albany  January  24th.  "  Our  bucktail  fellow  citizens  appear  to  be  ex 
tremely  offended  at  the  post  master  general's  hardihood  in  presuming  to 
appoint  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  post  master,  in  this  city,  without  their 
approbation.  What  Mr.  Meigs  can  do  to  appease  their  wrath  I  do  not 
know.  It  seems  he  was  duly  apprised  of  Mr.  Van  Ronsselaer's  sin  of  feder 
alism  and  oppugnation  to  the  present  democratic  party  here,  and  that  he, 
notwithstanding  knowingly  and  wilfully  made  the  appointment;  but  what 
is  worse,  the  heads  of  departments  at  Washington  gave  it  their  unequivo 
cal  sanction.  The  inference  is  that  the  administration  of  the  federal  govern 
ment  do  not  consider  the  political  creed  of  the  bucktails  to  be  perfectly 
orthodox,  or  else  that  it  savors  too  much  of  intolerance  to  meet  the  liberal 
views  aud  enlightened  policy  which  prevails  at  Washington.  In  either  case 
the  appointment  of  Mr.  Van  Eensselaer  furnishes  a  pledge  that  an  honest 
difference  of  opinions  on  political  questions  is  not  an  insuperable  objection  to 
preferment  under  the  United  States  government."  "  Substantially  the 
facts  in  the  case  are,  that  Mr.  Southwick  as  post-master  has  fallen  several 
thousand  dollars  in  arrears  to  the  department,  that  every  opportunity, 
time  and  indulgence  had  been  allowed  him  to  make  up  the  defalcation ; 
that  the  patience  of  the  department  having  literally  became  exhausted 
upon  the  subject,  the  post-master-general  determined  to  remove  him  and 
to  appoint  a  successor.  The  vacancy  being  known  to  the  delegation  in 
congress  from  New  York,  twenty-two  members  from  that  state,  a  large 
majority  of  them  republicans,  recommended  GENERAL  VAN  RENSSELAER 
to  the  post-master-general  as  a  suitable  person  to  Jill  it.  In  addition  to  its 
being  the  expression  of  the  will  of  the  people,  made  on  this  occasion 
through  the  representatives  in  favor  of  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer,  it  was  con 
sidered  that  his  appointment  was  called  for  on  the  ground  of  the  distin 
guished  military  services  he  has  rendered  to  his  country  at  different 
times." 

"  A  REPUBLICAN  MEETING  was  held  January  25,  1822,  at  Skinner's 
mansion  house  at  which  the  venerable  JOHN  TAYLER,  lieut.  governor 
was  called  to  the  chair,  upon  which  he  addressed  the  meeting  to  the 
following  effect :  My  friends  and  fellow  citizens,  you  have  been  pleased  to 
call  me  to  preside  over  this  meeting.  In  a  few  months  I  shall  count  the 
age  of  four  score,  but  notwithstanding,  I  am  alive  to  the  happiness  and 
welfare  of  my  country,  it  is  with  sincere  regret  that  I  have  of  late  wit 
nessed  meetings  in  this  city  to  censure  certain  officers  of  the  general 
government  for  exercising  their  functions  under  the  constitution.  Meetings 
of  this  kind  can  have  no  other  effect  than  to  excite  and  keep  alive  the 
angry  feelings  in  society,  which  have  for  sometime,  to  the  honor  of  our 
country,  been  subsiding.  Severe  censures  have  been  passed  on  the  post 
master  general  for  appointing  a  deputy  in  this  city  •  and  a  correspond 
ence  with  him  and  the  president,  on  the  subject,  laid  before  the  public, 
which,  in  my  humble  opinion,  does  not  redound  to  the  credit  of  those  to 
whom  the  people  have  confided  oilier  duties.  If  appointments  made  by 
the  government,  are  to  pass  in  review  before  meetings  called  to  approve 
or  censure,  then  we  shall  be  continually  engaged  in  political  contentions, 
and  society  will  never  be  at  rest.  I  would  beseech  you  to  beware  of  pre 
tenders  for  the  public  good,  who  have  continually  the  people,  the  peoplein 
their  mouths,  when  ambition  and  self  aggrandizement  are  the  true  mo 
tives  for  their  action.  In  a  republican  government,  it  is  the  duty  of  its 
citizens  to  submit  to,  and  obey  the  laws  of  their  country,  and  the  legiti 
mate  acts  of  the  government ;  and  if  any  of  them  are  burdensome  and 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  395 

oppressive,  they-  are  to  be  redressed  and  removed  by  means  amply  provided 
for  by  the  constitution  of  our  country.  When  the  late  war  was  declared, 
I  was  opposed  to  the  measure  because  I  thought  we  were  not  properly 
prepared  to  contend  with  so  powerful  a  nation,  and  that  it  might  have 
been  avoided  by  negotiation;  but  when  it  was  determined  by  lawful  authority, 
I  gave  it  my  warm  and  zealous  support.  Its  result  was  glorious  to  our 
country,  it  gave  us  an  eminent  rank  among  the  nations  of  Europe,  and 
secured  to  us  a  military  fame  that  will  be  lasting  and  beneficial." 

General  Peter  Gansevoort  was  then  appointed  secretary.  The  objects 
of  the  meeting  were  then  explained  by  Philip  S.  Parker,  Esq.,  in  a  speech 
of  some  length,  in  which  Mr.  Parker  stated  the  very  extraordinary 
proceedings  of  a  meeting  held  at  Rockwell's  Mansion  House,  on  the 
21st,  in  which  the  post  master  general  was  in  direct  terms  denounced, 
and  the  heads  of  departments  of  general  government  unjustly  denounced, 
on  account  of  the  recent  appointment  of  a  deputy  post  master  for  this 
city.  That  meeting  had  produced  so  much  excitement  in  the  public 
mind,  that  many  of  the  republicans  of  the  city  had  been  induced  to  call 
a  meeting  of  the  citizens  friendly  to  the  general  and  state  administrations. 
Mr.  Parker  remarked  with  great  force  on  the  impropriety  of  enlisting 
and  engaging  the  general  government  in  the  petty  party  feuds  in  a  state, 
county  or  town,  and  he  could  not  believe  that  any  man  who  would  urge 
such  a  measure  and  endeavor  to  draw  the  heads  of  department  into  it, 
could  be  actuated  by  friendly  motives  for  the  government  and  its  per 
petuity;  but  on  the  contrary,  must  be  governed  by  narrow,  selfish  and 
interested  views.  That  the  manifest  inconsistency  of  the  vice  president 
and  the  senators  from  this  state,  in  relation  to  the  same  appointment, 
was  so  great  that  he  was  astonished  at  their  conduct.  That  Mr.  King,  a 
high  toned  federalist  and  ci-devant  leader  of  the  party,  should  object  to 
the  appointment  of  General  Van  Rensselaer  as  a  deputy  post  master 
because  he  was  a  federalist,  is  truly  remarkable.  Mr.  Parker  stated  as  a 
fact  very  notorious,  in  this  city  and  state,  that  the  vice  president  and 
Mr.  Van  Buren  were  zealous  and  active  supporters,  and  contributed  much 
to  the  election  of  Mr.  King  to  the  senate  of  the  United  States,  notwith 
standing  he  was  a  federalist !  And  that  very  many  of  that  party  who 
during  the  late  war,  used  every  exertion  to  thwart  the  views  and  opera 
tions  of  the  general,  as  well  as  the  government  of  this  state,  while 
General  Van  llensselaer  was  fighting  the  battles  of  his  country  and 
spilling  his  blood  in  its  defense,  having  been  taken  by  Mr.  Van  Buren 
into  full  confidence,  and  through  his  controlling  influence  over  the 
council  of  appointment  of  this  state,  have  been  appointed  to  honor 
able  and  lucrative  offices.  That  the  inconsistency  of  the  vice  president 
was  still  more  glaring.  During  the  late  war,  the  same  General  Van 
llensselaer  held  the  ofiice  of  adjutant  general;  and  at  the  most  import 
ant  crisis,  and  when  his  services  were  considered  essential  in  military 
operations,  and  as  soon  as  the  wounds  which  he  had  then  received,  so 
recently  in  fighting  the  battles  of  his  country,  would  enable  him  to  act, 
he  was  taken  into  the  vice  president's  military  family  (then  Commander- 
in-chief  of  this  state)  and  placed  at  the  head  of  his  personal  staff"  as 
adjutant  general,  and  continued  in  that  office  during  the  vice  president's 
administration  of  the  government  of  this  state,  and  when  he  accepted  the 
office  of  vice  president  left  the  adjutant  general  in  office.  Mr.  Parker 
observed,  that  there  was  one  fact  in  relation  to  this  transaction,  which 
rendered  the  vice  president  still  more  inconsistent,  and  that  was,  his 


396  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

signing  a  recommendation  in  favor  of  the  Hon.  John  Lansing,  Jr.,  as 
deputy  post  master,  in  which  he  declares  that  Mr.  Lansing  "is  now  and 
always  has  been  a  firm  and  inflexible  republican" — the  vice  president 
must  have  forgotten  that  a  few  weeks  since,  he  stated  in  public  debate  in 
the  convention  of  this  state,  that  Mr.  Lansing  was  a  quid,  and  that  the 
quids  acted  in  concert  with  the  federalists  in  opposition  to  the  republican 
party. 

Mr.  Parker  alluded  in  a  very  handsome  manner  to  the  valuable  services 
rendered  by  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  his  country,  of  his  readiness  at  all 
times  to  risk  his  life  in  defense  of  its  rights  and  honor ;  of  the  severe 
wounds  he  had  received  in  the  two  wars  in  which  he  had  served,  and  that 
the  post  master  general  was  actuated  by  the  most  noble  and  honorable 
feelings  in  preferring  such  a  companion  in  arms,  a  brother  soldier  with 
whom  he  had  served,  and  one  whom  he  knew  to  be  honest,  brave  and 
skillful.  Mr.  Parker  said  he  could  not  refrain  from  declaring  his  gratifi 
cation  that  such  a  man,  so  deserving  (by  whatever  political  name  he  may 
be  distinguished),  the  hero  of  two  wars,  had  received  from  the  government 
of  his  country  an  appointment,  the  income  of  which  would  enable  him  to 
support  an  amiable  and.  numerous  family,  which  in  consequence  of  his 
wounds,  at  this  period  of  his  life,  he  is  otherwise  unable  to  furnish. 

Of  the  resolutions,  among  others  read  to  the  meeting  by  the  secretary 
and  unanimously  adopted  :  RESOLVED,  that  the  obtrusive  and  persevering 
interference  of  the  vice  president  of  the  United  States-and  the  Senators 
from  this  state  in  the  appointment  of  a  deputy  post  master  for  this  city, 
were  not  warranted  by  any  importance  or  influence,  which  the  ofiice  con 
ferred  ;  and  was  incompatible  with  official  decorum;  and  foreign  from 
their  legitimate  duties ;  and  that  it  received  a  merited  rebuke  in  the  prompt 
ness  of  the  measures  which  were  adopted  by  the  general  government ; 
and  that  the  subsequent  transmission  to  this  city  of  the  communications 
which  took  place  on  that  occasion  by  Daniel  D.  Tompkins  arid  Martin 
Van  Buren,  for  the  purpose  of  exciting  dissatisfaction  with  the  national 
administration  and  producing  an  angry  appeal  to  the  people,  was  an  act 
greatly  to  be  deprecated,  as  well  from  its  intrinsic  demerits,  as  the  per 
nicious  example  of  insubordination  and  contumely  which  it  exhibits  to  the 
community.  JOHN  TAYLER,  Chairman. 

Peter  Gansevoort,  Secretary. 

Federal  Meeting  on  January  29t7i. 

"RESOLVED,  That  the  appointment  of  the  HON.  SOLOMON  VAN  RENS 
SELAER,  our  late  representative  of  this  city,  is  highly  gratifying  to  our 
feelings;  that  we  view  it  as  an  evidence  of  honorable  and  patriotic  senti 
ments  on  the  part  of  the  administration  of  the  general  government,  and 
that  in  our  opinion,  the  manifestation  of  the  same  spirit  of  independence 
in  future  appointments,  will,  in  a  great  measure  allay  the  unhappy  dis 
sensions  which  have  heretofore  prevailed  in  our  country,  will  elevate  the 
character  of  our  government,  and  give  stability  to  our  republican  institu 
tions." 
Henry  B.  Davis,  Sec'ry.  MATTHEW  TROTTER,  Ch'n. 

The  nomination  of  the  HON.  STEPHEN  VAN  RENSSELAER  met  their 
cordial  approbation  and  he  was  so  informed  by  the  secretary. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  397 

Hon.  John  D.  Dickinson  to  Gen.  Van  Eenssdaer. 

Dear  Sir,  Washington  Jany.  29,  1*22. 

I  ani  this  evening  favored  with  yours  of  22d,  including  the  Argus  — 
and  shall  impatiently  wait  the  arrival  of  the  proceedings  of  the  meeting 
of  the  Citizens  you  mention  in  Support  of  the  Administration  — nothing 
shall  be  omitted  on  my  part  —  but  I  am  very  anxious  to  have  it  in  my 
power  to  show  the  fallacy  of  the  Statements  of  the  Strength  against  you. 
I  will  see  the  Secretary  at  War  and  Col.  Johnson  in  the  morning.  Van 
Buren  has  left  us  and  gone  with  Mr.  King  to  Georgetown  to  reside. 

Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Esq.,  Yours  Sincerely. 

Post  Master,  Albany,  N.  Y.  JNO.  J).  DICKINSON. 

lion.  Walter  Patterson  to  Gen.  Van  Renssdaer. 

My  Dear  Sir,  Washington  Jany.  29,  1822. 

Mr.  Calhoun,  this  morning,  requested  me  to  urge  your  sending  your 
resignation  to  the  Speaker,  to  enable  him  to  supply  your  place  on  the 
Military  Committee.  This  gentleman  told  me  that  the  administration 
cared  nothing  about  the  Albany  resolutions  of  Messrs  Savage  and  Co. 
And  Gales  said  to  me,  that  they  were  disgraceful  to  the  parties  concerned, 
you  will  please  to  consider  this  confidential  for  the  present.  The  Ratio 
will  probably  be  40,000  —  possibly  under  that  number.  Van  Buren  is 
determined,  if  possible,  to  remove  the  Post  Master  General,  but  he  has 
not  the  power,  though  he  possesses  the  will.  Yours  truly  &c. 

Gen.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  P.  M.,  Albany.  W.  PATTERSON. 

John  D.  Dickinson  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Washington  Feb.,  4  1822. 

We  were  the  last  evening  favored  with  the  proceedings  of  the  last 
meeting  in  Albany  the  address  of  the  venerable  Chairman  is  much  ad 
mired  by  all  persons.  I  do  not  think  from  what  I  hear  on  the  subject 
that  you  have  any  thing  to  apprehend  from  the  effect  of  the  resolutions 
and  remonstrances  of  your  opponents  as  yet  presented  — but  I  very  much 
regret  that  anything  should  have  induced  you  to  delay  so  long  your  resigna 
tion  and  sending  it  to  the  Speaker.  It  has  the  appearance,  on  your 
part,  of  intentionally  aiding  the  radicals  on  the  military  committee,  to 
harrass  the  Secretary  at  War,  and  President,  by  maturing  and  bringing 
forward  measures  hostile  to  the  army.  This  you  will  however  expli 
citly  understand  I  am  perfectly  certain  would  not  have  been  your  intention, 
but  the  circumstance  is  very  generally  regretted  by  your  friends.  The 
Military  Committee  have  this  morning  reported  a  Bill  similar  to  the  one 
of  the  last  session  and  are  engaged  in  other  measures  of  a  similar  import.  I 
am  asked,  "why  did  Mr.  V.  R.  take  so  irregular  a  course  as  to  send 
his  resignaion  to  the  Gov.  of  New  York  when  the  regular  and  universal 
course  is  to  send  it  to  the  Speaker,  and  for  the  house  to  give  the  informa 
tion  to  the  Governor/7  I  give  it  to  you  as  I  very  frequently  receive  it. 
Your  memorial  of  Sundry  Merchants  and  the  petition  of  the  inhabitants 
and  Merchants  of  your  City  on  the  subject  of  the  manufactory  of  Iron 
have  been  presented  and  referred.  Let  me  ask  you  to  write  me  often  and 
keep  me  informed  of  the  state  of  party  feelings  and  proceedings  in  your 
city  and  command  me  freely  if  I  can  be  of  service  to  you  here. 

Yours  Sincerely,         JNO.  D.  DICKINSON. 
Gen.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer. 


398  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 


Hon.  Joshua  CusJiman  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Washington  Feb  14, 1822. 

Though  I  sincerely  regretted  your  retirement  from  our  House,  yet  I 
was  more  than  consoled  by  the  reflection,  that  you  were  placed  in  the 
bosom  of  your  family  with  an  office,  the  emoluments  of  which  would  afford 
you  an  honorable  subsistence.  The  sentiments  which  I  felt  and  now 
express,  were,  I  presume,  responded  by  your  numerous  friends  in  both 
branches  of  the  national  Legislature.  Every  one  thought  your  appoint 
ment  well  merited  on  your  part,  and  judicious  on  the  part  of  the  Go 
vernment.  Judge  then  of  our  Surprise,  when  we  learned  that  certain  char 
acters  high  in  office^  on  the  spot,  had  been  conspiring  against  you,  and  that 
assemblages  nearer  home,  were  excited  to  an  extraordinary  procedure. 

You  know  that  I  am  a  Republican,  that  I  came  into  public  life  through 
republican  auspices  ;  and  that  I  am  most  devoted  to  republican  principles 
of  Government —  but  never  did  I,  for  a  moment,  believe  that  true,  genu 
ine,  substancial  Republicanism  consisted  in  depressing  men  of  talents  and 
virtue,  in  a  spirit  of  dictation  to  the  powers  that  be,  or  in  restraining  these 
powers  in  the  regular  exercises  of  their  authority.  Granting  Sir,  that 
you  have  not  approved  all  the  measures  which  have  been  adopted  by  all 
our  Administrations  —  yet  I  have  always  conceived  your  mind  deeply  im 
bued  with  the  sentiments  and  maxims  of  the  Washington  School,  which 
being  again  reduced  to  practice,  are  restoring  respectability  and  harmony 
to  the  nation.  Allowing  also  that,  with  many  patriots  and  Statesmen, 
you  entertained  the  opinions  that  the  late  war  might  have  been  avoided — 
yet,  when  that  war  was  declared,  like  a  loyal  citizen,  you  yielded  your 
judgment  to  that  of  the  constituted  Authorities;  and  like  a  brave  man, 
you  fought  and  bled,  and  did  all  that  was  in  your  power  to  give  it  success 
and  to  carry  it  on  with  efficiency.  Surely  greater  partriotism  hath  no 
man  than  to  lay  down  his  life  for  his  country.  In  reflecting  on  the  treat 
ment,  which  you  have  received,  or  the  excitement  caused  by  your  ap 
pointment,  I  know  not  what  sensations  to  indulge,  whether  of  grief  or 
indignation. 

I  am  overwhelmed  with  sorrow,  and  sunk  under  a  weight  of  humilia 
tion,  to  find  men  wearing  the  name  of  Republicans,  and  yet  offering 
violence  to  every  civil  virtue,  and  assuming  an  air  of  importance  which 
would  ill  become  an  absolute  and  perpetual  Dictator. 

In  the  midst  of  my  griefs  and  painful  emotions,  I  have  a  solace,  arising 
from  the  belief  that  Republicans  such  as  these,  however  they  may  prevail 
in  some  sections,  are  far  from  being  tbe  majority  in  our  country,  and  that 
the  good  sense  of  the  people  will  counteract  their  designs  and  defeat  their 
machinations. 

I  do  believe,  notwithstanding  the  clamors  of  a  few,  the  nation,  in  general, 
rejoices  in  your  preferment,  and  also  conceives  this,  and  more  than  this, 
due  to  your  patriotism  and  valor.  You  are  no  stranger  to  the  aspect 
and  the  bearing  of  things  in  our  country.  Notwithstanding  appearances 
of  health  and  soundness,  it  is  to  be  feared  that  there  is  something  rotten 
in  Denmark. 

When  the  whole  head  is  sick,  the  whole  heart  cannot  but  be  faint ; 
languor  seizes  on  the  limbs.  At  a  crisis  like  the  approaching,  what  could 
be  more  desirable  than  to  place  such  a  character  [De  Witt  Clinton]  as 
New  York  could  furnish  at  the  head  of  our  Republic,  to  give  it  new  life, 
spirit  and  vigor  ?  It  is  with  you  to  make  the  comment. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  399 

You  are  acquainted  with  my  feelings  — and  I  beg  you  to  be  assured  of 
nay  most  cordial  wishes  for  the  health  and  felicity  of  yourself  and  family. 

JOSHUA  CUSHMAN  [of  Maine.] 
Hon.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany,  State  of  New  York. 

These  congratulatory  letters  were  not  few  or  far  between,  another 
friend  writes  to  him  :  u  I  know  dear  General,  you  will  probably  smile, 
when  you  get  my  letter  that  I  should  write  to  you,  but  I  know  you  so 
well  that  I  know  wherever  you  are,  you  must  be  respected,  and,  of  course 
possess  that  degree  of  influence  which  is  your  due.  I  also  know  your 
nobleness  of  nature  will  ever  prompt  you,  with  an  unremitting  perseve 
rance,  to  assist  your  friends  ;  nay,  I  have  known  you  sacrifice  your  inte 
rests,  and  almost  yourself  to  them,  without  hope  of  reward,  or  expectation 
of  even  a  grateful  return.  I  thank  heaven  you  are  now  quietly  seated  in 
a  prosperous  situation  and  may  live  as  you  please.  You  are  entitled  to 
my  gratitude  as  a  friend  not  only,  but  you  have  just  claims  upon  my 
reverence,  as  a  Patriot  also  }  of  whom  I  feel  proud.  Our  visit  to  you  still 
furnishes  many  pleasing  reflections,  and  elicits  repeated  acknowledge 
ments  of  your  gentlemanly  attentions,  and  the  kind  hospitality  of  your 
interesting  family.  It  affords  me  pleasure  to  say,  that  my  house  will 
ever  be  open  to  them  all ;  and  that  I  shall  esteem  a  visit  from  yourself,  or 
them,  either  long,  or  short,  at  all  times,  not  only  a  pleasure,  but  an  honor. 
"With  kindest  regards,  I  must  say  farewell." 

"  We  extremely  regret  to  mention  that  on  Saturday  night,  Feb.  16, 
1822.  the  dwelling  house,  of  General  Van  Rensselaer,  one  mile  south  of 
the  city  at  Mount  Hope,  was  consumed  by  fire,  with  much  valuable  property 
which  was  in  it  at  the  time.  It  was  the  work  of  incendiaries,  who  after 
having  set  fire  to  the  house,  broke  into  the  room  in  which  the  general's 
son,  Rensselaer  Van  Rensselaer,  slept  (the  rest  of  the  family  residing  in 
town)  with  intention  no  doubt  to  murder  him,  but  who,  being  awakened 
by  the  noise,  sprang  from  his  bed,  and  seizing  his  musket,  placed  himself 
in  a  corner  of  the  room,  and  with  uncommon  presence  of  mind,  as  the 
villains  entered,  called  out,  "Fire  my  lads!"  and  at  the  same  time  dis 
charging  his  piece,  and  rushing  upon  them,  so  alarmed  them  with  the 
idea  that  he  had  friends  with  him,  that  they  fled  with  great  precipitation, 
but  in  passing  through  a  narrow  hall  he  was  knocked  down  by  one  of 
them,  and  lay  for  some  minutes  stunned  on  the  floor,  where  he  was  found 
by  his  hired  man,  who  slept,  in  an  adjacent  apartment  and  who  alarmed 
by  the  report  of  a  musket,  now  flew  to  his  afd.  The  flames  were  already 
bursting  from  the  house  in  several  directions,  and  their  attention  was 
called  to  saving  the  property  instead  of  pursuing  the  villains  who  had 
disappeared,  but  whose  track  through  the  snow  plainly  pointed  out  the 
course  they  had  taken.  In  addition  to  the  reward  of  $500  offered  in  the 
proclamation  of  his  excellency  the  governor  [De  Witt  Clinton]  on  the 
occasion  j  General  Van  Rensselaer  offers  the  like  reward  of  $500  for  the 
discovery  of  the  person  or  persons  who  were  concerned  in  this  most  ne 
farious  transaction.  Tracks  of  blood  were  discovered  the  next  morning  to 
the  turnpike  and  three  men  were  seen  running  down  the  hill  by  the  hired 
men.  The  object  of  the  attack  was  probably  to  gain  possession  of  the 
sum  $500  which  he  was  to  pay  into  the  Bank." 


400  LEGACY  OP  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

The  Patroon  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 
My  Dear  Sir,  Georgetown  Feb.  19,  1822. 

I  just  received  from  Mr.  Davis  a  letter  announcing  the  concurrence  of  a 
Meeting  of  my  fellow  Citizens  of  Albany  witb  tbe  County  Convention  as 
their  representative. 

The  letter  was  deposited  in  your  Box  and  accidentally  I  discovered  it. 
You  will  have  the  goodness  to  make  this  apology  for  me  to  Mr.  Davis,  the 
Secretary  and  my  friends  for  my  apparent  neglect  in  not  answering  the 
communication,  it  is  now  too  late.  Van  Buren  told  me  Hammond  of 
Cherry  Valley  had  written  to  him,  that  the  Governor  would  decline. 

I  conjecture  he  has  forwarded  to  B —  his  adhesion. 

Pray  write  to  me  the  news  and  who  will  be  the  next  Candidate  for  the 
Chair.  How  would  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy  [Smith  Thompson]  go  down? 
V.  Buren  thinks  and  speaks  of  Judge  Yates. 

Offer  my  respects  to  all  my  friends.  Your  friend, 

Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  P.  M.,  Albany.  S.  V.  RENSSELAER. 

"  In  1822  Governor  De  Witt  Clinton  declining  a  re-election,  he  was 
succeeded  by  Joseph  C.  Yates.  During  this  year  (1822),  the  constitution 
of  the  state  having  been  revised  by  a  convention  at  Albany  the  preceding 
year,  was  accepted  by  the  people  in  January.  During  the  summer  of  1822 
the  yellow  fever  made  great  depredations  in  New  York  city.  From  the 
13th  day  of  July  to  the  2d  of  November,  twelve  hundred  and  thirty-six 
persons  died.  On  the  24th  of  August,  the  city  presented  the  appearance 
of  a  town  beseiged.  From  daybreak  till  night,  one  line  of  carts,  contain 
ing  boxes,  merchandise  and  effects,  were  seen  moving  towards  Greenwich 
village  or  other  country  places." 

Josepli  Delaplaine  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Philadelphia,  Feb.  28,  1822.' 

I  take  the  liberty  of  soliciting  the  favour  of  you  to  furnish  me  within 
a  few  weeks,  should  you  have  leisure,  a  very  brief  account  of  such  subjects, 
in  relation  to  your  Section  of  our  country  as  you  feel  interested  to  see  in 
the  picture  of  the  U.  States,  and  for  which  I  shall  give  you  credit  in  the 
publication,  unless  you  direct  otherwise.  Deriving  no  emolument  from 
this  work,  I  respectfully  request  you  to  have  the  goodness  to  favour  me  so 
much  as  to  transmit  whatever  I  may  be  honoured  with,  by  such  convey 
ance  as  will  be  attended  with  no  expense.  Should  you  decline  giving  at 
tention  to  the  Subject,  I  trust  you  will  have  the  kindness  to  place  it  into 
the  hands  of  some  competent  individual.  Albany  merits  a  very  particular 
account  in  the  work.  It  gives  me  pleasure  to  mention,  that^our  Portrait 
in  my  Gallery  is  recognized  by  all  who  know  you.  With  every  Sentiment 
of  respect,  I  am,  dear  Sir,  Your  obedt.  Svt. 

JOSEPH  DELAPLAINE. 

Genl.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Post  Master,  Albany. 

The  above  mentioned  portrait  was  the  most  strikingly  correct  likeness, 
ever  taken  of  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer,  and  for  many  years  was  in  Philadel 
phia,  but  subsequently  purchased  by  P.  T.  Barnum,  Esq.  Different 
members  of  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer's  family,  when  in  New  York,  repeatedly 
tried  to  obtain  possession  of  this  valuable  picture,  but  they  were  told  by 
the  proprietor  that  "  money  could  not  buy  it." 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  401 

A  few  years  since,  when  "  Barnum's  Museum"  was  destroyed  by  fire, 
unfortunately  this  cherished  portrait  with  the  rest  of  his  truly  valuable 
collection  was  reduced  to  ashes. 

".Washington,  March  12,  1822.  A  new  member,  to  wit:  from  the 
state  of  New  York  —  STEPHEN  VAN  RENSSELAER,  elected  to  supply  the 
vacancy  occasioned  by  the  resignation  of  SOLOMON  VAN  HENSSELAER, 
appeared,  produced  his  credentials,  and  took  his  seat;  the  oath  to 
support  the  constitution  of  the  United  States  being  first  administered  to 
him  by  the  speaker." 

"  The  venerable  Stephen  Van  Rensselaer  is  a  man  whose  head  is  now 
whitened  by  the  frosts  of  many  winters,  who  has  held  many  important 
trusts,  both  in  the  general  and  state  governments,  with  credit  to  himself 
and  honor  to  the  state,  and  a  man  whom,  in  the  most  bitter  party  times, 
the  voice  of  disapprobation  has  never  followed  from  any  of  the  public 
stations,  to  which  he  had  been  elevated  by  the  confidence  of  his  fellow 
citizens  :  a  man  of  the  most  unblemished  character,  whose  purse  strings 
have  never  been  known  to  be  drawn  against  the  cries  of  want  and  distress  : 
a  man  whose  extreme  liberality  has  long  since  become  proverbial,  and  is 
universally  known  throughout  the  country  as  the  most  efficient  protector 
and  supporter  of  the  arts  and  sciences,  and  whose  name  is  identified  with 
many  of  the  most  valuable  seminaries  of  learning  in  our  state  :  and  is  in 
fact  the  most  unexceptionable  man  whom  our  state  affords,  whose  judg 
ment  and  discretion  have  never  been  called  in  question  until  a  party  of 
Anti-Masons  sought  to  empty  their  vials  of  wrath  upon  his  head  and  to 
immolate  upon  their  altar  because  he  announced  his  acceptance  of  the 
office  of  grand  master."  General  Van  Rensselaer  was  now  fifty-eight  years 
of  age*,  and  the  Almanac  of  life,  in  the  progressive  stage  of  his  existence, 
showed  this  to  be,  the  mouth  of  September  when  the  season  of  labor  is 
nearly  over.  "  The  harvest  of  life  is  gathered  in,  and  the  days  are  consi 
derably  shortened,  and  his  toil  ended." 

Reuben  Tower  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Sir,  Sangerfield,  Oneida  Co.,  March  25,  1822. 

A  week  ago  to-day  a  man  came  to  my  Distillery  and  offered  to  work  for 
me.  Wishing  to  employ  help  I  set  him  to  work  at  $10  a  month  to  work 
for  a  year  if  he  suited  me.  In  the  course  of  the  week  I  found  he  would 
drink  to  excess,  and  at  the  end  of  the  week  I  dismissed  him.  Since  he 
went  away,  from  what  he  told  my  workmen  I  am  pretty  well  persuaded 
that  he  may  have  been  wounded  in  setting  fire  to  your  house  and  other 
acts  of  violence  on  your  son.  He  called  his  name  George  Edge  ;  said  he 
"  lived  when  at  home  within  \  of  a  mile  of  your  house  that  was  burnt," 
and  that  his  "  wife  now  kept  a  tavern,"  that  he  "  had  been  from  home 
about  5  weeks."  That  he  had  been  on  the  Delaware  river,  and  went  to 
the  great  bend  on  the  Susquehanna  and  from  thence  he  came  up  the  Che- 
nango  to  this  place.  His  having  left  home  about  the  time  your  house 
was  burnt  and  having  straggled  about  in  this  manner  raised  the  suspicion 
in  my  mind  for  he  is  a  very  suspicious  person.  He  professes  to  be  a 
miller  by  trade,  is  very  well  clad  — indeed  his  clothes  are  better  considera 
bly  than  most  of  people  who  labor  for  a  living.  He  is  a  stout  built  robust 
looking  fellow  about  5  ft.  10  inches  in  height  of  light  complexion,  said 
he  was  born  in  Kngland.  Although  a  stranger  to  you  I  am  induced  to 
give  you  this  information,  it  may  and  it  may  not  amount  to  much.  You 

51 


402    .  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

probably  may  recollect  who  I  am,  when  I  relate  to  you  that  in  1812, 
when  you  went  from  Sackett's  Harbor  to  Oswego  in  company  with  Gen. 
Stephen  Van  Rensselaer  in  a  clam-shell  of  a  boat,  that  I  then  had  the 
care  of  the  guard  of  about  |  dozen  men  who  went  with  you.  We  went 
ashore  at  the  mouth  of  Salmon  River  late  at  night  and  your  Hon.  friend 
John  Lovett  slept  in  an  Oven. 

I  am  Dear  Sir,  yours  Very  Respectfully, 
Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Esq.,  P.  M.,  Albany.        REUBEN  TOWER. 

The  Patroon  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Washington,  April  9,  1822. 

The  reason  of  my  locating  myself  at  Georgetown  was  the  Company  : 
Otis  —  Mills  —  Gorham  —  Mercer  —  Warfield  —  all  very  fine  fellows  and 
the  exercise  I  should  be  obliged  to  take  in  consequence  of  the  distance 
would  contribute  to  my  health.  Van  Buren,  I  understood,  was  at 
Strothers,  but  found  him  at  Bradly's  contrary  to  my  expectations,  and  the 
mess  would  not  consent  to  my  removing. 

I  made  your  friendly  regards  to  Cols.  Williams  and  Johnson;  they 
often  speak  of  you  and  hope  you  will  discover  the  incendiaries.  Col. 
Williams  is  in  favor  of  Crawford,  he  is  the  favourite  at  present  being  a 
Virginian  ;  that  State  will  be  in  his  favor  unless  they  see  a  prospect  for 
Clay  as  President.  V.  Buren  was,  when  he  arrived  here,  a  Calhoun  man, 
but  he  is  at  present,  I  fancy,  in  Crawford's  interest.  Skinner  is  here, 
they  are  assailing  him  and  suspect  they  will  change  him.  Sterling  tells 
me,  that  the  Pennsylvania  members  are  generally  for  Calhoun,  but  their 
Senators  are  for  Crawford  and  I  think  Findley  will  bring  them  over  ;  they 
talk  of  Lowrie  for  Governor.  Governor  Clinton  I  think  is  rising  in 
public  estimation  the  more  they  appreciate  his  character.  I  have  en 
deavoured  to  remove  their  objections ;  they  represent  him  as  an  intriguer 
and  as  dangerous  a  man  as  Burr  was.  If  he  retires  a  few  years,  his  weight 
of  Character  will  be  acknowledged  and  hewill  rise. 

Let  me  hear  from  you  the  news  as  often  as  you  have  leisure. 

Your  friend, 

S.  V.  RENSSELAER. 

Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  P.  M.,  Albany,  N.  Y. 

Judge  Conkling  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 

Dear  Sir,  Canajoharie  Sept.  27,  1822. 

The  friendly  interest  which  you  manifested  when  I  last  saw  you  in 
Albany  in  regard  to  my  re-election  to  Congress,  induces  me  to  take  this 
early  occasion  to  apprise  you  of  the  nomination  of  Mr.  John  W.  Cady  as 
my  successor,  at  a  meeting  of  our  delegates  on  yesterday  in  Johnstown. 
Considering  what  passed  between  you  and  Mr.  Daniel  Cady  at  the  August 
term,  you  will,  I  think,  notwithstanding  your  thorough  acquaintance  with 
the  nature  of  mankind,  be  a  little  surprised  at  this  result.  These  gentle 
men  are  kinsmen  and  partners.  There  was  a  strong  disposition  among 
our  friends  to  nominate  Mr.  Daniel  Cady  for  Senator,  but  on  being  spoken 
to  a  week  or  two  ago  upon  the  subject,  he  declined  the  honor;  and  it  may 
perhaps  increase  your  surprise  to  learn,  that  the  motive  ascribed  to  him 
for  so  doing,  was  a  desire  to  favor  the  views  of  my  rival.  In  this  how 
ever,  great  injustice  may  have  been  done  him — for  it  is  nothing  less  than 
the  imputation  of  gross  hypocrisy,  practiced  not  toward  you  alone,  but 
some  of  my  friends  in  this  county  also. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  403 

What  I  have  said  of  him  therefore,  I  desire  that  you  will,  for  the  pres 
ent,  consider  confidential.  As  it  regards  my  own  feelings  in  this  matter, 
I  am  happy  to  have  it  in  my  power  to  say,  that  I  am  not  mortified,  nor 
much  disappointed.  I  have  known  for  some  time  that  Mr.  Cady  was 
making  great  exertions  in  different  parts  of  the  county  to  ensure  his  suc 
cess,  and  delegates  have  been  selected  with  a  special  view  to  that  object. 
For  myself,  I  early  determined  to  abstain  altogether,  from  any  such  inter 
ference,  even  in  my  own  town,  and  have  insisted  upon  the  same  course  of 
conduct  on  the  part  of  my  friends;  and  I  have  the  satisfaction  to  be  well 
assured,  that  public  sentiment,  could  it  have  been  brought  to  act  spontan 
eously,  would  have  produced  a  different  result.  Mr.  Fish  is  nominated 
for  Senator,  and,  what  I  am  highly  gratified  with,  Mr.  Huntington  for 
Lieutenant  Governor.  It  is  understood  that  he  will  not  decline,  and  that 
his  nomination  will  be  promptly  concurred  in,  in  several  other  counties. 
With  much  esteem  and  respect,  I  remain 

dear  kSir,  Your  friend  and  humble  Servt, 

Solomon  Van  Kenssclaer,  P.  M.,  Albany.  A.  CONKLING. 

Secretary  of  State  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Sir,  Department  of  State,  Washington,  2d  November  1822. 

I  have  forwarded  to  you  a  Copy  of  the  Additional  Census  of  Alabama, 
in  virtue  of  an  Act  of  Congress  of  the  7th  of  March  last;  the  receipt  of 
which  you  will  be  pleased  to  acknowledge.  I  have  the  honour  to  be,  very 
respectfully,  Sir,  Your  obedient  and  very  humble  servant, 

Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Esq.,  Albany,  N.  Y.  J.  Q.  ADAMS. 

"  Hon.  John  Quincy  Adams  is  one  of  the  intellectual  prodigies  whose 
character  distinguishes  ERAS  of  time.  A  hundred  years  hence  the  Ame 
rican  annals  will  show  only  two  names,  Benjamin  Franklin  and  George 
Washington,  brighter  than  that  of  the  '  old  man  eloquent,'  the  illustrious 
statesman.  The  tender  little  prayer,  '  Now  I  LAY  ME  DOWN  TO  SLEEP/ 
the  first  one  taught  John  Quincy  Adams  by  the  mother  whose  memory 
was  so  dear  to  him  to  the  last,  was  repeated  by  him  every  night  when  he 
went  to  bed ;  and  he  continued  to  do  so  till  the  day  of  his  death." 

Judge  Van  Ness  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  and  Dr.  Bay. 
My  dear  friends,  New  York  Monday  Dec.  30th,  1822. 

This  year  is  about  drawing  to  a  close,  and  I  wish  to  terminate  it  in 
peace  with  all  mankind  if  I  can.  I  wrote  you  a  letter  some  time  ago  con 
taining  no  doubt  many  expressions  highly  improper,  cruel  and  unjust ; 
the  only  atonement  I  can  make  is  to  ask  your  pardon  and  forgiveness. 

My  Wife,  myself  and  servant  (by  the  advice  of  Dr.  Post)  sail  for  Char 
leston  on  Thursday,  Friday,  Saturday  or  Sunday  depending  on  wind  and 
weather.  If  you  should  become  reconciled  to  me  let  me  hear  from  you 
both  every  once  in  a  while.  May  God  enable  you,  may  God  suffer  you  to 
enjoy  many  happy  returns  of  the  season.  Your  sincere  friend. 

W.  W.  VAN  NESS. 

Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  and  William  Bay,  Albany. 

The  above  letter  was  the  last  epistolary  record  we  find  of  this  noble 
man.  "  William  W.  Van  Ness  was  born  at  Claverack,  in  the  county  of 
Columbia,  in  1776,  and  died  at  Charleston,  South  Carolina,  on  Thursday, 
27th  of  February,  1823,  in  the  forty-eighth  year  of  his  age. 


404  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

"  He  studied  law  with  John  Bay,  Esq.,  of  Claverack.  (His son,  Dr.  Wil 
liam  Bay,  married  a  sister  of  Judge  Van  Ness.  There  was  a  slight  mis 
understanding  between  the  gentlemen.)  Mr.  Van  Ness  was  licensed  an 
attorney  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years ;  was  elected  to  the  assembly  in 
1*805  and  in  1807  was  appointed  a  judge  of  the  supreme  court,  where 
he  officiated  about  fifteen  years.  He  possessed  talents  and  acquirements 
fitted  to  adorn  the  most  exalted  stations.  At  the  close  of  his  judicial 
labors  he  opened  a  law-office  in  the  city  of  New  York,  but  his  health  soon 
declined,  and  he  traveled  south  for  the  recovery  of  his  health.  Alas,  it 
was  in  vain,  the  hand  of  death  fixed  upon  his  vitals,  and  he  breathed  his 
last  sigh  far  from  the  scenes  of  his  triumphs  and  delights,  the  endearments 
of  home,  and  the  sympathetic  condolence  of  his  weeping  friends,  in  a  land 
of  strangers,  yet  soothed  by  the  ministrations  of  his  gentle  wife. 

"  Only  those  that  were  intimately  acquainted  with  his  character,  who 
knew  the  magnanimity  of  his  soul,  the  dignity  and  purity  of  his  public 
deportment,  and  the  amiable  virtues  of  his  private  life,  can  fully  appreciate 
his  worth.  It  is  only  those  who  have  listened  with  admiration  at  his  elo 
quence,  who  have  been  astonished  at  the  vast  comprehension  of  his  mind 
on  the  bench,  or  have  hung  with  rapture  upon  his  words  in  the  senate, 
can  tell  the  extent  and  brilliancy  of  his  talents.  He  was  beloved  and  ad 
mired  by  Hamilton.  That  great  and  immortal  man  was  heard  to  say, 
that  he  ever  derived  relief  and  pleasure  from  association  with  him  in  pro 
fessional  avocations.  Commanding  indeed,  must  have  been  that  eloquence, 
great  and  comprehensive  that  intellect,  which  could  insure  to  a  youth  a 
parallel  rank  with  the  eminent  Hamilton.  As  an  advocate,  equally  dis 
tinguished  for  the  splendor  of  his  genius  and  strength  of  judgment,  he 
stood  at  an  early  age  in  the  front  rank  of  his  profession.  Discriminating 
in  the  elicitation  of  truth,  no  sophistry  could  withstand,  no  art  elude  his 
intuitive  penetration.  Careless  of  the  acquisition  of  wealth,  he  left  little 
of  it  to  his  bereaved  family.  But  he  has  left  to  them  and  to  posterity,  a 
legacy  more  valuable  than  riches,  more  durable  than  marble. 

"  His  remains  were  brought  from  Charleston  and  buried  in  the  church 
yard  at  Claverack,  a  plain,  simple  stone  marks  the  spot  where  his  sacred 
relics  sleep.  The  memory  of  his  virtues  will  long  be  fresh  and  green  in 
the  midst  of  us." 

Judge  Alfred  Colliding  to  Gen.  Van  Eensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Washington,  Jany.  11,  1823. 

The  more  I  have  reflected  upon  the  subject  of  fixing  my  future  resi 
dence  in  your  city,  the  more  unwilling  I  have  become  to  abandon  my  pro 
ject  of  doing  so.  But  I  entertain  so  many  doubts  about  the  expediency 
or  rather  safety  of  the  measure,  that  I  have  become  very  anxious  to  learn 
from  you  the  result  of  the  inquiries  you  so  obligingly  offered  to  make  in 
regard  to  it.  I  am  particularly  desirous  of  ascertaining  whether  a  part 
nership  would  be  agreeable  to  Mr.  Parker.  [Philip  S.  Parker.]  As  it  re 
spects  Mr.  Hammond,  I  have  recently  received  a  letter  from  him,  in 
which  he  mentioned  some  circumstances  relating  to  his  views,  that  render 
it  improbable  that  any  such  connexion  will  be  formed  between  him  and 
me.  If  therefore  you  have  not  already  sounded  him  upon  the  subject, 
you  need  not  give  yourself  the  trouble  of  doing  so.  But  let  me  hear  from 
you  my  dear  Sir,  as  soon  as  convenient.  We  are  beginning  to  look  with 
great  interest  for  news  from  Albany.  I  hope  we  will  receive  the  Gover 
nor's  Message  tomorrow.  It  was  very  much  in  character  for  General 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  405 

Root  to  insist  upon  commencing  the  session  on  the  first  of  January 
in  opposition  to  the  chief  justice.  The  General,  I  suppose,  will  be  for 
radical  measures,  and  if  his  influence  should  be  predominant  in  the  Senate 
I  think  there  is  reason  to  apprehend  much  mischief  from  it. 

Before  this  reaches  you,  you  will  probably  have  heard  of  the  nomina 
tion  of  Mr.  Clinton  on  the  24th  of  last  month  by  the  citizens  of  Cincin 
nati,  at  a  meeting  of  which  the  Mayor  of  that  city  was  chairman.  They 
have  given  a  very  able  and  well  written  exposition  of  their  reasons  for 
prefering  Mr.  Clinton  to  the  other  candidates,  which  I  have  just  read. 

Cannon's  favorite  bill,  providing  for  the  encampment  of  the  militia  offi 
cer,  after  two  days  debate  is  laid  upon  the  table,  where  I  think  its  sleep 
will  be  eternal.  Thus  far  things  have  gone  on  in  our  house  smoothly  and 
well.  No  calls  for  information  for  the  purpose  of  implicating  presidential 
candidates  and  less  idle  talk.  You  will  be  gratified  to  learn  that  our  friend 
Mr.  Golden  [Cadwallader  D.  Colden],  though  still  indiscreet,  occupies 
much  more  advantageous  ground  than  he  did  last  session.  Mr.  Wood 
[Silas  Wood]  is  as  indefatigable  as  ever  and  talks  as  much  about  LaSale, 
Clavigero  &c.  Tracy  [Albert  H.  Tracy]  still  insists  that  there  is  no 
honesty  in  the  world,  and  nothing  worthy  of  ambition.  General  Cook  re 
turned  a  few  days  since  from  a  visit  to  the  Kip-Raps  and  has  become  a 
convert.  With  perfect  truth,  I  remain  dear  Sir, 

Your  friend  and  hum   Servt., 

A.   CONKLING. 

Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  Esqr.,  P.  M.  Albany,  N.  Y. 

"  Upon  the  expiration  of  his  term  (to  the  seventeenth  congress  in  which 
his  recognized  talents  gave  him  honorable  rank)  the  Hon.  Alfred  Conkling 
removed  to  the  city  of  Albany  and  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profes 
sion.  It  was  while  residing  here  in  1825  that  President  John  Quincy 
Adams  nominated  and  the  senate  unanimously  confirmed  him  as  judge  of 
the  United  States  district  court  for  the  northern  district  of  New  York. 
This  office  he  held  for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century.  His  strong  judi 
cial  faculties,  his  high  sense  of  honor  and  ample  culture  well  fitted  him 
for  it." 

Hon.  Henry  Clay  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  General,  Washington  March  18,  1823. 

I  take  the  liberty  of  inclosing  to  your  care  a  letter  for  Gen.  Porter,  not 
knowing  whether  he  may  not  have  left  Albany,  in  which  case  I  pray  you 
to  have  the  goodness  to  give  it  the  proper  destination  to  reach  him. 

I  seize  the  occasion  to  assure  you  of  my  continued  esteem  and  regard 
for  you,  and  to  say  that  I  have  derived  great  pleasure  from  learning  that 
your  friendly  sentiments  towards  me,  inspired  during  our  mutual  service  in 
the  H.  of  R.  remain  unabated. 

Be  pleased  to  say  to  the  Patroon  that  I  hope  he  found  on  his  arrival  at 
home,  every  thing  as  he  would  have  it. 

I  am  faithfy  &  Cordially  yr.  ob.  Servt. 

H.  CLAY. 

Gen.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  P.  M.  Albany,  New  York. 

It  was  during  this  session  that  the  resolution,  introduced  by  the  Hon. 
Daniel  Webster,  was  discussed,  and  urged  by  him  in  one  of  the  ablest 
speeches  ever  pronounced  in  congress,  providing  for  the  recognition  of 
the  independence  of  Greece.  It  received  the  most  cordial  support  of  Mr. 


406  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Clay,  but  failed  of  success.  "Although  between  Mr.  Clay  and  President 
Monroe,  upon  many  important*  questions,  a  serious  difference  of  opinion  ex 
isted,  he  had  been  offered  a  seat  in  the  Cabinet  and  a  carte  blanche  of  all 
the  foreign  misssions.  He  declined  all  these  proffered  honors,  from  a  set 
tled  conviction  that  he  could  be  better  employed  for  his  country  in  con 
gress.  James  Monroe  was  a  kind  man,  and  a  safe  one.  He  might  possi 
bly  have  been  elected  president  for  the  third  time  had  he  suffered  himself 
to  be  a  candidate.  His  public  ambition  was  gratified  by  seeing  his  coun 
trymen  prosperous,  at  peace,  and  happy,  while  as  for  private  ambition  ke 
had  none  at  all." 

An  interesting  reminiscence  of  this  time  was  the  OPENING  of  the  ERIE 
CANAL.  "  Governor  De  Witt  Clinton  is  the  only  highly  responsible  politi. 
cal  man  who  can  justly  lay  claim  to  be  the  parent  of  the  project.  For 
many  years  he  was  persecuted  as  a  visionary  projector;  he  became  a  strong 
partizan  in  favor  of  the  Erie  canal,  and  it  is  owing  to  the  bold  stand  which 
he  took  in  favor  of  this  great  enterprise  that  his  popularity  in  a  measure 
was  owing.  In  the  summer  of  1810,  he  went  on  a  tour,  with  other  com 
missioners,  for  exploring  the  route  of  this  work.  The  great  enterprise 
was  commenced  July  4,  1817  and  finished  October  26,  1825,  a  canal  of 
363  miles  long,  built  in  eight  years,  and  so  eminently  successful,  has  it 
proved,  that  it  has  given  rise  to  a  multitude  of  similar  works.  To  Gov. 
Clinton  was  assigned  the  compliment  of  removing  the  first  earth  of  the 
excavation. 

"  When  the  eastern  section  of  the  canal  was  completed  :  the  passage  of 
the  first  boats,  from  the  Genesee  river  at  the  west,  and  from  Whitehall 
at  the  head  of  Lake  Champlain  on  the  north,  into  the  tide  water  of  the 
Hudson  river,  was  celebrated  at  Albany  October  8,  1823,  with  some  cere 
mony.  Large  committees,  from  New  York  city  and  other  places  on  the 
canal  route,  attended  at  Albany  on  this  interesting  and  memorable  occasion. 
The  first  boat  which  entered  the  lock  was  the  De  Witt  Clinton ;  having 
onboard,  the  governor  [De  Witt  Clinton],  the  mayor  [Charles  E.  Dudley], 
and  corporation  of  Albany,  canal  commissioners  with  many  other  citizens. 
Another  boat  followed  filled  with  ladies. 

"  The  cap-stone  of  the  lock  was  laid  with  masonic  ceremonies,  by  the 
fraternity  who  appeared  in  great  numbers,  robed  in  very  grand  costume. 
The  waters  of  the  Genesee  river,  Lake  Champlain  and  of  the  ocean  were  then 
mingled,  after  which  the  lock  gates  were  opened  and  the  '  De  Witt  Clinton  ' 
majestically  sunk  upon  the  bosom  of  the  Hudson. 

;<  After  the  military  and  civic  procession  the  day  was  concluded  with  a 
banquet  at  which  there  was  .'  the  feast  of  reason  and  the  flow  of  soul/ 
These  festivities  were  concluded  with  a  splendid  ball  on  Thursday,  Octo 
ber  9th;  on  which  occasion  the  grand  military  band  from  West  Point 
officiated  to  the  manifest  delight  of  the  fair  sex. 

"  The  entire  community  are  now  fully  satisfied  that  the  funds  subscribed, 
for  the  purpose  of  cutting  a  canal,  have  been  a  profitable  investment. 
The  difference  of  level  and  the  face  of  the  country  were  such  as  to  justify 
a  belief  that  the  opening  of  this  canal  will  not  be  less  practicable  than 
useful ;  and  they  now  anxiously  look  forward  to  its  entire  completion, 
with  a  well  founded  hope,  that  this  water  communication  for  conveying 
produce  to  market  will  be  a  vast  acquisition  to  the  commerce  of  this  state. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  407 

8.  Thayer  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Sir,  Military  Academy,  West  Point  Oct.  3,  1823. 

I  have  had  the  honor  to  receive  your  polite  invitation  to  a  Dinner  and 
ball  on  the  8th  of  October  in  celebration  of  the  passage  of  the  first  boats 
from  the  Erie  and  Champlain  Canals  into  the  Hudson,  and  regret  that  it 
will  not  be  in  my  power  to  be  present  on  this  interesting  and  memorable 
occasion.  The  Military  Band  will  proceed  to  Albany  agreeably  to  your 
request  on  the  evening^of  the  7th  instant. 

I  am  very  respectfully,  Your  obed't  Servt. 

Major  General  Solomon  Van  Ilensselaer,  Albany.  S.  THAYER. 

Governor   Van  Ness  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Burlington,  Vermont,  Nov.  12,  1823. 

I  have  for  some  time  past  had  it  in  view  to  write  you  on  the  delay  of 
the  letters  between  New  York  and  this  place,  but  owing  to  hurry  of  busi 
ness  and  absence  from  home,  it  has  hitherto  been  neglected.  Letters 
sent  from  New  York  for  Burlington,  are  generally  from  6  to  8  days  by  the 
way,  when,  as  it  appears  to  me,  they  should  in  no  instance  be  over  4  days. 
I  have  thought  the  delay  was  occasioned  at  your  office, and  in  this  way,  that 
the  letters  which  arrive  from  New  York  at  your  office  on  Tuesday  evenings 
are  not  forwarded  to  this  place  by  Wednesday  morning's  mail,  but  lay 
over  till  Friday  morning ;  and  the  same  with  those  that  arrive  Thurs 
days  and  Sundays,  that  is,  that  the  former  lay  over  till  Monday  morning, 
and  the  latter  till  Wednesday  morning.  Perhaps  I  am  mistaken,  but  I 
have  not  been  able  to  account  for  the  delay  in  any  other  way.  Being 
perfectly  satisfied  however,  that  if  it  is  in  your  power  to  remedy  the  diffi 
culty,  it  will  be  cheerfully  and  promptly  done,  I  have  taken  the  liberty  to 
address  you  on  the  subject. 

I  have  lately  been  informed  that  your  General  —  Stephen  Van  Ilensse 
laer  not  long  since  stated  to  a  Gentleman  from  this  State  that  the  Ver- 
monters  did  not  know  the  Dutchman  they  had  elected,  or  were  about  to 
elect  their  Governor,  but  that  they  would  find  him  out.  As  I  have  never 
injured  the  General  in  thought,  word  or  deed,  and  have  not  even  the 
honour  of  a  personal  acquaintance  with  him,  I  am  bound  to  suppose  that, 
in  making  these  insinuations,  he  was  governed  by  other  than  personal 
motives,  and  if  he  thinks  he  can  support  any  fact  giving  a  different  com 
plexion  to  my  character  from  what  it  now  bears  to  the  people  of  this  State, 
I  have  no  objections  to  his  making  the  attempt.  I  shrink  from  no  in 
vestigation  of  my  public  or  private  character. 

I  am  with  respect  and  esteem, 

Your  Obt.  Scrvt. 

The  HOD,  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer.  C.  P.  VAN  NESS. 

Cornelius  P.  Van  Ness  was  a  younger  brother  of  Hon.  W.  P.  Van  Ness. 
"In  1806  he  emigrated  to  the  state  of  Vermont  and  fixed  his  residence  at 
St.  Albans,  about  twenty  miles  from  the  Canada  frontier;  he  there 
commenced  the  study  of  law.  In  1809  hf  removed  to  Burlington,  the 
largest  and  most  important  town  in  the  state  of  Vermont,  for  the  purpose 
of  pursuing  his  profession.  In  1818,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the 
general  assembly  of  the  state  for  the  town  of  Burlington,  and  was  re- 
elected  the  three  following  years.  During  the  last  year  of  his  legislative 
service  (1821,)  he  was  appointed  justice  of  the  supreme  court  of  the 
state  of  Vermont;  this  office  he  held  for  two  years,  when  he  was  elected 


408  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

governor ;  he  filled  the  executive  chair  three  years,  having  been  twice 
reelected.  In  1826,  he  declined  a  reelection  and  returned  to  the 
practice  of  his  profession.  In  the  year  1829,  he  was  appointed,  by 
President  Jackson,  minister  plenipotentiary  and  envoy  extraordinary  to 
Spain.  After  an  absence  of  ten  years  from  his  native  country,  he  re 
turned  to  Vermont.  Mr.  Van  Ness  possessed  talents  of  a  high  order,  and 
he  occupied  for  a  long  time  a  large  space  in  the  public  mind;  he  had  a 
celebrated  and  glorious  career." 

The  Patroon  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Washington,  Dee.  1,  1823. 

We  assembled  this  morning  and  expected  a  contested  Election  for 
Speaker's  chair.  Taylor  behaved  like  a  man,  and  when  the  Clerk  called 
for  the  Ballots  for  Speaker  he  made  a  Speech  and  declined,  he  would 
have  been  elected  on  the  second  Ballot  but  chose  to  disgrace  Barbour  / 
presume.  I  have  had  no  conversation  with  him  on  his  declining.  Poor 
Barbour  had  only  42  Votes.  Pennsylvania  agreed  unanimously  to  vote 
on  the  Second  Ballot  for  Taylor.  Our  State  generally  for  Clay,  the  former 
officer  elected  unanimously.  Pray  inform  the  Governor  of  Vermont,  with 
whom  I  have  no  personal  acquaintance  that  his  informant  is  mistaken. 
I  never  heard  any  imputation  on  his  Character,  and  rather  thought  well 
of  the  Vermonters  for  their  liberality  in  electing  a  Dutchman,  of  which 
I  was  proud.  I  have  no  recollection  of  ever  conversing  on  the  subject. 

Many  enquiries  are  made  with  respects  &c.,  for  you.  Love  to  your 
family  and  be  assured  of  my  esteem. 

Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany.  S.  V.  RENSSELAER. 

"  In  the  summer  of  1823  Hon.  Henry  Clay  was  reelected  to  congress, 
without  opposition  ;  and  on  taking  his  seat,  upon  the  first  ballot  he  was 
chosen  speaker  —  receiving  139  votes,  while  Hon.  P.  P.  Barbour,  his  op 
ponent,  received  but  42.  It  was  at  this  session  that  the  recognition  of 
South  American  independence  and  the  revision  of  the  tariff,  in  the  passage 
of  which  Mr.  Clay  had  taken  a  prominent  and  most  efficient  part,  were 
effected  and  with  it  the  establishment  of  the  protective  system." 

Governor  Van  Ness  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Burlington  December  16th,  1823. 

Your  letter  of  the  27th  of  November  was  duly  received,  and  would  have 
been  sooner  noticed,  but  for  the  hurry  of  some  particular  business.  The 
Hon^16  W.  C.  Bradly  a  member  of  Congress  from  this  State,  and  now  at 
Washington,  gave  me  the  information  of  what  Gen1  Stephen  V.  R.  has 
said  of  me,  though  the  remarks  were  not  made  to  Mr.  Bradly  but  to  a 
Gentleman  who  repeated  them  to  him.  The  Gen1  may  therefore  be 
referred  to  Mr.  Bradly. 

You  may  rest  assured,  my  dear  Sir  —  that  the  circumstances  of  former 
days  to  which  you  allude  in  your  letter,  have  never  been  forgotten  by  me, 
and  that  the  feelings  which  you  express  are  fully  reciprocated.  I  have 
always  taken  an  interest  in  ^)ur  welfare,  though  we  have  had  but  little 
personal  intercourse;  and  I  felt  a  peculiar  anxiety  for  your  success  pend 
ing  the  contest  for  the  office  you  now  hold.  And  if  it  should  ever  be 
my  fortune  to  be  placed  in  a  situation  in  which  I  can  render  you  any 
service,  you  will  not  find  me  backward  in  proving  the  Sincerity  of  these 
professions.  Yours  very  cordially. 

The  Hon.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany.  C.  P.  VAN  NESS. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  409 

"  There  is  no  wound  so  deadly  as  that  which  calumny  inflicts :  there  is 
no  curse  more  bitter  than  that  which  rests  upon  the  detainer  of  innocence. 
They  who  can  invent  or  repeat  a  lie  to  injure  another's  fame,  are  the  basest 
and  most  execrable  of  human  beings,  because  you  never  can  cope  with  it." 

The  Patroon  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 
My  Dear  Sir,  Washington  Dec.  27,  1823. 

I  enclose  the  letter  from  your  friend  and  shall  give  myself  no  further 
trouble  on  the  subject.  I  have  had  an  unpleasant  interview  with  the 
Post  Mast.  Genl.,  he  regrets  the  occurrence  and  has  promised  me  not  to 
report  without  giving  us  notice.  You  will  recollect  that  I  wrote  to  you 
last  winter  that  Crawford  would  be  the  Democratic  Candidate  and  would 
succeed.  I  think  so  still.  ^  I  have  taken  no  part  and  have  mentioned  the 
reason  to  Calhoun  and  Clay.  I  am  in  the  confidence  of  all  the  Candidates. 
I  took  an  active  part  for  Clay  at  the  opening  of  the  Session  and  we  suc 
ceeded,  for  which  he  has  manifested  his  good  will  on  several  occasions. 
I  am  too  old  to  engage  in  any  active  Electioneering  business.  1  have 
worked  against  the  Stream  till  I  am  exhausted  and  am  now  disposed  to 
glide  with  the  stream.  I  should  advocate  Mr.  Clinton  if  I  saw  any  pros 
pect  of  success,  but  as  he  is  out  of  the  question  here,  I  am  satisfied  with 
either  of  the  Candidates.  Crawford  is  still  ill,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  he  is 
ever  a  well  man  again  •  he  is  confined  to  his  room  and  often  to  his  bed ; 
his  eyes  are  inflamed.  His  Physicians  have  changed  his  treatment  and 
if  that  fails,  his  friends  will  despond.  I  saw  him  last  week,  he  looks 
wretched  and  emaciated  but  speaks  strong.  New  England  it  is  supposed 
will  support  Calhoun  if  Adams  is  out  of  the  question.  Pennsylvania  will 
go  for  Jackson,  efforts  are  making  for  Crawford  by  the  Governor  and  Gal- 
latin  to  induce  the  Members  to  attend  a  Caucus  to  nominate  Crawford.  A 
nomination  will  be  made  next  month  or  the  beginning  of  February  :  it 
is  reported  here  that  Gov.  Yates  will  be  offered  the  Vice  President's  chair 
if  he  does  not  recommend  an  election  by  the  people.  Let  me  hear  from 
you  often.  Conkling  requested  me  to  mention  him  with  his  respects.  J. 
Williams  also;  he  speaks  frequently  of  having  written  to  you  and  received 
no  answer.  I  am  in  great  favor  with  all  your  friends. 

Ever  yours  Sincerely 

Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany.  S.  V.  RENSSELAER. 

J.  B.  Mower  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
My  dear  Sir,  Washington,  Jany.  5,  1824. 

Will  you  give  me  a  letter  of  introduction,  to  your  friend  Richard  M. 
Johnson,  Senator  from  Kentucky  '(  I  want  one  from  you,  because  you  and 
I,  are  New  Yorkers.  I  shall  have  one  from  J.  C.  Calhoun  also.  I  want 
to  be  well  acquainted  with  Colonel  Johnson.  The  talk  here  yesterday 
was,  that  Crawford  was  going  to  die  (he  is  better  to  day),  that  should  he 
die,  then  Mr.  Adams  would  receive  the  benefit  of  Mr.  Crawford's  death. 
The  Caucus  is  dead,  and  you  may  say  so  as  strong  as  you  please.  If  the 
Legislature  passes  the  law  (electoral)  De  Witt  Clinton  is  a  strong  man, 
you  may  depend.  Look  out  for  Combinations.  Your  friend, 

Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany,  N.  Y.  J.  B.  MOWER. 

Lewis  Williams  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Washington,  Jany.  13,  1824. 

I  thank  you  sincerely  for  your  letter  with  its  inclosure  received  on 
yesterday  by  the  mail.  New  York  and  Virginia  ought  to  resist  the  coin- 

52 


410  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

bination  among  the  small  States  to  throw  the  election  into  the  House  of 
Representatives.  If  the  small  States  determine  to  bring  things  to  that 
issue,  the  larger  States  owe  it  to  themselves  to  prevent  it  if  possible. 
From  all  the  indications  received  I  think  Mr.  Crawford's  election  as  sure 
as  any  event  of  the  kind  can  be.  In  Congress  he  has  twice  as  many 
friends  as  any  other  candidate.  But  it  is  the  object  of  his  opponents  to 
distract  and  divide  the  Electoral  vote,  so  as  to  defeat  him  if  possibly  they 
can.  But  I  trust  they  will  be  disappointed  in  this  calculation.  Every 
man  acquainted  with  Crawford  knows  his  worth,  and  as  you  are  among 
the  number  of  his  acquaintances  you  will  be  able  to  correct  many  of  the 
falsehoods  and  misrepresentations  which  have  gone  abroad.  I  am  glad 
to  be  able  to  say  to  you  that  Crawford  is  getting  well  fast.  He  will  be 
able  to  go  abroad  shortly.  Your  friend  truly  and  Sincerely, 

Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany,  N.  Y.  LEWIS  WILLIAMS. 

J.  B.  Mower  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Washington  City,  Feb.  6,  1824. 

I  am  favored  with  your  polite  letter  to  Col.  Johnson  and  I  thank  you 
for  it.  That  part  of  the  President's  Message  respecting  'Postmasters/ 
will  not  even  get  into  the  new  bill,  give  yourself  no  trouble  my  friend, 
you  are  safe.  Do  inform  me  about  the  law,  my  letters  and  those  of 
others,  are  very  opposite.  For  instance,  Root,  Peter  B.  Porter,  and  Gen. 
McClure  all  write  here,  that  the  Electoral  law  will  not  pass;  mine  say  it 
will.  I  have  my  fears.  It  is  confidently  asserted  here,  Sir,  that  General 
Jackson  will  be  the  strongest  man  at  tfye  Convention  at  Harrisburgh  on 
the  4th  of  March.  Your  friend  J.  B.  MOWER. 

Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  P.  M.,  'Albany. 

"The  presidential  election  was  now  near  at  hand,  and  very  early,  pre 
ferences  had  been  avowed  for  particular  candidates  in  various  parts  of  the 
country.  The  legislatures  of  several  states  had  brought  forward  their 
favored  ones  as  competitors." 

The  Patroon  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Washington  Feb.  15,  1824. 

I  give  the  result  of  the  miserable  Caucus  which  was  held  last  night  in 
the  Hall  of  the  Rep.  Chamber ;  the  Gallery  was  crowded  and  overflowing. 
When  the  Ballot  was  declared  there  were  heavy  groans  in  the  Gallery  I 
was  told.  What  effect  it  will  have  in  our  State  among  the  legislature 
write  to  me.  Jackson  gains  ground  daily.  Your  friend  Cocke  did  not 
attend  although  in  favor  of  Crawford,  he  is  denounced  already.  Judge 
Ruggles  in  the  Chair.  E.  Calling,  Sec.  16  of  our  delegation  attended. 
President  —  Crawford  62  votes:  Adams  2:  Macon  1:  Jackson  1. 
Vice-President  —  Gallatin  57  :  Root  2  :  Adams  2  :  Rush  1  :  Lowrie  1. 

Your  friend,  S.  V.  RENSSELAER. 

Dear  Sir,  Washington  Feb.  19,  1824. 

I  ain  sorry  to  hear  that  you  are  suffering  from  your  exertions  at  the 
Fire,  and  am  glad  you  succeeded,  and  hope  you  will  soon  be  convalescent, 
I  forwarded  to  you  through  the  Post  Office  the  Post  Office  Bill  and  will 
advise  you  of  its  progress,  it  is  committed  to  a  Com'tee  of  the  whole. 
The  new  Tariff  Bill,  will  occupy  the  house  for  a  week  or  two  longer.  I 
believe  there  is  no  disposition  to  remove  you  by  your  old  opponent.  We 
are  all  waiting  anxiously  to  hear  what  effect  the  Caucus  will  have  in  the 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  411 

N.  York  Legislature.  It  is  expected  Crawford  will  be  nominated  by  them. 
Mr.  Clay's  friends  expect  the  same  ;  poor  Calhoun  it  is  thought  will  have 
.to  with-draw  if  Pennsylvania  goes  for  Jackson,  who  it  is  said  has  a  ma 
jority  of  the  nominatory  com'tee  to  meet  the  4th  of  March  at  Harrisburgh. 
Write  to  me  the  news  —  if  any  occurs.  Your  friend. 

Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany,  N.  Y.  S.  V.  RENSSELAER. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

VISIT  OF  GENERAL  THE  MARQUIS  DE  LA  FAYETTE. 

General  Orders. 

"  Navy  Department,  17th  August,  1824. 

"  The  President  of  the  United  States  directs  that  General  La  Fayette 
when  he  arrives  in'this  country,  be  received  at  all  the  United  States' 
Naval  Stations,  and  by  all  the  United  States'  ships  in  commission,  with 
honors  due  to  the  highest  rank  in  our  service." 

In  the  year  1824  great  preparations  were  making  for  some  important 
event,  and  the  cry —  '  La  Fayettds  coming  —  La  Fayette  s  coming  "  — 
was  echoed  far  and  wide,  and  I  —  a  little  girl  not  yet  seven  years  old  — 
was  as  much  interested  as  any  one  to  see  the  revolutionary  hero,  the 
valorous  champion  for  our  liberty.  General  the  Marquis  de  La  Fayette 
had  been  invited  to  visit  the  United  States  as  the  guest  of  the  nation,  and 
a  fine  ship  of  war  placed  at  his  disposal.  The  invitation  was  accepted, 
but  he  had  selected  an  ordinary  sailing  vessel  —  the  ship  Cadmus, 
Captain  Allyn,  with  commendable  respect  had  given  up  his  freight  and 
passengers  for  the  better  accommodation  of  La  Fayette.  After  a  pleasant 
passage  of  31  days  the  vessel  arrived  at  the  quarantine  ground,  New  York, 
on  Saturday  evening  August  14th,  and  arrangements  were  made  for  a 
grand  public  entry  into  that  city  on  Monday;  when  he  was  received  with 
the  most  enthusiastic  demonstrations  of  affection,  by  a  grateful  people  who 
remembered,  that  48  years  before  he  had  fought  by  the  side  of  Gen. 
Washington.  The  corporation  had  chartered  the  Chancellor  Livingston 
steamboat  to  receive  the  general,  together  with  three  other  steamboats 
dressed  elegantly  with  flags  and  streamers  ;  they  were  all  filled  with  ladies 
and  gentlemen,  and  each  boat  had  a  fine  band  of  music.  On  board  the 
Chancellor  was  the  superior  .band  from  West  Point,  which  Capt.  Center 
brought  down.  The  general  was  accompanied  by  his  son,  George 
Washington  La  Fayette — a  very  fine  looking  man  somewhat  advanced 
in  years  —  and  his  secretary. 

The  most  interesting  sight  was  the  reception  of  the  welcome  visitor  by 
his  old  companions  in  arms.  Col.  Marinus  Willett.  now  in  his  eighth-fifth 
year  —  General  Pierre  Van  Cortlandt,  Gen.  Clarkson,  Col.  Richard  Varick, 
Col.  Platt,  Col.  Trumbull,  and  several  members  of  the  society  of  Cincin- 


412  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

nati.  He  embraced  them  all  affectionately  and  remembered  all  with 
wonderful  precision  ;  it  was  a  re-union  of  a  long  separated  family.  A 
splendid  ball  was  given  in  the  theatre  and  every  honor  heaped  upon  the 
nobleman,  who  was  particularly  gratified  with  his  visit  at  the  navy  yard 
and  other  engaging  local  sites.  He  called  on  the  widow  of  General  Ham 
ilton  ;  with  her  to  dwell  upon  the  recollections  of  his  public  services  and 
condole  upon  the  loss  sustained  in  his  death  by  his  country.  There  is  a 
tender  delicacy  and  character  in  such  marks  of  attention,  which  render 
them  truly  valuable,  also  most  credible  to  heart  and  mind.  "  On  Friday 
20th,  the  general  left  New  York  about  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  for  Bos 
ton,  in  a  coach  drawn  by  four  beautiful  white  horses.  In  the  coach  was  his 
son  and  suite;  he  was  accompanied  by  four  other  carriages  and  a  military 
escort.  He  announced  his  intention  of  returning  to  New  York  during  the 
early  part  of  September;  and  in  a  few  days  after  he  will  proceed  to  Phila 
delphia,  extending  his  tour  south  and  to  the  far  west.  John  H.  Wendell 
and  Matthew  Gregory,  two  revolutionary  patriots,  have  been  appointed  by 
the  corporation  of  Albany,  to  repair  to  New  York,  and  deliver  to  La 
Fayette,  a  letter  of  invitation  from  the  common  council  to  visit  Albany." 

Colonel  Elliott  to  Gen.  Van  Eensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Albany  Augt.,  24,  1824. 

The  Marquis  De  La  Fayette  is  expected  here  early  next  week.  Mr. 
John  Townsend  one  of  the  Committee  of  the  Corporation,  desired  me  to 
say  to  you,  that  you  were  much  wanted  in  making  tne  Arrangements  — 
the  Citizens  are  to  meet  for  this  purpose  to-morrow  Evening. 

Yours  Sincerely, 
Gen.  Sol.  Van  Kensselaer.  ROBT.  ELLIOTT. 

The  mayor,  Ambrose  Spencer,  received  a  letter  from  Gen.  La  Fayette, 
accepting  the  invitation  of  the  common  council  to  visit  Albany  and  stated 
that  "  in  a  few  days  after  September  5th  he  will  have  the  gratification  of 
offering  to  the  citizens  of  this  place  his  high  respects  and  affectionate 
gratitude."  Great  preparations  were  accordingly  made  to  do  him  proper 
honor. 

"  Albany  September  13,  1824.  Major  Genl.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer, 
having  been  requested  to  act  as  marshal  of  the  day,  appointed  for  render 
ing  honors  to  Gen.  La  Fayette,  the  illustrious  guest  of  the  nation,  and  the 
uniform  friend  of  liberty,  cordially  accepts  of  the  office,  and  appoints 
Majors  C.  Humphrey  and  John  0.  Cole,  his  assistants  on  this  occasion." 

General  La  Fayette  in  company  with  a  large  party  of  friends  left  New 
York  on  Tuesday  September  14th  and  had  a  most  enjoyable  entertainment 
throughout  his  entire  trip  coming  up  the  Hudson  river.  At  West  Point 
he  was  received  by  the  commandant  of  the  post,  Col.  Thayer,  and  re 
mained  during  the  entire  day.  The  passage  up  the  river  from  New  York 
to  Newburgh  was  interesting  beyond  all  description  ;  every  mile  of  it  was 
consecrated  by  some  revolutionary  event.  General  La  Fayette  pointed 
out  the  house  occupied  by  Arnold  and  related  all  the  circumstances  of  his 
detestable  treason  and  escape. 

"After  leaving  Poughkeepsie  the  boat  proceeded  a  few  miles,  and  at  ten 
A.  M.,  the  party  from  it,  landed  and  rode  to  the  mansion  of  General 
Morgan  Lewis,  where  refreshments  were  received.  At  twelve  o'clock,  on 
returning  to  the  boat,  they  found  baskets  of  choice  grapes  and  peaches 
which  the  ladies  u£  Governor  Lewis's  household  had  sent.  At  Kingston 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  413 

Colonel  Harry  Livingston  came  on  board  to  greet  his  old  friend.  At 
Rhinebeck,  a  bouquet  of  beautiful  flowers  and  a  basket  of  delicious  La 
Fayette  peaches  were  sent  on  board  for  the  General  by  Mrs.  Thompson, 
attentions  were  constantly  received.  At  Clermont  a  splendid  reception 
awaited  General  La  Fayette.  Robert  L.  Livingston,  Esq.,  had  been 
several  weeks  preparing  to  give  the  general  a  most  munificent  entertain 
ment,  and  as  the  steamer  approached,  Mr.  Livingston  stood  upon  his 
wharf  to  receive  the  hero,  who  fared  sumptuously.  He  also  attended  a 
very  brilliant  ball  which  was  graced  by  the  presence  of  Mrs.  Richard 
Montgomery  and  many  of  his  oldest  friends.  At  Catskill  and  Hudson 
the  general  landed  amid  a  roar  of  cannon  and  the  heartiest  cheers  of 
assembled  thousands.  Extensive  preparations  had  been  made  at  Albany 
for  the  welcome  of  the  visitor  by  daylight,  but  owing  to  the  low  state  of 
the  tide  the  steamboat  could  make  but  slow  advance.  Accordingly 
leaving  the  company  of  cavalry  at  the  bar,  the  little  "Fire  Fly"  was 
called  iuto  requisition  and,  having  on  board  Major  General  Solomon  Van 
Rensselaer  with  his  suite  and  several  other  gentlemen,  met  the  expected 
party  at  New  Baltimore. 

"  Three  hearty  cheers  were  exchanged  when  these  gentlemen  came  on 
board  the  Kent.  General  La  Fayette  landed  about  six  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon  on  the  east  side  of  the  river,  three  miles  below  Albany,  where  he 
was  met  by  an  escort  of  carriages  and  mounted  dragoons  from  this  city 
under  the  direction  of  General  Van  Rensselaer,  marshal  of  the  day.  The 
honored  guest  entered  a  stylish  vehicle,  and  with  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer 
seated  by  his  side  they  proceeded  up  the  bank  of  the  river  to  the  village 
of  Greenbush,  where  from  an  elevated  staff  waved  a  large  national  flag, 
and  a  splendid  arch  of  thirty  feet  span  was  thrown  over  the  street  resting 
on  two  columns  at  each  end.  The  space  upon  each  side  of  the  street  was 
filled  with  large  trees  of  evergreen.  The  arch  was  surmounted  with  flags 
and  tastefully  decorated  with  evergreens,  and  festooned  with  garlands  of 
bright  flowers.  In  the  rear  of  the  arch  was  pitched  a  general's  marquee, 
decorated  with  flags,  carpeted  and  hung  round  with  fine  national  paintings  ; 
it  was  also  furnished  with  side-board,  tables,  &c.  Upon  a  table  was  set  a 
handsome  large  pyramid  of  cake,  furnished  by  Mrs.  Nanning  I.  Visscher, 
and  decorated  with  boughs  of  mountain  ash,  fillef^with  red  clusters.  In 
Albany  we  saw  the  procession,  marshaled  by  General  Solomon  Van  Rens 
selaer  and  assisted  by  Majors  Humphrey  and  Cole,  coming  up  South 
Market  street,  and  a  more  beautiful  one  was  never  witnessed.  The  dark 
ness  of  the  night  rather  increased  than  diminished  the  effect.  The  escort 
consisted  of  three  companies  of  cavalry  and  eight  companies  of  infantry. 

"  The  band  of  Colonel  Jenkins's  regiment  played  most  delightfully  they 
discoursed  in  eloquent  strains  and  in  a  style  but  rarely  surpassed.  After 
this  came  the  Military  Association  and  next  a  very  beautiful  chariot,  the 
top  thrown  back,  drawn  by  four  milk  white  horses,  containing  the  venerated, 
much  loved  hero,  and  Stephen  Lush  Esq.,  a  revolutionary  soldier,  who 
had  received,  at  the  south  ferry,  and  welcomed  him  in  behalf  of  the 
corporation,  on  his  landing  in  the  city.  On  arriving  at  the  park  —  in 
front  of  the  Capitol,  the  general  left  his  carriage ;  he  was  then  conducted 
to  the  Capitol  and  introduced  to  the  mayor  in  the  Senate  Chamber,  by 
General  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  the  chief  marshal  of  the  day.  The 
mayor  then  addressed  his  guest,  after  which  the  mayor  conducted  him  to 
the  governor's  room  who  welcomed  him  with  another  address.  They  then 
proceeded  to  Cruttenden's  and  sut  down  to  a  sumptuous  and  bountiful  repast 


414  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

-"  The  following  day  the  general  was  invited  to  take  a  trip  on  the  canal, 
and  after  an  interesting  visit  at  the  United  States'  arsenal  the  party  pro 
ceeded  to  Troy,  where  they  were  most  cordially  received  and  addressed  by 
George  Tibbits,  Esq.  The  Capitol  was,  for  this  momentous  event, 
superbly  decorated  with  greens  and  flowers,  the  pillars  of  the  porch  were 
entwined,  and  the  hall  was  elegantly  embellished  with  flags  while  the 
national  standard  was  displayed  from  the  cupola.  On  Saturday  Even 
ing,  at  8  o'clock,  General  La  Fayette,  escorted  by  the  horse,  commanded 
by  Colonel  Cooper,  and  accompanied  by  the  mayor  and  other  citizens, 
visited  DeWitt  Clinton,  and  remained  at  his  house  nearly  an  hour.  He 
then  proceeded  to  the  residence  of  General  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  for 
the  purpose  of  paying  his  respects  to  his  family,  and  particularly  to  the 
mother  of  Mrs.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  the  venerable  widow  of  Colonel 
Philip  Van  Rensselaer  of  Cherry  Hill.  In  the  course  of  the  conversation 
the  general  facetiously  reminded  her  of  a  certain  time  during  the  revo 
lutionary  war,  when,  as  a  dashing  young  officer,  he  arrived  in  the  city  on 
his  way  to  Schenectady,  on  a  cold  winter's  day,  clad  in  his  regimental 
small  clothes,  with  white  silk  stockings  and  shoes,  when  she  remonstrated 
against  his  venturing  out  thus  and  prevailed  on  him  to  wear,  over  both 
shoe  and  stocking,  a  coarse  but  thick,  comfortable  pair  of  woolen  hose  that 
came  above  the  knee,  and  in  that  style  he  gaily  pursued  his  journey. 
We  mention  such  things  merely  as  the  reminiscences  of  days  long  gone 
by,  and  as  interesting  to  those  who  lived  in  those  perilous  times."  [I  have 
a  vivid  recollection  of  this  interesting  incident.  The  marquis  selected  out 
our  venerated  maternal  grandmother  for  a  friendly  chat ;  and  with  me,  a 
child  of  seven  summers  on  his  knee,  reminded  the  old  lady,  in  his  genial 
way  of  "  the  warm  woolen  koussen,"  and  acknowledged  the  great  comfort 
they  gave  him,  that  they  were  invaluable,  and  his  indebtedness  for  her 
thoughtful  consideration  in  those  truly  hazardous  days.  The  solution  of 
this  grateful  emotion  was  this :  When  Lafayette  accompanied  James 
Duane  to  the  Indian  council  at  Johnstown  in  1778,  he  visited  Colonel 
Philip  Van  Rensselaer  at  Cherry  Hill.  There  was  still  much  snow  on 
the  ground,  and  being  intensely  cold,  my  grandmother  feared  he  would 
freeze  before  reaching  Schenectady.  She  therefore,  with  a  mother's  love, 
insisted  upon  his  accenting  a  pair  of  thick  woolen  long  stockings,  the 
work  of  her  own  hands,  to  draw  over  his  silk  hose,  that  his  feet  might  be 
better  protected  from  the  biting  frost.  The  mind  of  the  noble  man  seemed 
deeply  retentive  to  such  little  acts  of  kindness.] 

"  General  La  Fayette  also  called  at  the  mansion  of  the  venerable  Lt. 
Governor  Tayler,  another  patriot  of  the  revolution.  He  then  returned 
to  Cruttenden's  and  received  a  deputation  from  Temple  Royal  Arch 
Chapter,  with  an  address  delivered  by  Dr.  Eights,  high  priest  of  said 
Chapter. 

"  Having  made  arrangements  for  his  departure,  the  escort  moved  to 
Governor  Yates's  house,  where  the  general  also  paid  a  visit.  When  the 
procession  returned  from  the  Governor  Yates,  South  Market  street  was 
illumined  from  one  end  to  the  other  j  while  whole  barrels  of  tar  blazed 
along  the  streets  in  honor  of  the  noble  and  loved  visitor.  He  was  escorted 
to  the  steam  boat  landing  when  he  departed.  General  La  Fayette  reached 
Clermont,  where  he  intended  to  pass  the  Sabbath,  very,  early  on  Sunday 
morning.  It  was  also  his  design  to  dine  with  the  widow  of  General 
Montgomery  before  he  returned  to  New  York  city. 

It  was  a  proud  day  for  Albany,  long  to  be  remembered.     The  mayor  — 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  415 

the  corporation  —  General  Van  Rensselaer — Colonel  Cooper  —  the  cavalry 
and  the  foot  —  all  vied  in  showing  respectful  kindness  and  attention  to 
the  great  chief. 

"Albany,  September  18, 1824.  Major  General  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer, 
is  charged  by  the  illustrious  La  Fayette,  the  guest  of  the  nation,  to  express 
his  grateful  feelings  for  the  kind  and  distinguished  reception  which  he 
experienced  from  all  quarters  on  his  recent  visit,  and  at  the  same  time  to 
state  his  regret  for  the  unexpected  delay  in  the  time  of  his  arrival. 

''  General  Van  Rensselaer  prays  leave  to  add,  the  expression  of  his  re 
spectful  approbation  for  the  good  conduct  of  the  military  and  all  other 
classes  of  citizens  on  th*s  auspicious  occasion.  The  demonstrations  of 
gratitude  and  respect,  so  cordially  and  universally  evinced  for  the  hero  of 
liberty  and  the  friend  of  the  human  race,  reflect  honor  on  the  American 
people,  and  elevate  the  character  of  man/' 

The  Patroon  to  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer. 
My  dear  Sir,  Washington,  Jany.  22,  1825. 

Your  recommendation  I  presented  to  the  Post-Master  General,  I  sent 
to  him  the  letter,  his  answer  I  enclosed  to  II.  Bleecker,  Esq.,  if  a  vacancy 
occur  our  friend  will  receive  the  appointment.  McLean  told  me  he  had 
received  no  complaints  yet.  Our  Presidential  question  is  drawing  to  a 
close.  Mr.  Clay  has  taken  his  ground  in  favor  of  Adams,  this  will  ensure 
his  election  without  doubt  it  is  said  on  the  first  ballot;  but  I  doubt  this, 
the  second  or  third  certainly.  The  Western  people  —  Ohio  and  Kentucky 
at  their  head  —  are  for  Adams.  We  may  be  divided  in  our  delegation  at 
first,  but  Taylor,  Storrs  and  Tracy  think  not.  I  feel  inclined  for  "  Old 
Hickory  "  myself.  Our  Winter  has  been  very  mild  —  no  ice,  and  but  one 
flight  of  snow.  I  enjoy  good  health,  and  wish  you  and  yours  many  happy 
returns  of  New  Year.  Ever  yours, 

Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  P.  M.,  Albany.  S.  V.  RENSSELAER. 

"  At  the  presidential  election  the  most  intense  political  excitement  pre 
vailed  throughout  the  country.  The  candidates  were  Messrs.  Adams, 
Crawford,  Jackson  and  Clay.  Neither  of  these  candidates  having  received 
a  majority,  the  house  of  representatives  was  called  upon  to  decide  the  ques 
tion.  Mr.  Clay,  as  speaker  of  the  house,  was  placed  in  a  delicate  and  respon 
sible  position.  He  was  required  to  designate  which  of  the  three,  who  had 
been  his  rivals,  should  be  elected.  To  his  personal  friends  his  preference 
had  long  been  known.  But  obvious  propriety  prevented  his  proclaiming 
it  in  public;  and  he  accordingly  maintained  a  decorous  silence  about  it." 

J.  B.  Stuart  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Washington  City,  8th  March,  1825. 

I  am  authorized  to  say  to  you,  in  confidence,  that  the  mission  tojjondon 
will  be  kept  open  3  weeks  to  enable  Mr.  Clinton  to  reverse  his  first  de 
cision  on  this  subject.  It  is,  I  believe,  the  unanimous  wish  of  Mr.  Clintons 
friends  here,  that  he  should  accept  it.  Mr.  Adams  made  it  in  good  faith, 
and  neither  he  nor  Mr.  Clay  have  any  political  object  in  view  in  sending 
Mr.  Clinton  out  of  the  country. 

But  the  free  navigation  of  the  St.  Lawrence —  the  recognition  of  South 

America  by  the  British—  and  the  suspicion  of  Piracy  require  an  able  man 

to  represent  this  country,  at  the  Court  of  St.  James,  in  London.     Mr. 

,  Clinton  in  the  estimation  of  both  Adams  and  Clay  is  that  man.     Will  he 

not  accept  ? 


416  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Mr.  Clay  and  Genl.  Harrison  send  their  best  regards  to  you ;  and  Harri 
son  in  true  soldier  style  says,  while  he  is  in  the  Senate,  if  he  has  the  power 
you  shall  continue  to  be  Post  Master,  or  any  thing  else  you  may  want. 

Yours  truly, 

Gen.  S.  Van  Rensselaer,  Post  Master,  Albany.  J.  B.  STUART. 

Mr.  Clinton  did  not  accept  the  mission  to  London,  and  it  was  at  this  time 
the  enemies  of  Mr.  Clay  were  very  active  in  their  attacks.  "On  the  8th  of 
March  a  letter  was  published,  written  by  a  Mr.  Beverly,  purporting  to 
state  the  substance  of  a  conversation  held  by  the  writer  with  Gen.  Jack 
son,  at  his  own  house,  in  which  the  latter  distinctly  said,  that  the  friends 
of  Mr.  Clay  had  made  to  him,  explicitly,  the  offer  of  their  support,  on  con 
dition,  that  he  should  not  continue  Mr.  Adams  as  secretary  of  state." 

That  Mr.  Clay  would  vote  for  Gen.  Jackson,  notwithstanding  the  at 
tempt  to  dragoon  him  into  his  support,  no  one  who  remembered  the  man 
ner  in  which  he  had  arraigned  his  conduct  in  the  Seminole  campaign, 
and  the  grounds  on  which  he  had  then  based  his  violent  censure,  could 
for  one  moment  anticipate.  He  had  repeatedly  declared,  that  in  no  case, 
short  of  absolute  necessity,  would  he  do  it.  General  Jackson  himself  did 
not  expect  it.  Mr.  Crawford  he  did  not  choose  to  support,  for  the  simple 
reason,  that,  as  he  had  satisfied  himself,  by  a  personal  visit,  his  health  and 
physical  abilities  were  not  competent  to  the  discharge  of  the  arduous  duties 
of  the  office.  He  had  been  a  paralytic  for  more  than  two  years,  and  there 
fore  seemed  out  of  the  question  to  Mr.  Clay.  Accordingly  he  decided  to 
vote  for  Mr.  Adams.  He  had  long  known  him  as  a  statesman  of  rare 
ability  and  of  undoubted  integrity.  He  knew  him  also,  as  the  unwavering 
friend  of  the  system  of  protection  and  of  Internal  Improvements,  and  he 
had  no  objections  to  him.  John  QuincyAdams  of  Massachusetts  was  elected 
president  of  the  United  States;  and  John  C.  Calhoun  of  South  Carolina, 
vice  president.  The  president  immediately  offered  Mr.  Clay  a  seat  in  the 
cabinet  and  Henry  Clay  became  the  secretary  of  the  state,  though  many 
attempts  were  made  to  terrify  him  from  accepting  the  office.  Immedi 
ately  after  the  inaugurating  of  President  Adams,  the  canvass  for  the  next 
presidential  contest  of  1828  was  commenced  by  the  friends  of  General 
Jackson  and  it  was  foreseen  at  an  early  day  that  Mr.  Adams  could  not  be 
reflected.  He  would  have  been  if  he  could,  but  all  the  signs  were  against 
him,  and  consequently  he  drew  out  of  the  race.  James  Monroe  having 
been  for  fifty  years  in  public  life,  found  the  quiet  of  his  home  in  Virginia 
peculiarly  acceptable.  Mr.  Monroe  came  in  as  a  sort  of  compromise  candidate, 
after  MADISON'S  retirement,  and  his  administration  was  conducted  during 
a  long  era  of  "peace  and  good  will."  He  went  into  the  office  a  poor  man, 
and  came  out  of  it  a  poor  man. 

Dr.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 

My  dear  Sir,  New  York  March  19,  1825. 

I  intended  to  have  written  to  you  yesterday,  but  was  so  hurried  that  I 
had  not  time.  I  requested  Adeline  to  tell  you  of  it.  You  are,  as  we  all 
know,  a  Member  of  the  "  Military  Philosophical  Society"  which  for  years 
has  been  defunct.  This  Society  had  a  fund  arising  from  the  initiation  fee 
of  Members  —  and  which  has  for  many  years  laid  idle.  The  Lyceum  of 
Natural  History,  being  much  in  want  of  a  Library,  appointed  a  Committee 
to  gain  the  consent  of  the  Members  of  the  "  Military  Philosophical  Society" 
to  have  that  fund  delivered  to  the  Lyceum  for  that  purpose.  The  indi- 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  417 

viduals  of  your  Society  have  mostly  given  their  consent,  on  the  express 
condition,  that  the  fund  be  appropriated  to  purchase  of  books  merely.  The 
original  number  of  the  Society  was  about  200  ;  of  which  40  remain  to  be 
heard  from,  and  the  Committee  have  reserved  yourself  and  some  few  Mem 
bers,  who  were  near  to  New  York,  to  'apply  to  for  the  final  Sanction.  But 
one  Gentleman  has  declined  the  request.  Let  me  hear  from  you  as  soon 
as  convenient.  Remember  me  to  the  family  and  believe  me  —  Yours  very 
Truly  JER:  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

My  Dear  Sir,  New  York  Tuesday  April  5,  1825. 

Your  several  letters  have  been  received  and  the  contents  duly  forwarded. 
The  "  Lyceum  of  Natural  History  "  have  returned  you  a  Vote  of  Thanks 
for  your  ready  acquiescence  in  their  wishes.  The  fund  alluded  to  has  laid 
idle  for  many  years  —  and  the  Military  Philosophical  Society  has  not  met 
in  nine  or  ten  years.  Should  you  see  any  of  the  folks  from  the  Greenbush 
bank,  say  that  we  are  well.  Yours  Truly.  JEH  :  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  P.  M.,  Albany. 

"  General  La  Fayette,  accompanied  by  his  son  and  secretary,  traveled 
through  every  state  and  was  welcomed  with  the  strongest  exhibitions  of 
appreciation  and  respect,  his  journey  among  us  was  a  continued  ovation  to  the 
old  hero  who  was  now  sixty-seven  years  of  age.  He  was  every  where  received 
with  honor  as  the  nation's  guest,  and  he  found  that  forty  years  had  made 
great  changes  in  every  thing  but  the  hearts  of  the  people,  they  still  loved 
him  even  as  their  fathers  had  done  for  the  interest  he  had  ever  felt.  At 
Mount  Vernon  he  had  wept  over  the  dust  of  his  beloved  Washington  and 
now  he  was  approaching  Albany  en  route  to  Boston  that  he  might  lay  the 
corner-stone  of  the  great  monument,  at  Bunker-Hill,  on  the  17th  of  June, 
1825.  As  a  token  of  their  regard,  congress  had  also  presented  him  the 
sum  of  $200,000  and  a  township  of  land,  being  a  slight  return  for  his 
self-denial  and  loss  of  his  own  fortune  in  our  behalf.  Even  when  he 
finally  left  our  shores,  so  far  from  the  warmth  and  cordiality  of  his  recep 
tion  having  in  the  least  abated,  he  was  just  as  much  the  object  of  affec 
tionate  and  sincere  attention  as  he  was  the  hour  he  landed  for  the  third 
time  on  our  coast.  On  the  arrival  at  Albany  in  June  1825  of  the  distin 
guished  traveling  party  from  the  West,  they  were  again  received  with 
repeated  cheers,  and  with  patriotic  airs  from  the  Albany  band/' 

The  long  and  short  La  Fayette  kid  gloves,  waist-ribbons,  badges,  &c. 
(ornamented  with  an  elegant  portrait  of  the  general,  an  excellent  likeness, 
which  were  worn  at  the  grand  ball  that  was  given  at  the  Capitol  on  the 
arrival  of  the  guest  of  the  nation  on  the  previous  visit),  were  now  again 
called  in  requisition.  The  line  of  troops  and  processions  of  citizens  as  an 
escort  was  as  brilliant  a  cortege  as  any  person  could  desire. 

Escort  of  Gen.  La  Fayette  —  General  Orders. 

Head  Quarters,  June  llth,  1825. 

On  the  Departure  of  General  La  Fayette  from  this  City,  He  will  be  es 
corted  to  the  line  of  the  State  by  Captain  Spencer's  company  of  Albany 
Light  Dragoons,  accompanied  by  the  Staff  of  the  Commander  in  Chief. 

Major  General  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  is  assigned  to  the  command  of 
this  escort  and  his  orders  will  be  respected  accordingly. 
By  order  of  the  Commander  in  Chief, 

CHARLES  A.  CLINTON,  Actg.  Adjt.  Genl. 

53 


418  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Departure  of  Lafayette  —  On  Monday,  June  13,  at  early  dawn  our  citi 
zens  were  roused  from  their  slumbers  by  the  thunder  of  cannon,  a  na 
tional  salute  in  honor  of  the  guest  of  the  nation  —  the  bells  gave  a  merry 
peal  to  call  forth  old  and  young  to  take  leave  of  the  hero  who  came  from 
a  foreign  land  and  spent  his  treasures  and  periled  his  life  to  redeem  our 
country  from  thraldom  to  tyrants.  In  a  short  time  our  streets  were  all 
bustle  and  animation  ;  the  proud  charger  with  military  trappings  dashed 
over  the  pavement  with  his  gallant  rider  clad  in  all  the  panoply  of  war, 
while  the  nodding  plumes  of  the  foot  soldiery  spake  that  each  man  was  eager 
to  honor  the  brave.  At  8  o'clock  the  procession  was  formed  along  the 
park  and  in  front  of  Cruttenden's,  when  the  general  entered  his  carriage 
supported  by  General  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  marshal  of  the  day,  and 
preceded  by  the  military.  The  Albany  Military  Association,  under  their 
president,  Colonel  John  T.  Cooper,  escorted  the  general  to  the  ferry  with 
drawn  swords,  an  honor  never  before  paid  by  them  to  any  other  individual. 

The  mayor  (Ambrose  Spencer)  and  board  of  corporation  followed  in 
carriages  and  a  long  line  of  citizens  on  foot  conducted  through  many  streets 
to  the  south  ferry  under  a  discharge  of  cannon  and  ringing  of  bells,  where 
he  received  the  affectionate  farewell  of  thousands.  On  leaving  the  shore 
at  Albany,  the  ferry  boat  which  contained  the  escort  was  saluted  with 
music  and  the  roar  of  artillery.  The  general  and  suite,  en  route  for  Bos 
ton,  escorted  by  a  detachment  of  cavalry —  and  accompanied  by  the  acting 
adjutant  general  (Charles  A.  Clinton),  one  of  the  governor's  aids,  and  the 
Military  Association  of  the  city  went  as  far  as  the  Massachusetts  line.  The 
escort  proceeded  to  Schodack  and  Nassau.  At  Brainard's  Bridge  a  collation 
had  been  provided  and  a  committee  from  Lebanon  also  waited  upon  him. 
As  the  escort  approached  Lebanon  Springs,  crowds  of  horsemen  and  foot 
men  followed.  At  the  state  line  an  escort  from  Pittsfield  received  the  gene 
ral  and  suite  and  the  escort  from  Albany  took  leave.  He  was  taken  by  the 
Massachusetts  committee  to  a  carriage  adorned  with  wreaths  of  beautiful 
flowers.  The  elegant  carriage,  in  which  the  honored  hero  had  journeyed 
from  Albany  to  the  state  line,  was  the  same  one  that  had  been  used  on 
his  first  arrival  at  the  bar  below  Greenbush.  It  was  a  very  stylish  barouche  ' 
of  English  manufacture;  the  property  of  the  late  lamented  Colonel  Nan- 
ning  I.  Visscher  purchased  in  London,  while  on  his  visit  to  Great  Britain, 
and  brought  by  him  to  this  country.  It  was  kindly  loaned  by  the  widow 
of  Colonel  Visscher  to  General  Van  Rensselaer  for  these  occasions. 

The  Hudson  Register  says  an  object  of  curiosity  and  interest  as  his 
torical  is  presented  to  the  visitors  at  Colombia  Hall,  Lebanon  Springs,  in 
an  old  and  time  worn  Hotel  Register,  the  first  volume  dating  back  to  1820. 

During  the  summer  of  1825  Gen.  La  Fayette,  in  his  tour  through  the 
states  whose  independence  he  had  materially  assisted  to  achieve,  tarried 
for  a  brief  period  at  the  springs,  accompanied  thither  by  a  lot  of  dignitaries. 

The  following  is  a  verbatim  transcript  from  the  register  aforesaid  under 
date  of  June  13,  1825  :  "  Marquis  De  La  Fayette  and  Son;  General  Solo 
mon  Van  Rensselaer;  Col.  Clinton  ;  Capt.  Spencer,  Lady  and  two  children  ; 
Mr.  Norton,  A.  D.  C.  to  his  Excellency  ;  Col.  Bloodgood  ;-Major  J.  B. 
Van  Schaack  ;  Col.  John  T.  Cooper;  Major  P.  Seaton  Henry  ;  Major  R. 
V.  De  Witt ;  Lieut  Col.  Knowlton  ;  Maj.  T.  A.  Bridgen,  Surrogate ;  Capt. 
S.  V.  R.  Bleecker;  Capt.  Osborn  ;  Capt.  Hendrickson;  Lieut.  Webster  ; 
Lieut.  P.  II.  Van  Valkenburg  Kirkland ;  Adjutant  Hazard;  Adjutant 
Brush;  Dr.  James  Eights,  Surgeon  89th  Infantry." 

Out  of  all  this  number  only  two  or  three  are  still  living.     "  The  sorrow 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  419* 

for  the  dead  is  the  only  sorrow  from  which  we  refuse  to  be  divorced.    There 
is  a  remembrance  of  the  dead  to  which  we  ever  gladly  turn. " 

The  Last  Visit. —  "  General  La  Fayette  returned  to  Albany  from  his 
visit  to  the  eastern  states  on  Friday  July  1,  1825,  en  route  to  New  York, 
at  which  place  he  had  engaged  to  spend  the  national  holiday  of  July  4th. 
The  '  Nation's  Guest'  sat  down  to  a  sumptuous  dinner  in  the  hall  of  the 
Capitol ;  it  was  a  well  spread  board, '  wit  walked  the  round,  songs  filled  the 
air/  The  military  escort  from  Troy  and  a  committee  of  our  citizens  who 
went  to  bring  him  in,  sat  down  with  him.  The  general's  arrival  at  the 
city  bounds  was  announced  by  a  discharge  of  cannon.  In  various  parts 
of  the  city,  bright  flags  were  flying  through  the  day  in  honor  of  the 
pleasant  occasion.  At  the  dinner,  Rev.  Dr.  Chester  asked  a  blessing  from, 
the  Throne  of  Grace.  The  toast  of  General  La  Fayette  was  :  '  Albany  as 
I  have  known  it,  and  Albany  as  it  is  now  —  a  comparative  standard 
between  royal  guardianship,  and  the  self  government  of  the  people  —  may 
this  diiference  be  more  and  more  illustrated  at  home,  and  understood 
abroad.'  After  dinner,  at  eight  o'clock,  the  general  and  suite,  together 
with  the  Military  Association  visited  the  theatre.  After  the  play  was  over, 
the  honored  party  in  carriages  preceded  by  a  fine  band  of  music,  were  escorted 
to  the  steamboat  Bolivar;  he  embarked  on  board  and  proceeded  down  the 
river  as  far  as  West  Point.  This  was  his  last  visit.  The  marquis  was 
much  gratified  with  the  exhibition  of  regard  and  the  attention  shown  him 
throughout  the  entire  land  whose  cause  he  had  adopted  in  its  darkest 
hours,  and  whose  liberties  he  had  assisted  so  much  in  establishing." 

It  was  a  matter  of  deep  regret  that  the  governor  of  the  state  —  De 
Witt  Clinton  — was  necessarily  absent  on  the  occasion  of  both  visits,  but 
Gen.  La  Fayette  was  received  by  the  acting  adjutant  general,  Charles  A. 
Clinton,  private  secretary. 

"  Preparatory  measures  were  on  foot  leading  to  the  Ohio  canals,  of 
opening  and  rendering  permanent  a  navigable  water  communication  be 
tween  Lake  Erie  and  the  Ohio  river.  The  completion  of  the  Erie  or 
Grand  canal  in  New  York  state  had  dispelled  all  doubts  about  the  prac 
ticability  of  the  one  in  Ohio.  Governor  Clinton  had  favored  the  admis 
sion  of  Ohio  into  the  Union,  and  had  always  been  friendly  to  its  advance 
ment.  The  commissioners,  early  in  the  year  1825,  determined  on  the 
route  commencing  at  Cleveland  and  ending  at  Portsmouth  on  the  Ohio 
river.  Every  preparation  being  made,  the  constituted  authorities  invited 
DE  WITT  CLINTON,  governor  of  New  York,  to  be  present  at  the  commence 
ment  of  making  the  canal.  Accordingly  Governor  Clinton  attended  by 
his  aids,  Colonels  Jones  and  Reed;  General  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  of 
Albany,  who  had  traversed  the  state  when  a  wilderness,  as  an  officer  under 
General  Wayne  ;  Judge  Conkling,  United  States  district  judge,  and  a  few 
others,  started  from  Albany,  New  York,  and  landed  at  Cleveland,  Ohio, 
in  June  1825.  They  arrived  at  Newark  near  the  Licking  summit,  on  the 
third  day  of  July  on  a  beautiful  afternoon.  Here  were  assembled  to  meet, 
welcome  and  receive  these  distinguished  friends  of  Ohio,  the  governor  of 
Ohio,  JEREMIAH  MORROW,  with  the  other  state  functionaries  and  military,, 
dressed  in  their  best  attire  with  all  their  arms.  As  soon  as  Governor 
Clinton's  carriage  appeared  on  the  public  square,  the  many  thousands  of 
persons  present  rent  the  air  with  their  loud  huzzas  of  welcome  to  DE  WITT 
CLINTON,  '  the  father  of  internal  improvements.'  Four  companies  of  ar 
tillery  fired  one  hundred  guns  in  honor  of  the  state's  guest.  Of  this  great 
assemblage,  many  of  them  were  his  personal  friends,  with  many  of  whom 


420  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

he  had  all  along  corresponded  on  the  subject  which  had  brought  them 
together.  The  meeting  of  so  many  old  friends  on  an  occasion  so  dear  to 
all  their  hearts,  was  deeply  affecting  to  all  present. 

"  On  the  4th  day  of  July,  1825,  forty-nine  years  after  the  declaration  of 
independence,  this  great  work  of  connecting  Lake  Erie  with  the  Ohio 
river,  by  a  navigable  canal,  was  commenced,  by  the  sons  of  those  who 
achieved  the  independence  of  their  country.  The  day  was  as  fair  as 
heart  could  desire,  and  the  summit  where  the  first  shovel  full  of  earth 
was  to  be  excavated,  was  three  miles  or  more  westwardly  of  Newark.  The 
underbrush  was  cleared  off  from  an  acre  or  more  in  the  woods,  near  the 
summit,  where,  under  many  wide  spreading  beech  trees,  tables  and  seats 
were  placed  for  the  assemblage  to  dine.  At  an  early  hour  in  the  morning 
of  the  4th,  the  whole  company  moved  from  Newark,  on  to  the  ground 
which  had  been  prepared  for  them.  Governor  Clinton,  Governor  Morrow, 
and  the  state  officers  went  to  the  ground  on  the  summit,  and  ex 
cavated  each  a  few  shovelfulls  of  earth.  After  this  ceremony  was  per 
formed,  these  officers  retired  to  a  rude  platform,  under  a  shade,  where 
being  seated,  Thomas  Ewing,  Esq.,  delivered  an  address.  This  address 
was  replied  to  by  Governor  Clinton,  who  was  repeatedly  interrupted  by 
the  loud  huzzas  of  the  thousands  there  assembled.  As  soon  as  his  address 
was  finished,  one  burst  of  universal  applause  from  all  present,  followed  it. 
One  hundred  guns  told  the  world  that  the  canal  was  begun.  The  ad 
dresses  having  been  delivered,  the  company  sat  down  to  dine  in  the  shade 
of  wide  spreading  beeches.  The  governors  of  Ohio  and  New  York  oc 
cupied  the  highest  places  at  the  table,  and  the  state  officers  of  both  states 
sat  next  to  them.  Toasts  were  drank,  in  honor  of  the  day,  and  of  the 
particular  occasion.  One  of  these  was  as  follows  :  By  Mr.  M.  Seley  — 
'  General  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer.  He  this  day  reaps  a  rich  reward  for 
his  toils  in  the  wilderness  in  1796/ 

"  On  the  5th  of  July,  Governor  Clinton  was  escorted  to  Lancaster  where 
he  tarried  over  night.  On  the  next  day,  he  and  a  great  concourse  who 
followed  and  accompanied  him,  went  to  Columbus  the  seat  of  the  state 
government.  Here,  on  the  next  day,  in  the  Capitol,  in  the  presence  of  all 
the  state  officers  and  of  a  large  assemblage  of  both  sexes,  Governor  Morrow 
delivered  an  address  to  Governor  Clinton,  which  the  latter  answered  in 
an  appropriate  and  eloquent  manner.  A  public  dinner  ended  the  pro 
ceedings  of  the  day.  Escorted  from  Columbus,  to  Springfield,  by  a  large 
number  of  gentlemen,  either  in  carriages  or  on  horse-back,  Governor 
Clinton  was  received  by  the  people  of  the  town  last  named  as  he  had  been, 
by  those  of  Columbus.  The  governor  of  New  York  was  addressed  by 
Charles  Anthony,  Esquire,  in  behalf  of  the  citizens  of  Springfield.  On 
the  next  day,  after  partaking  of  a  public  dinner,  the  two  governors  and 
their  escort,  moved  forward.  At  Cincinnati  a  dinner  had  been  gotten  up 
for  the  Hon.  Henry  Clay  of  Kentucky.  This  the  governors  of  Ohio  and 
New  York  attended  as  invited  guests.  At  this  period  there  was  no  canal 
around  the  falls  of  the  Ohio,  and  there  were  two  chartered  companies, 
one  by  Kentucky  and  the  other  by  Indiana,  each  disputing  about  which 
side  of  the  river  was  best  adapted  to  a  canal.  These  companies  invited 
Governor  Clinton  to  visit  the  falls  and  settle  the  dispute.  The  two 
governors  assented  to  visit  Louisville  and  after  a  patient  and  careful  ex 
amination  of  the  ground  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  Clinton  gave  his  de 
cided  preference  to  the  Louisville  side  of  the  Ohio.  To  this  decision  all 
parties  assented,  and  on  that  side,  since  then,  a  canal  has  been  made.  At 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  421 

Pittsburg  a  large  and  beautiful  steamer  was  launched  in  his  presence 
named  DE  WITT  CLINTON.  He  then  passed  through  Pennsylvania  and 
New  Jersey  to  New  York  city.  Throughout  the  entire  trip  he  and  his 
escort  were  guests  of  the  state." 

Dinner  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  at  Detroit,  MicJiigan. 

Detroit  Herald,  July  19,  1825.  The  arrival  of  General  Solomon  Van 
Rensselaer  in  this  city  [Detroit]  was  an  event  which  could  not  be  suffered 
to  pass  in  silence  by  its  patriotic  and  enlightened  citizens.  The  tide  of 
time  which  is  rapidly  sweeping  the  busy  actors  in  this  drama  of  life  to 
"that  bourne  from  whence  no^traveller  returns,"  has  left  but  few  of  the  dis 
tinguished  officers,  who,  under  the  command  of  Gen.  Wavne,  contributed 
to  wrest  this  territory  from  the  British  power.  This  event  was  effected 
by  the  victory  of  Miami  of  the  lake,  near  our  own  borders  ;  and  here  was 
the  earliest  theatre  of  Genl.  Van  Rensselaer's  military  fame.  There  are 
among  us,  at  this  day,  many  to  whom  the  chivalrous  daring  of  the  young 
officer  of  cavalry,  and  the  desperate  wounds  he  received  in  a  successful 
charge  upon  the  enemy,  on  the  20th  of  August,  1794,  is  remembered  as 
a  nursery  tale.  This  same  individual,  however,  has  more  recently  been 
presented  to  our  view,  in  the  memorable  and  sanguinary  contest  on  the 
Heights  of  Queenston.  We  could  not  fail  to  recognize  the  identity  of 
character,  which  has  marked  his  life,  and  the  same  chivalrous  contempt  of 
danger,  the  same  indifference  to  the  reward  which  usually  follows  success 
ful  valor.  Hence  the  citizens  of  Detroit,  could  not  but  be  delighted  with 
the  opportunity  of  expressing  their  high  regard  for  the  character  of  one, 
whose  life,  may  truly  be  said  to  have  been  "without  fear  and  without  re 
proach." 

Tribute  to  Merit. —  Proceedings  relating  to  a  public  dinner,  given  to 
Gen.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  at  Detroit  on  Tuesday  July  12th. 

Sir.  Monday,  July  11,  1825. 

The  citizens  of  Detroit  desirous  of  offering  a  small  tribute  to  your  patri 
otism  and  gallant  services,  and  as  an  expression  of  the  high  respect  which 
they  entertain  for  your  estimable  character,  solicit  the  favour  of  your  com 
pany  at  a  public  dinner,  at  Woodworth's  Hotel,  tomorrow  at  2  o'clock  P.  M. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be  Sir,  with  great  respect ;  your  obd't  Serv't. 
To  Major  Gen.  Sol.  Van  Reusselaer.  JNO.  R.  WILLIAMS,  Mayor. 

Sir,  Reply'  Detroit  July  11,  1825. 

I  have  just  had  the  honor  of  receiving  your  polite  invitation  to  a  pub 
lic  dinner,  to  be  given  by  the  Citizens  of  Detroit,  to  morrow  at  2  o'clock. 
Under  the  impression  that  I  cannot  better  evince  the  high  sense  which  I 
entertain  cf  this  distinguished,  but  most  unexpected  mark  of  respect  than 
by  its  prompt  and  cheerful  acceptance,  I  cannot  permit  myself  to  decline 
it.  Permit  me  to  express,  through  you,  to  the  worthy  citizens  of 
Detroit  the  deep  obligation  under  which  they  have  thus  laid  me,  and  for 
the  very  flattering  expressions  contained  in  your  note,  I  entreat  you  to 
accept  my  most  cordial  thanks. 

I  have  the  honor  to  be  Sir,  your  obt.  humble  Servant, 

SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Hon.  John  R.  Williams,  Mayor  of  the  City  of  Detroit. 

Col.  John  E.  Wool,  Col.  J.  Snelling,  the  Hon.  A.  Conkling,  and  Capt. 
J.  Sherman  jun.,  were  also  invited  as  guests  to  the  dinner. 


422  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

To  Col.  John  E.  Wool,  Monday  July  11,  1825. 

Sir  —  The  citizens  of  Detroit  having  concluded  to  give  a  public  dinner 
to  Maj.  Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  on  his  first  visit  to  Detroit,  as  a  mark 
of  the  high  respect  entertained  for  his  character,  patriotism  and  public 
services,  considering  Sir,  the  gallant  part  which  you  acted  in  conjunction 
with  him,  in  the  affair  of  Queenston  Heights,  one  of  the  scenes  of  his  military 
career,  the  favor  of  your  company  is  solicited  at  a  public  dinner,  at  Wood- 
worth's  Hotel  at  2  p.  M.  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  with  great  respect  Sir, 
your  obt  Servt.  J.  R.  WILLIAMS,  Mayor. 


My^Dear  Sir,  '  Detroit,  July  12,  1825. 

irour  favor  of  yesterday  was  received  last  evening.  Under  any  circum 
stances  it  would  afford  me  peculiar  pleasure  to  dine  with  the  Citizens  of 
Detroit,  but  on  the  present  occasion,  an  additional  inducement  is  offered 
to  accept  of  the  proffered  honor;  in  the  circumstance  that  a  distinguished 
mark  of  respect,  is  intended  for  one,  who  was  once  a  companion  in  arms, 
when  his  civil  and  military  command  was  as  conspicuous  as  his  blood 
flowed  copiously  in  the  cause  of  his  country.  With  the  most  respectful 
consideration  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  Sir,  your  obt.  servant. 

To  Col.  J.  R.  Williams,  Major.  JOHN  E.  WOOL. 

Hon.  Alfred  Conkling's  Reply. 
Sir,  Monday,  July  11,  1825. 

I  have  the  honor  to  acknowledge  the  receipt  of  invitation  of  the  citizens 
of  Detroit,  to  a  public  dinner  to  be  given  to-morrow  to  Gen.  S.  Van 
Rensselaer.  As  a  citizen  of  the  State  of  New  York,  I  cannot  but  feel 
flattered  by  this  distinguished  tribute  of  respect,  to  one  of  her  most  gallant 
and  favorite  sons,  with  great  pleasure  accept  the  invitation.  With  the 
highest  respect,  T  have  the  honor  to  be  Sir,  yr.  obt.  humble  servant. 

A.  CONKLING. 

Hon.  John  R.  Williams,  Mayor  of  the  City  of  Detroit. 

Tuesday  July  12.  At  two  o'clock,  agreeably  to  arrangements  made  with 
Capt.  Woodworth,  the  worthy  proprietor  of  the  Steam  Boat  Hotel,  a  large 
number  of  the  respectable  citizens  of  Detroit,  after  having  been  introduced 
by  the  mayor  to  General  Van  Rensselaer  and  to  the  Hon.  A.  Conkling, 
sat  down  to  an  elegant  and  plentiful  dinner.  J.  R.  Williams,  mayor  of 
the  city,  presided,  and  the  Hon.  Solomon  Sibley,  one  of  the  judges  of  the 
supreme  court,  assisted  as  vice  president.  After  the  cloth  had  been  re 
moved,  the  mayor  rose  and  after  soliciting  the  attention  of  the  company, 
delivered  the  following  address  :  Major  General  Solomon  Van  Rensse 
laer,  sir,  connected  as  your  military  career  is  with  the  introduction  of  lib 
erty  to  this  land,  we  hail  your  first  visit  with  sentiments  of  heartfelt 
pleasure.  In  the  darkest  period  of  the  western  settlements  of  the  Union, 
after  the  defeat  of  Harmar  and  St.  Clair  in  their  attempt  to  give  protec 
tion  and  security  to  those  frontiers;  when  the  ruthless  and  merciless  savage 
with  the  tomahawk  and  scalping  knife  reeking  with  the  blood  of  thousands 
of  defenceless  victims,  then  it  was  that  the  discriminating  judgment  of 
the  illustrious  Washington  selected  the  gallant  General  Wayne,  the  com 
panion  of  his  toils  in  the  great  struggle  for  independence,  to  the  command 
of  an  army,  destined  in  its  victorious  career  to  achieve  to  the  western 
states  peace  and  permanent  security,  and  to  the  brave  and  heroic  officers 
and  soldiers  who  composed  it,  unfading  laurels  —  and  trophies  still  more 
lasting,  perpetuated  in  the  national  glory  and  gratitude. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  423 

The  signal  victory  gained  by  the  American  arms,  over  the  combined 
Indian  nations,  and  their  British  Canadian  auxiliaries  on  the  20th  August, 
1794,  at  the  Miami  rapids,  opens  to  our  view  one  of  the  scenes  of  your 
gallant  deeds.  Impelled  by  the  force  of  that  patriotic  fire,  which  you 
justly  inherited  from  your  gallant  and  revolutionary  sire,  you  was  a  soldier 
before  you  became  a  man.  The  nineteenth  year  of  your  life  exhibited 
your  brave  conduct  at  the  head  of  a  company  of  legionary  calvary,  which 
signalized  itself  by  one  of  the  most  brilliant  and  effectual  charges  ever 
made  against  the  savage  nations  of  this  hemisphere.  Here  your  first 
blood  was  shed  for  your  country,  and  although  your  wounds  were  believed 
to  he  mortal,  you  tenaciously  refused  to  be  dismounted  from  your  charger, 
grasping  still  tighter  the  steel  that  had  been  so  gloriously  and  successfully 
wielded  against  the  enemies  of  your  country.  From  the  victorious  cam 
paign,  we  now  follow  you  to  tbe  walks  of  private  life,  everywhere  and 
uniformly  meriting  by  your  virtues,  your  generous  hospitality,  and  your  gen 
tlemanly  and  unassuming  deportment,  the  love  and  admiration  of  all  who 
have  come  within  the  range  of  your  acquaintance.  Yet,  notwithstanding 
these  amiable  qualities,  and  your  just  claims  on  the  affections  of  your 
fellow  citizens,  there  was  a  time  when  t.he  system  of  proscription,  which 
unhappily  reigned  in  your  native  state,  marked  you,  among  other  distin 
guished  men,  as  one  of  its  victims.  But  the  truly  sovereign  people,  in  the 
majesty  of  their  might,  have  prostrated  in  the  dust,  and  blotted  out  from 
political  sway,  those  men  and  those  principles,  which,  while  they  prevailed, 
could  only  be  viewed  as  monuments  of  discredit  and  disgrace  to  the  first 
state  of  the  Union. 

Ever  ready  at  your  country's  call,  we  see  you  next  on  the  great  monu 
mental  Niagara.  The  stain  which  our  national  glory  sustained  by  the 
disgraceful  surrender  of  Gen.  Hull  and  the  army  under  his  command,  to 
the  inferior  forces  under  Gen.  Brock,  had  its  effect  upon  the  moral  and 
physical  energies  of  the  nation.  8ome  act  of  noble  daring  was  requisite 
to  raise  the  drooping  spirits  of  the  nation,  and  to  wipe  away  the  foul  blot 
which  had  been  cast  upon  our  land  forces.  The  battle  of  Queenston 
Heights  may  be  considered  as  a  lesson  to  an  exulting  foe  :  the  daring  of 
the  enterprize  —  the  boldness  in  which  it  was  planned  —  the  undaunted 
gallantry  displayed  in  the  attack,  the  majestic  scenery  which  enveloped 
the  noble  warriors,  when  performing  their  various  parts,  will  ever 
remain  as  one  of  the  imperishable  monuments  of  our  national  glory. 
Here  again,  Sir,  we  behold  you,  leading  your  younger  and  less  experienced 
companions  in  arms  on  to  glory,  to  death  or  to  victory  —  until  you  fall 
covered  with  honorable  wounds.  For  such  services  your  country  owes  to 
you  honor  and  admiration ;  and  for  the  blood  which  you  have  thus  gene 
rously  shed,  there  is  due  to  you  the  lasting  gratitude  of  a  nation.  With 
our  best  wishes  for  the  preservation  of  a  life  rendered  thus  dear  to  your 
country,  we  sincerely  hope  that  the  evening  of  your  days  be  attended 
with  health  and  happiness."  Then  the  following  sentiment  was  offered  by 
the  president  of  the  table  and  drank  —  "the  brave  and  gallant  officers 
and  soldiers  of  our  country.  May  the  national  gratitude  towards  them, 
be  coeval  with  the  glory  and  splendor  of  their  actions." 

Gen,  Van  Renssdaer's  lleply. 

"Sir  —  I  should  do  violence  to  my  feelings,  were  I  to  refrain  from 
giving  utterance  to  the  deep  emotions  of  gratitude  which  it  is  impossible 
that  I  should  not  most  sensibly  feel  upon  this  occasion.  If  in  an  honest 


424  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

endeavor  to  discharge  the  duty  of  a  citizen  to  his  country,  it  has  been  my 
good  fortune  to  render  some  service  to  the  republic,  the  approbation  of 
my  fellow  citizens,  of  which  I  am  this  day  receiving  so  signal  and  so  flat 
tering  a  proof,  is  an  ample  reward  for  any  sufferings  which  I  may  have 
endured  in  the  service  of  my  country.  Be  assured  that  I  shall  retain,  as 
long  as  I  live,  a  grateful  and  lively  recollection  of  this  distinguished  and 
unexpected  honor,  and  shall  never  cease  to  regard  this,  as  one  of  the 
happiest  and  proudest  days  of  my  life." 

Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  then  gave  the  following  highly  complimentary 
toast :  "  The  City  of  Detroit  —  the  headquarters  of  hospitality  and  patriot 
ism."  By  Judge  Sibley  the  vice  president  at  the  table  —  "The  President 
of  the  United  States."  By  Col.  John  E.  Wool  —  "The  People  and  the 
Army  of  the  United  States,  united  in  the  support  of  principles  which 
saved  America  and  will  save  the  world."  The  following  are  a  few  among 
the  many  toasts: — By  Maj.  D.  Baker,  Com't  of  the  United  States  forces 
at  Detroit  —  "  The  Heroes  of  '94,  who  first  taught  the  savages  the  immuta 
bility  of  American  valor."  By  Alderman  T.  Rowland  —  "  Gen.  Van  Rens 
selaer  our  esteemed  guest :  On  the  banks  of  the  Miami  and  the  Heights 
of  Queeuston,  his  blood  flowed  with  no  stinted  ^tide,  may  the  gratitude  of 
his  country  flow  as  freely."  By  Major  Biddle  —  "  The  13th  Oct.  1812  ;  its 
events  conferred  honor  upon  more  than  one  of  our  guests."  After  Col. 
Wool  had  retired. 

By  Lieut.  J.  W.  Webb  — "Col.  John  E.  Wool,  while  the  events  of 
Queenston  Heights  have  a  place  upon  the  page  of  history  his  gallantry 
will  be  remembered."  By  Judge  Sibley  —  "The  Governor  of  the  State  of 
New  York,  the  patriot  and  the  statesman,  may  his  country  duly  appreciate 
his  worth."  After  the  dinner  was  over,  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer,  Col.  Wool, 
and  the  Hon.  A.  Conkling  took  an  affectionate  leave  of  the  company,  who 
accompanied  them  on  board  the  steam  brig  Superior  with  emotions  which 
may  be  better  conceived  than  expressed. 


CHAPTER  XX. 
ERIE  CANAL  CELEBRATION. 

The  completion  of  the  Erie  canal  and  the  celebration  of  the  joyful 
event  in  New  York  city  was  a  splendid  exhibition  in  honor  of  the  entire- 
ness,  the  perfect  state  of  the  longest  canal  in  the  world.  The  Erie  canal, 
commenced  July  4,  1817,  was  finished  on  October  26,  1825.  It  connects 
the  great  lakes  of  North  America  with  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  passing  through 
the  state  of  New  York,  a  state  which  seventy  years  before  was  a  wilder 
ness,  thinly  peopled  by  a  little  more  than  100,000  souls.  The  work  has 
been  completed  in  the  short  space  of  eight  years,  by  this  single  state,  and 
now  as  a  sequence  :  The  CANAL  CELEBRATION  took  place  on  Friday  No 
vember  4,  1825.  For  several  days  previous,  strangers  from  every  part  of 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  425 

the  surrounding  country  had  been  crowding  into  the  city  to  witness  the 
interesting  event  and  join  in  the  anticipated  festival. 

On  Wednesday  (October  26),  at  ten  o'clock,  A.M.,  the  waters  of  Lake 
Erie  were  admitted  at  Buffalo,  and  the  first  boat  (Seneca  Chief)  from  the 
lake  commenced  its  voyage  to  New  York,  an  object  of  very  great  interest. 

This  joyful  event  was  announced  to  the  citizens  of  the  state  by  the 
roar  of  cannon  planted  in  a  continued  line  along  the  banks  of  the  canal 
and  of  the  Hudson,  at  intervals  of  about  eight  miles,  and  extending  from 
Buffalo  to  Sandy  Hook,  a  distance  of  about  544  miles.  The  cannon  were 
fired  in  succession,  commencing  at  Buffalo  at  the  moment  of  the  entrance 
of  the  boat  into  the  canal,  and  the  intelligence  thus  communicated,  reached 
this  city  (New  York)  precisely  at  twenty  minutes  past  eleven  o'clock,  at 
which  time  a  national  salute  was  fired  from  the  battery,  and  this  acknow 
ledgment  that  we  had  received  the  intelligence  was  then  immediately  re 
turned  by  the  same  line  of  cannon  to  Buffalo  as  telegraphic  movements. 
A  sub-committee  had  been  appointed,  who  had  proceeded  to  Buffalo  for 
the  purpose  of  tendering  and  receiving  congratulations  in  behalf  of  the 
common  council  of  the  city  of  New  York  on  the  completion  of  the'  grand 
Erie  canal  j  and  to  invite  a  committee  from  each  of  the  towns  and  villages 
on  the  route  to  unite  with  the  citizens  of  New  York  in  celebrating  that 
happy  event. 

On  Thursday,  November  3d,  at  Albany,  six  steamboats  dressed  with 
the  flags  of  different  nations  were  put  under  the  direction  of  a  committee, 
at  whose  invitation  the  numerous  guests  of  the  corporation  repaired  on 
board,  at  about  ten  o'clock  ;  among  whom  were,  besides  the  committee  of 
the  west  j  the  governor  [De  Witt  Clinton]  and  lieutenant  governor  [James 
Tallrnadge]  of  the  state. 

Generals  Stephen,  Solomon,  and  Jacob  B.  Van  Bensselaer — Simeon 
De  Witt,  surveyor  general ;  Colonel  Schuyler ;  Judge  Spencer,  Judges 
Geddes  and  Conklin,  together  with  a  most  respectable  delegation  from 
Albany,  were  among  the  invited  guests.  When  the  guests  reached  a 
point  between  Weehawkeu  and  state  prison,  the  committee  from  New 
York  met —  hailed  the  leading  boat  of  the  flotilla,  and  inquired  the  place 
from  where  she  was  and  her  destination,  to  which  the  cheering  an 
swer  was  returned  by  the  acting  admiral  she  was  "  from  Lake  Erie  and 
bound  for  Sandy  Hook."  The  newly  arrived  friends  were  greeted  at  New 
York  with  the  peal  of  bells,  martial  music  and  the  roar  of  cannon.  At  nine 
o'clock  A.  M.,  Friday,  November  4,  1825,  all  arrangements  being  com 
pleted,  the  grand  aquatic  procession  commenced  and  proceeded  down  the 
bay.  The  fleet  consisted  of  thirty-seven  boats.  The  safety  barges,  Lady 
Clinton  and  Lady  Van  llensselaer,  attached  to  the  steamboat  Commerce,  were 
superbly  decorated  and  most  tastefully  festooned  with  evergreens  and 
flowers,  and  were  exclusively  appropriated  to  and  crowded  with  ladies 
elegantly  attired,  presented  a  most  beautiful  spectacle. 

The  barge  with  the  ladies,  among  whom  was  Mrs.  De  Witt  Clinton, 
proceeded  to  the  ocean  in  the  line  of  the  fleet  and  returned  in  its  order. 
The  aquatic  display  transcended  all  anticipations,  such  a  sight  was  never 
before  beheld. 

Twenty-nine  steamboats  so  gorgeously  dressed,  with  barges,  ships,  pilot 
boats,  canal  boats,  conveying  thousands  of  ladies  and  gentlemen,  presented  a 
scene  which  cannot  be  described,  the  movement  of  the  whole  flotilla  ap 
peared  to  move  as  by  magic. 

54 


426  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

The  steamboat  Washington  took  the  lead,  on  board  of  which  the 
honorable  the  corporation,  with  the  society  of  Cincinnati,  the  reverend  clergy, 
of  all  denominations,  the  army  and  naval  officers,  all  the  consuls  of  foreign 
nations,  the  j  udges  of  all  our  courts,  and  very  many  other  citizens  and 
strangers  were  guests. 

As  the  fleet  passed  the  battery  they  were  saluted  by  the  military,  the 
revenue  cutter,  and  the  castle  on  Governor's  island. 

As  they  proceeded,  they  were  joined  by  the  ship  Hamlet  which 
had  previously  been  dressed  for  the  occasion  with  the  flags  of  all  nations, 
and  on  board  of  which  were  the  marine  and  nautical  societies.  As  the 
fleet  passed  the  narrows,  they  were  saluted  by  Forts  Lafayette  and  Tomp- 
kins.  They  then  proceeded  to  the  United  States  schooner  Dolphin, 
moored  within  Sandy  Hook  at  a  point  in  the  Atlantic  south  of  Long  Is 
land.  Governor  Clinton  now  went  through  the  interesting  ceremony  of 
uniting  the  waters,  by  pouring  that  of  Lake  Erie  into  the  Atlantic.  Two 
barrels  of  Lake  Erie  water  had  been  brought  from  Buffalo  on  the  canal- 
boat  Seneca  Chief,  which  was  towed  down  with  the  fleet.  Dr.  Mitchill 
also  performed  some  ceremonies  and  delivered  an  address.  After  which, 
the  bugle  then  announced  to  the  ladies  that  dinner  was  ready,  and  they 
found  a  sumptuous  repast  was  prepared. 

Two  British  packets,  at  anchor  in  port,  saluted  and  cheered  the  line  of 
steamboats  as  they  passed  for  which  our  band  in  return  played  "God  save 
the  King. " 

The  procession  on  land  was  formed  of  all  the  different  societies,  fire  de 
partments,  hook  and  ladder  companies,  bands  of  musicians  in  dresses  of 
scarlet  and  gold ;  the  elegant  engine  of  the  eagle  fire  company,  was  mount 
ed  on  a  car  carpeted  and  beautifully  decorated  with  festoons,  and  drawn 
by  four  horses  led  by  four  colored  grooms,  dressed  in  Turkish  costume  ;  on 
the  top  of  the  engine  was  the  American  flag  upon  the  engine-pipe  as  a  flag 
staff.  Standing  upon  the  car  was  a  fireman  flanked  on  either  side  by  a 
link  boy.  This  was  only  one  of  an  innumerable  specimen  of  cars  all  hand 
somely  decorated.  There  were  also  a  great  number  of  military  officers, 
soldiers  and  Free  Masons. 

The  festivities  of  the  great  day  of  consummation,  of  the  connecting  link 
between  the  Atlantic  ocean  and  Lake  Erie,  were  very  appropriately  closed 
by  a  most  brilliant  pyrotechnic  display  exhibited  upon  the  roof  of  the 
City  Hall,  which  building  was  illuminated  with  wax  candles  and  lamps 
total  2,  306. 

On  Monday,  November  seventh,  the  festivities  of  New  York  were  appro 
priately  concluded  by  a  Canal  Celebration  Ball,  which  was  a  very  splendid 
affair,  it  was  given  in  the  Lafayette  amphitheatre  by  the  militia  officers 
and  citizens  of  New  York. 

Medals  of  very  beautiful  design  and  workmanship  were  given  to  all  the 
invited  guests  of  the  corporation,  both  ladies  and  gentlemen.  On  one 
side  is  Pan  and  Neptune  in  loving  embrace  with  the  cornucopia,  showing 
fruits  of  the  land,  the  sea,  and  shore  with  light-house,  etc.,  and  the  inscrip 
tion  "Union  of  Erie  with  the  Atlantic." 

The  reverse  showed  the  coat  of  arms  of  the  state,  with  a  section  of  the 
canal,  with  its  locks  and  tunnel,  the  bay  of  New  York,  ship  in  full  sail, 
and  the  city,  with  an  inscription,  "Erie  canal  commenced 4th  July,  1817. 
Completed  26th  October,  1825.  Presented  by  the  city  of  New  York." 
There  were  fifty-one  gold  medals  struck  and  sent  to  the  different  crowned 
heads  of  the  world  and  eminent  men ;  one  was  sent  to  Gen.  LaFayette. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  427 

There  were  also  several  hundreds  of  silver,  but  the  largest  number  were 
of  block  tin  or  white  metal.  The  boxes  containing  the  silver  medals  were 
made  from  logs  of  cedar  brought  from  an  island  of  Lake  Erie,  in  the  vicin 
ity  of  Buffalo.  The  gold  medals  were  inclosed  in  elegant  square  red  mo 
rocco  cases.  The  citizens  from  Buffalo  were  furnished  with  a  keg  of  water 
taken  from  the  "  briny  deep"  for  the  purpose  of  being  mingled  with  the 
waters  of  Lake  Erie.  The  keg  was  handsomely  ornamented  with  the  arms 
of  the  city  of  New  York,  over  which  were  the  words  in  letters  of  gold 
"  Neptune's  return  to  Pan"  and  under  the  same,  the  words  '"  New  York 
4th  Nov.,  1825."  Upon  the  other  side  of  the  keg  were  the  words  "  Water 
of  the  Atlantic."  The  manner  in  which  the  Seneca  Chief  was  fitted 
up  by  the  committee  does  them  great  credit;  nor  can  we  omit  a  more  par 
ticular  mention  of  two  paintings  which  were  executed  in  Buffalo  and  sent 
down  on  board.  One  was  a  view  of  Buffalo  harbor,  a  section  of  Lake  Erie, 
Buffalo  creek  and  its  junction  with  the  canal,  &c.,  the  whole  representing 
the  scene  exhibited  at  the  moment  of  starting  the  Seneca  Chief.  The 
other  is  purely  a  classic  emblematical  production  of  the  pencil  and  is  an 
excellent  design  for  such  an  occasion.  The  piece  on  the  extreme  left  ex 
hibits  a  frame  of  Hercules  in  a  sitting  posture  leaning  upon  his  favorite 
club,  and  resting  from  the  severe  labor  just  completed.  The  centre  shows 
a  section  of  the  canal,  with  a  lock,  and  in  the  foreground  is  a  full  length 
figure  of  Gov.  DfiWiTT  CLINTON  clad,  like  a  Roman,  in  the  toga  and  san 
dals,  with  head  uncovered  and  hair  cut  short.  He  is  supposed  to  have 
just  flung  open  the  lock-gate,  and  with  the  right  hand  extended  (the  arm 
being  bare)  seems  in  the  act  of  inviting  Neptune,  who  appears  upon  the 
water,  to  pass  through  the  lock  and  take  possession  of  the  watery  regions 
which  the  canal  has  attached  to  his  dominions.  The  God  of  the  sea  is 
upon  the  right  of  the  piece,  and  stands  erect  in  his  chariot  of  shell,  which 
is  drawn  by  sea-horses,  holding  his  trident,  and  is  in  the  act  of  recoiling 
with  his  body  as  if  confounded  by  the  fact  disclosed  at  the  opening  of  the 
lock.  Naiades  are  sporting  around  the  sea  horses,  in  the  water,  who,  as 
well  as  the  horses  themselves,  seem  hesitating  as  if  half  afraid  they  were 
about  to  invade  forbidden  regions  not  their  own. 

Besides  the  paintings,  the  boat  carried  two  elegant  kegs,  each  with  an 
eagle  upon  it;  above  and  below  which,  were  the  words,  '  Water  of  Lake 
Erie/  These  were  filled  from  the  lake  and  on  the  arrival  at  Sandy  Hook 
were  emptied  into  the  ocean.  The  cedar  logs  used  for  the  medal  boxes 
were  brought  on  this  boat.  But  there  was  another  and  perhaps  the  most 
novel  of  all  the  boats,  which  started  about  two  hours  later,  and  overtook 
the  party  at  Lockport.  This  was  "  Noah's  ark"  literally  stored  with  creep 
ing  things ;  she  had  on  board  a  bear,  two  eagles,  two  fawns  with  a  great 
variety  of  other  animals  and  birds,  together  with  several  fish,  not  forgetting 
two  Indian  boys,  in  the  dress  of  their  nation,  all  being  products  of  the  great 
West. 

Mrs.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Tier  Daughters. 
My  Dear  Girls,  New  York  Monday  Eve,  Nov.  7,  1825. 

Your  dear  Father  and  Sisters  with  the  Doctor  and  his  Wife  [Dr.  Jere 
miah  V.  R.]  together  with  Case  [Cornelieus  G.  V.  R.]  have  gone  to  the 
Canal  Celebration  Ball,  given  by  the  Officers  and  Citizens.  Mary  Bay, 
too  was  one  of  the  party.  I  was  proof  against  all  persuasion  or  would 
not  be  so*  well  employed  as  I  am  now,  and  surely  not  less  gratified.  If 
descriptive  powers  were  mine,  I  should  soon  fill  my  paper  with  incidents 
of  the  Grand  Canal  Ccle-bratien ;  but  it  would  be  a  hopeless  task,  so  I  refer 


428  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

you  to  the  news-papers  —  will  only  say,  I  think  it  almost  impossible  to  convey 
an  idea  of  such  an  impressive  splendid  scene.  The  representations  are  all 
very  tame  when  recalling  the  actual  existence  of  the  complete  view.  I 
was  present  at  the  impressive  ceremony  of  uniting  the  fresh  water  of  Lake 
Erie  with  the  briny,  blue  Atlantic  Ocean  ;  it  was  effected  by  the  Governor 
who  made  a  short  address.  Dr.  Mitchill  emptied  small  bottles  filled  with 
water  from  some  rivers  in  Europe.  Mr.  Golden  too,  gave  to  the  Mayor  a 
written  document,  the  history  of  the  canal  from  its  commencement.  But 
like  the  Cat  that  went  to  Holland,  I  saw  so  much,  can  say  no  more.  We 
dined  on  board  —  it  was  a  sumptuous  entertainment,  here  we  were  met  and 
welcomed  by  Dr.  Jeremiah  V.  R.  and  on  our  return  to  the  city  accompanied 
him  to  his  house,  receiving  a  very  kind  reception  from  Charlotte.  The 
brilliant  fireworks  in  the  evening  at  Vauxhall  Garden  and  City  Hall  were 
greatly  enjoyed.  Last  Saturday  morning,  your  Papa,  Elizabeth  and  Mar- 
garetta  called  at  Mr.  Jerard  Beekmans  and  promised  to  make  their  house 
our  temporary  home  after  the  return  from  Belville.  At  3  oclock  the  same 
day  we  started  from  the  Dr's,  arriving  at  Belville  just  at  candle-light  and 
were  most  cordially  received  by  every  inmate  of  the  family.  Mr.  John 
Van  Rensselaer  had  been  on  the  lookout  for  us  the  day  before  in  New 
York,  but  in  that  multitudinous  sea,  it  was  a  vain  search.  Angelica, 
Henrietta  and  our  girls  were  in  high  glee,  and  General  Van  Cortland  the 
Beau  among  all  others.  Sunday  our  party  attended  church. 

The  neighbors  joined  our  friends  and  kindly  urged  us  to  prolong  our 
stay,  which  we  would  gladly  have  done,  to  enjoy  the  amenities  of  their 
cheerful  home,  but  for  the  attractions  of  the  Canal  Ball.  Tomorrow  we 
spend  here  at  Dr.  V.  Rs ;  the  day  after  are  engaged  at  Cousin  Caty  Beek 
mans,  and  how  long,  or  shortly,  you  may  expect  our  return,  the  one  who 
writes  next  will  tell.  Your  Aunt  Maria  promised  if  my  dear  old  mother 
continued  well  to  spend  much  of  her  time  with  you ;  it  is  a  great  comfort 
to  know  it  can  be  so.  Tell  your  Grandmama  that  the  thirty-one  years, 
since  I  was  here,  has  made  great  and  sad  havoc  among  my  acquaintances, 
and  as  her  old  friends  are  mine,  I  am  anxious  she  should  particularize, 
that  I  do  not  neglect  them  —  ascertain  their  names.  Take  good  care  of  my 
little  ones,  be  particularly  careful  of  them,  and  of  every  thing  in  case  of 
another  illumination.  I  will  leave  this  open  for  them  to  add  a  line  on 
their  return.  May  God  bless  and  preserve  you  all  my  dear  children  is 
the  fervent  prayer  of  your  affectionate  Mother,  A.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

After  Hidniyht.  We  are  all  home  from  the  Ball  except  Cornelieus , 
and  no  accident  of  consequence,  though  Charlotte  says  she  has  sorne*ribs 
cracked  in  the  press.  We  met  the  world  and  his  wife  :  military  heroes, 
noble  statesmen,  artificial  and  natural  characters,  the  audacious,  the  clown 
ish  or  vulgarized,  the  polished  and  refined,  Mantua-makers,  Milliners, 
Tailors  and  Tailoress's,  stylish  ladies  and  courtly  gentlemen  and  a  few 
seemed  my  ideal  of  perfection.  But  we  were  squeezed  to  death,  are  sleepy 
and  heartily  tired.  The  Dr.  says  "  Uncle  Solomon  has  had  a  good  Supper 
and  I  have  had  none."  We  enjoy  ourselves  much  in  this  great  and  splen 
did  City.  Good  Night,  ELIZABETH  V.  R. 

Miss  Adeline  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany,  N.  Y. 

Grand  Canal  Sail. 

"  The  celebration  of  the  completion  of  the  great  western  cafhal  was 
closed  on  Monday  evening,  November  7th  —  by  a  fete,  equalled  only  in 
magnificence  by  that  given  in  honor  of  La  Fayette.  The  ceiling  of  the 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  429 

spacious  amphitheatre  was  elegantly  decorated  with  festoons  of  evergreens, 
flags  and  buntings,  while  the  sides  were  hung  with  the  silk  banners  and 
emblematical  paintings  exhibited  in  the  procession  on  Friday  last.  An 
immense  mirror,  consisting  of  thirty  pier  glasses  without  frames  and 
accurately  fitted  together,  was  elevated  on  the  wall  at  the  west  end,  while 
the  farther  end  was  occupied  by  boxes  filled  with  ladies.  Notwithstand 
ing  the  immense  size  of  the  room,  the  largest  in  the  United  States,  it  was 
filled  to  excess,  there  being,  as  is  supposed  not  less  than  three  thousand 
persons  present,  including  one  hundred  and  fifty  guests,  among  whom 
were  Governor  Clinton  and  lady.  At  twelve  o'clock,  a  large  curtain 
which  was  suspended  between  the  rooms  was  withdrawn  and  disclosed 
an  elegantly  decorated  supper  table,  fully  covered  with  the  greatest  variety 
of  delicacies,  as  well  as  more  substantial  fare.  In  the  middle  of  the  table 
fancifully  floated  in  a  large  vase,  a  canal  boat  most  beautifully  ornamented. 
In  one  of  the  rooms  a  collation  was  spread  for  the  invited  guests.  Every 
thing  was  conducted  with  the  greatest  regularity  and  attention ;  the 
ladies  were  dressed  with  great  splendor ;  the  music  was  excellent  and 
plenty  of  it ;  and  every  one  seemed  to  participate  in  the  joy  of  the  occa 
sion,  where  beauty  vieing  conspicuously  with  elegance  and  wit,  contributed 
to  the  enlivening  and  genial  enjoyment  of  the  scene.  As  a  gratified 
participator  in  this  festal  scene  was  DeWitt  Clinton,  the  principal  sup 
porter  of  internal  improvements.  He,  the  earliest  advocate,  whose  suc 
cessful  career  drew  all  eyes  towards  him,  was  spared  to  see  the  completion 
of  his  cherished  scheme." 

Mrs.  Van  Eensselaer  to  Tier  Children. 

My  dear  Children,  Buffalo,  June  26,  1826. 

*  *  *  We  spent  a  pleasant  day  at  General  Wadsworth's  charming  home 
in  Geneso,  our  reception  was  truly  cordial  and  the  two  old  heroes  lived 
over  by  gone  days.  My  whole  trip  so  full  of  incidents  has  kept  me  in  a 
whirl  of  tumult.  I  have  gone  over  many  noted  places,  and  seen  many 
persons  both  at,  and  since  leaving  the  Falls,  adapted  to  excite  thrilling 
emotion  in  my  heart. 

I  was  in  the  house  of  one  of  the  boatmen  who  rowed  your  Father  across 
the  Niagara,  the  morning  of  the  notable  battle ;  it  was  an  interesting 
meeting  for  both  parties.  We  rode  over  the  ground  where  he  was  en- 
canipt  in  1812  and  halted  at  the  very  spot,  on  the  ridge  road,  to  which  he 
was  taken  after  he  was  wounded.  I  was  much  agitated  but  he  was  per 
fectly  calm  then  ;  but/  once  as  we  lingered  on  the  battle  ground,  the  sudden 
outbreak  of,  "  Oh  if  I  only  had  not  been  wounded,  the  victory  gained 
would  have  been  triumphant"  —  showed  the  deep  workings  of  the  soldier's 
heart,  as  he  turned  awcfy  with  a  groan  and  his  hand  pressed  on  his^brehead. 
We  remained  all  night  at  Levriston,  visited  the  old  Fort  at  the  mouth  of 
the  river  ;  then  crossed  the  Niagara  and  went  to  the  British  Fort  George. 
I  could  almost  see  that  body  of  Indians  sally  forth  to  join  in  the  battle. 
After  dining  at  Queenstown,  we  went  to  the  memorable  "  landing  place," 
a.nd  stood  in  deep  thought  on  the  very  stone,  at  the  foot  of  the  rapids,  on 
which  he  jumped  from  the  boat  to  ascend  those  almost  perpendicular 
rocks  to  the  Heights.  The  evening  before,  I  had  walked  in  company  with 
your  Father  to  the  spot  where  he  embarked  from  the  American  side.  We 
strolled  along  leisurely  and  your  Father  staid  sufficiently  long  at  all  these 
celebrated  places  to  refresh  his  memory  with  every  circumstance  that  had 
occurred  on  that  memorable  day  ;  and  as  we  retraced  our  steps,  you  can 


430  LEGACY  OP  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

imagine  how  my  feelings  were  moved  with  pleasurable  excitement,  and 
how  well  satisfied  I  was  with  the  hours  spent  at  these  wonderful  sites. 
We  made  a  solemn  halt  for  sometime  at  Brock's  Monument  which  is  still 
unfinished  ;  every  thing  was  so  forcibly  suggestive  of  past  stirring  scenes, 
and  I  could  not  help  seeing  how  vividly  all  seemed  to  come  across  the 
noble  man's  remembrance.  The  extensive  view  from  this  summit  is  very 
grand,  having  a  sight  of  country  for  at  least  fifty  miles.  Our  next  turn 
was  about  half  a  mile  west  to  the  battle  ground  at  Lundy's  Lane,  which 
left  us  just  time  enough  to  go  below  the  Falls  on  the  Canada  side.  We 
had  a  good  view  of  the  Horse-shoe  Fall  with  its  mass  of  deep  emerald 
water,  it  was  indeed  magnificent  j  but  the  spray  was  not  so  pleasant  to  us 
or  good  for  our  clothes.  The  following  morning  we  left  to  visit  the  Burn 
ing  Spring  ;  stopped  to  see  the  battle  ground  at  Chippewa  about  two  miles 
from  the  falls.  We  crossed  the  Niagara  river  in  the  same  ferry  boat,  to 
Black  Rock,  with  General  Peter  B.  Porter,  who  was  particularly  civil. 
I  was  very  happy  to  witness  such  a  cordial  meeting  between  the  two 
Generals ;  old  grievances  were  laid  aside,  and  seemed  entirely  forgotten 
by  both;  it  was  the  rare  triumph  of  magnanimous  minds,  which  gave  me 
pleasure.  In  a  day  or  two  we  leave  this  for  Ohio.  I  feel  well  repaid  for 
all  the  fatigue  of  our  journey;  and  we  felt  very  glad  to  meet  and  receive 
much  kindness  from  another  old  friend,  Dr.  Cyrenius  Chapin,  of  this 
pleasant  place.  *  *  *  Good  Night.  Your  affectionate  Mother. 

,».  i        A  iu        XT  IT-     A.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Miss  Adeline  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany,  N.  Y. 

Post  Master  General  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 

Dear  Sir,  Washington,  July  13,  1826. 

In  your  late  tour  you  have  probably  had  a  good  opportunity  to  learn 
something  of  the  public  sentiments  on  various  interesting  topics.  Will 
not  Mr.  Clinton  be  elected  without  much  opposition  ?  If  the  State  should 
refuse  to  do  this,  its  loss  of  character  would  be  greater  than  his.  I  am 
sure  that  the  Bucktails  are  not  hostile  to  him,  at  least  they  like  him  much 
better  than  some  of  the  members  of  the  family  at  Washington.  The  Clay 
bubble  in  New  York,  in  making  a  government  is  not  to  be  feared.  The 
power  only  is  wanting.  How  does  the  administration  stand  in  New  York  ? 
Would  Mr.  Adams  take  the  vote  of  the  State  if  the  election  were  at  hand  ? 
What  is  his  prospect  of  taking  it  when  the  proper  time  shall  arrive  ? 
Will  the  mode  of  your  election  be  changed  to  a  general  ticket  ?  If  no 
change  should  be  made,  will  not  the  vote  be  divided  ?  Who  stands  in 
the  way  of  Mr.  Adams  ?  What  is  the  standing  and  prospects  of  the 
Secretary  of  State  in  New  York  [John  Van  Ness  Yates  Secretary  of 
State].  4^as  ^r-  Calhoun  suffered  much  from  the  'events  of  the  last  ses 
sion  ?  Your  friend, 

Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  P.  M.,  Albany,  N.  Y.       J°IIN  McLEAN- 

"  Our  principles  are  those  of  REPUBLICAN  AMERICANS,  we  love  out 
country,  we  venerate  its  institutions,  and  our  whole  hope  and  wish  and 
thought  of  glory,  is  centered  in  their  success.  In  our  dreams  have  we 
seen  our  NATIONAL  STANDARD,  '  flag  of  the  free-hearts  only  home/  wav 
ing  aloft  in  the  azure  sky,  flaunting  its  stripes  and  its  stars  above  the 
wreathed  clouds  and  floating  proudly  o'er  their  silvery  folds,  the  beacon 
light  to  guide  the  world  to  liberty  and  independence  ?" 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  431 

Post  Master  General  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Pear  Sir,  Washington,  Sept.  14,  1826. 

To  your  private  note  I  should  he  at  a  loss  to  reply,  had  not  a  gentle 
man  told  me  the  other  day,  that  this  same  Caleb  Atwater,  who  is  the  most 
profligate  creature  in  regard  to  truth,  within  my  knowledge,  was  giving 
currency  to  a  report,  which  he  originated,  that  I  was  exerting  myself  in 
behalf  of  Gen.  Jackson  and  was  circulating  the  Telegraph  paper,  to  aid 
his  election,  throughout  the  State  of  Ohio  !  A  more  infamous  falsehood 
was  never  uttered.  To  Atwater  I  have  never  written  one  word  on  this 
subject,  or  to  any  one  else  in  Ohio,  or  out  of  it,  which  I  would  not  be 
willing  to  have  published  to  the  world.  I  have  sent  the  Telegraph  occa 
sionally  to  my  two  brothers  in  Ohio,  one  of  whom  was  on  Adams'  electoral 
ticket,  and  the  other  voted  for  him  in  the  house  of  representatives.  I 
have  sent  this  paper  to  no  other  persons.  No  man  in  Ohio  has  heard  me 
express  a  wish  on  the  presidential  election,  in  favor  of  any  one  candidate. 
In  fact,  I  have  been  specially  guarded  on  this  subject,  knowing  that  Mr. 
Clay  and  some  of  his  friends  are  very  hostile  to  me,  and  would  willingly 
assail  me  with  effect ;  they  denounce  all,  who  do  not  support  the  Secre 
tary  of  State  [Henry  Clay]  for  President  next  term. 

Long  before  the  late  election,  I  broke  off  all  correspondence  with  At 
water,  except  once  or  twice  to  make  a  general  reply  to  several  long  letters 
he  wrote  me.  He  is  a  man,  who  pays  not  the  slightest  regard  to  truth. 
You  may  recollect,  that  a  few  days  before  the  late  election,  he  had  hand 
bills  printed  and  circulated  through  many  parts  of  Ohio,  charging  Mr. 
Adams  with  being  a  gambler,  and  that  he  played  cards  constantly  on  the 
Sabbath,  and  was  addicted  to  many  of  the  most  abominable  vices.  I  think 
his  name  was  signed  to  the  hand  bill.  Where  he  is  known,  nobody 
believes  him.  He  has  no  influence,  and  so  far  as  his  conduct  may  have 
an  effect  on  the  next  election,  it  must  be  unfavorable  to  the  candidate 
whose  election  he  espouses.  I  »have  said  more  about  this  foolish  report 
than  I  intended.  Perhaps,  I  may  be  mistaken,  and  he  has  assailed  me 
as  prostituting  my  office  to  advance  the  election  of  Mr.  Adams.  Here  he 
would  be  equally  at  fault.  I  have  a  higher  object,  than  to  become  the 
tool  of  any  man,  a  sense  of  duty,  I  trust,  will  ever  influence  me. 

Your  friend, 

JOHN  MCLEAN. 

Gen.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Esqr.,  Albany,  New  York. 

P.  Master  General  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Washington,  28  November,  1826. 

I  find  a  letter  writer  in  New  York,  agrees  with  you,  that  Mr.  Adams 
will  take  the  Vote  of  your  State  —  the  letter  is  published  in  the  enclosed 
paper.  Your  friend, 

Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  Esq.,  Albany,  N.  Y.         JOHN  McLEAN. 

Hon.  Caleb  Atwater  was  a  member  of  the  house  of  representatives 
from  Ohio.  He  was  one  of  the  committee  on  schools  and  school  lands. 
In  May,  1822,  he  was  appointed  by  Alden  Trimble,  Esquire,  the  then 
governor  of  Ohio,  one  of  seven  commissioners  in  regard  to  schools,  he 
was  appointed  for  congress  lands.  The  seven  commissioners  accepted  and 
five  of  them  entered  on  their  duties,  and  assembled  at  Columbus,  the  seat 
of  government,  in  June,  1822.  They  organized  their  board,  with  Caleb 
Atwater  as  their  chairman.  The  board  proceeded  in  their  labors,  day 


432  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

after  day ;  their  room  became  the  centre  of  attraction  for  all  the  lovers 
of  learning,  who  visited  the  seat  of  government,  during  that  session  of  the 
state  legislature,  and  a  system  of  education  for  common  schools  was  es 
tablished  for  the  new  state  of  Ohio. 

Horrible  Assassination. 

"  One  of  the  most  horrible  instances  of  deliberate  assassination  that  we 
have  ever  been  called  upon  to  record  was  committed  in  this  vicinity  on 
Monday  evening  May  7th,  1827.  The  particulars  of  this  transaction  are 
as  follows.  Mr.  John  Whipple,  of  this  city,  whilst  writing  at  a  table, 
about  nine  feet  from  the  window,  in  a  back  room  in  the  second  story  of 
the  dwelling  house  on  Cherry  Hill,  a  mile  below  the  city,  between  nine  and 
ten  o'clock  at  night,  was  fired  at  through  the  sash  with  a  pistol.  The  ball 
passed  through  and  shattered  a  pane  of  glass,  entered  the  body  of  Mr. 
Whipple  through  the  blade  bone  of  his  left  shoulder,  cut  one  of  the 
principal  arteries  of  the  heart,  and  lodged  in  the  right  lobe  of  the  lungs ; 
he  barely  exclaimed,  "  My  God  !"  rose  and  walked  a  few  steps  to  the  head 
of  the  stairs,  and  there  fell  and  immediately  expired.  The  murderer  ap 
proached  his  victim  by  clambering  on  the  roof  of  a  back  stoop,  and  firing 
from  it  diagonally  at  the  short  distance.  A  young  gentlemen  —  Mr. 
Abraham  L.  Van  Rensselaer  —  was  sitting  in  the  room  with  the  deceased  ; 
but  in  the  confusion  of  the  moment  no  pursuit  could  be  made,  nor  were 
any  measures  taken  until  information  was  conveyed  to  the  police  of  the 
city.  The  steps  of  the  villain  are  plainly  visible  on  the  roof  of  the  porch, 
as  is  also  the  flash  of  the  powder  on  the  frame  of  the  sash. 

Mr.  Whipple  was  in  the  prime  of  life,  industrious,  enterprising,  and 
fair  in  all  his  transactions.  He  was  respected  as  a  valuable  and  intelligent 
citizen.  He  has  been  cut  off  in  the  midst  of  his  usefulness, .  leaving  a 
bereaved  widow  and  an  interesting  young  son  to  lament  his  untimely  fate. 

Mr.  Whipple  returned  from  New  York  on  Sunday  night,  where  he 
had  completed  an  advantageous  contraction nected  with  the  Hudson  and 
Delaware  canal,  in  the  construction  of  which  he  had  participated  largely  j 
and  was  at  the  moment  of  his  death  arranging  his  papers  for  a  departure 
from  the  city  yesterday  morning  (Tuesday).  He  was  often  from  home 
for  weeks  engaged  in  his  business  transactions.  As  it  may  well  be  con 
ceived  an  affair  so  atrocious  and  so  unusual  amongst  us,  has  excited  great 
feeling  and  indignation. 

A  person  by  the  assumed  name  of  Joseph  Orton,  arrested  on  suspicion 
'of  being  the  murderer  of  Mr.  Whipple,  was  fully  committed  for  trial.  The 
trial  commenced  on  the  26th  of  July  and  concluded  on  the  27th,  when 
the  jury  rendered  a  verdict  of  guilty.  On  the  4th  of  August  he  was 
brought  in  and  sentenced  to  be  hung  on  the  24th  of  the  same  month  be 
tween  the  hours  of  twelve  M.  and  three  p.  M.  Joseph  Ortou  confessed  his 
real  name  of  Strang  to  John  V.  N.  Yates  whom  he  desired  for  his  counsel. 
Mr.  Yates,  however,  declined.  He  then  employed  Mr.  Calvin  Pepper, 
an  eminent  and  able  lawyer,  to  whom  he  made  a  confession,  whom  he  re 
quested  to  go  and  remove  the  rifle,  lest  it  should  be  found.  He  confessed 
to  the  jailer,  Mr.  Becker,  that  he  had  committed  the  murder  and  that 
Mrs.  Whipple  was  the  whole  cause  and  projector  of  it. 

Jesse  Strang,  the  son  of  a  respectable  farmer  of  Westchester  county,  N. 
Y.,  deserted  his  wife  and  two  children  the  latter  end  of  June,  1826,  and 
arrived  at  Albany  under  the  assumed  name  of  Joseph  Orton.  In  the 
latter  part  of  August  he  hired  himself  to  Mr.  Philip  P.  Van  Rensselaer  — 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  433 

whose  family  consisted  of  ten  or  eleven  persons  and  he  resided  at  Cherry 
Hill,  the  house  where  the  murder  was  committed.  In  this  house  boarded 
John  Whipple  and  his  wife.  Sirang  made  a  full  confession  to  the  grand 
jury,  giving  thejiorrid  recital  with  much  minuteness  aacompanied  by  such 
circumstances,  as  left  no  doubt  of  his  guilt.  In  his  disclosures,  Strang 
implicated  his  paramour,  Mrs.  Elsie  D.  Whipple,  and  charged  her  with 
having  instigated  the  murder,  also  as  having  acted  with  him  in  all  its 
stages,  by  furnishing  the  means  of  purchasing  the  rifle,  the  glass  for  trial 
of  the  effect  of  the  ball,  &c.  He  got  on  a  shed  and  saw  the  curtain  had 
been  rolled  up  as  Mrs.  Whipple  had  promised  to  do.  He 'put  the  muzzle 
of  the  rifle  close  to  the  lowest  pane  of  glass  in  the  sash,  took  very  deliberate 
aim  at  the  upper  part  of  Whipple's  left  breast  and  fired.  He  then  jumped 
off  the  shed,  ran  to  where  he  left  his  bundle,  threw  it,  the  gun,  and 
boots  over  the  fence,  went  to  a  ravine  and  hid  the  rifle  in  the  sandy  mud  — 
stamped  it  down  and  covered  it  with  leaves.  After  which,  crossing  the 
fence  he  joined  the  crowd  of  people  on  their  way  to  the  scene  of  murder. 
Strang  went  for  the  coroner,  was  one  of  the  coroner's  jury  and  carried 
down  a  cot  from  the  garret  on  which  he  assisted  to  place  the  corpse.  The 
pane  of  glass  when  broken  by  the  ball  was  a  most  correct  profile  resemblance 
of  himself.  He  was  taken  by  the  police  officers  to  the  ravine,  to  whom 
he  pointed  out  the  spot  where  to  find  his  socks  used  on  the  occasion  and 
the  rifle.  Mrs.  Whipple  l  was  arrested  in  June  and  held  in  custody  in 
the  prison,  having  been  indicted  as  accessory;  but  however  criminal  her 
conduct  may  have  been  in  other  respects,  no  proof  exists  of  any  participa 
tion  on  her  part  in  the  murder  and  she  was  accordingly  acquitted.  Po 
tential  influence  was  exerted  in  behalf  of  the  unhappy  woman  and  she  was 
sent  forth  to  bear  her  life's  burden. 

The  old  double,  spacious  mansion  at  Cherry  Hill,  having  separate  en 
trances,  was  well  calculated  for  two  families  who  could  live  entirely  dis 
tinct  from  each  other.  The  north  half,  at  this  time  was  still  occupied 
by  the  widow  of  the  revolutionary  quarter-master  general,  Philip  Van 
Rensselaer  (deceased  March  9,  1798),  with  her  son  Kilian  and  daughter 
Maria  M.,  subsequently  wife  of  Jacob  S.  Glen.  The  south  half  was  the 
residence  of  another  son  of  the  widow,  Philip  P.  Van  Rensselaer  and 
family.  The  wife  of  the  latter  gentleman  being  an  aunt  of  Mrs.  Whipple. 
Mr.  Van  Rensselaer  had  died  very  suddenly  a  short  time  previous  to  the 
murder  of  Mr.  Whipple.  The  general  opinion  now  was  that,  by  means 
of  arsenic,  he  had  been  deprived  of  life  that  the  way  might  be  clear  for 
other  operations. 

Among  my  "  Scraps  of  Experience  "  is  a  panoramic  view  of  those  har 
rowing  scenes.  I,  a  little  girl  of  not  ten  years,  had  been  staying  for  two 
or  three  days  with  my  grandmother  at  the  north  side  of  Cherry  Hill,  and 
being  rather  homesick,  was  not  a  little  rejoiced  when  one  sunny  morning 
I  saw  my  father,  in  his  gig,  drive  up  to  the  door  with  the  Hon.  Herman 
Knickerbacker  of  Schaghticoke,  seated  by  his  side.  When  their  visit  to 
the  venerable  lady  was  made,  I  begged  to  be  allowed  to  return  with  them, 
but  my  father  rather  put  me  off,  saying  they  were  "  not  immediately  going 
home."  The  kind  reply  of  Prince  Knickerbacker  is  still  affectionately 
remembered.  "Never  mind,  general,  that  is  easily  managed;  let  the 
child  go  with  us,  it  will  do  her  no  harm/'  A  ready  acquiescence  having 

1  In  1829  Mrs.  Whipple  was  married  at  New  Brunswick  to  Mr.  Freeman. 
55 


434  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

been  given,  I  was  soon  prepared,  and  seated  on  the  prince's  knee  we  were 
in  the  little  chaise  wending  our  way  to  the  city,  no  one  happier  than  my 
self.  Soon  to  my  dismay  we  drove  up  to  the  jail  and  alighted.  I  felt  no 
fear  as  we  ascended  the  stairs,  for  clasping  my  father's  protecting  hand,  I 
could  have  gone  to  the  muzzle  of  the  cannon  if  he  was  to"  light  the  fuse  ; 
the  very  novelty  of  my  surroundings  only  caused  a  little  flutter.  At  the 
request  of  the  gentlemen  the  barriers  were  removed ;  the  ponderous  door 
being  unlocked  slowly  moved  back  on  its  hinges,  and  we  were  in  the 
presence  of  the  unhappy  criminal,  Strang,  who  was  chained  to  a  strong 
iron  staple.  There  was  a  momentary  gleam  from  his  defiant  eyes,  and 
then  his  unquiet  gaze  turned  again  to  the  Bible  he  was  reading  when  we 
entered  the  room.  My  heart  thrilled  with  horror  at  the  remembrance  of 
the  atrocious  deed  that  had  placed  him  in  this  grated  cell.  It  was  a  ter 
rible  scene  to  see  the  imprisoned  one  whose  manhood  and  moral  nature 
had  been  so  fearfully  corrupted  and  wrecked;  who  was  stimulated  to  pro 
ceed  in  the  current  of  evil  with  an  irresistible  drift,  by  a  very  fair,  beau 
tiful  but  frail  woman,  till  he  murdered  without  compunction  at  least  one 
human  being  possessing  many  noble  traits,  pouring  out  his  life  blood  to 
satiate  lust.  After  a  time  we  went  to  Mrs.  Whipple  who  had  been  as 
signed  by  the  jailor,  rooms  on  the  same  floor ;  she  occupied  an  apartment 
adjoining  Strang's.  Mrs.  Whipple  was  in  a  recumbent  posture  on  her 
cot ;  dressed  in  an  elaborately  trimmed  white  cambric,  her  soft,  glossy 
hair  of  extraordinary  length  floated  over  her  shoulders.  There  was  some 
thing  indescribably  attractive  in  her  fair  face,  and  indeed  she  looked  lovely, 
and  really  seemed  much  distressed  when  she  recognized  her  visitors.  With 
breathless  stillness  I  took  in  the  whole  scene,  and  forcibly  realized  the 
isolation  and  helplessness  of  one,  who  was  born  a  lady,  but  had  by  frivo- 
lousness  and  vanity  sold  her  birthright.  The  poor  captive  exerted  herself 
to  regain  her  self  command,  and  resolutely  checked  the  hysteric  sobs.  I 
remember  how,  while  struggling  even  to  agony,  she  lifted  her  streaming 
eyes,  and  poured  out  her  heart,  conversing  with  an  enthusiasm  and  per 
sonal  power  that  kindled  pity  and  heartfelt  sympathy  in  the  breasts  of 
the  gentlemen.  "  There  is  nothing  that  touches  feeling  like  feeling  itself," 
and  it  was  honorable  to  humanity  that  her  peril  should  have  stirred  these 
large-hearted  gentlemen  to  vigorous  exertions  to  save  this  woman  from 
the  fearful  jeopardy  that  then  seemed  inevitable. 

The  execution  of  Jesse  Strang,  a  wretched  victim  of  his  own  passions, 
for  the  murder  of  John  Whipple  took  place  August  24,  1827.  A  multi 
tude  of  at  least  thirty  thousand  witnessed  the  execution  ;  the  site  was 
Beaver  Street  hollow,  a  short  distance  south  of  the  Capitol.  The  valley 
where  the  execution  took  place  was  surrounded  by  a  number  of  hills, 
capable  of  affording  to  each  spectator  a  perfect  view  of  the  gallows.  At 
one  o'clock,  precisely,  the  wretched  criminal  was  seen  to  issue  from  the  jail 
escorted  by  the  Albany  Artillery  companies,  and  attended  by  the  sheriff, 
Conrad  Ten  Eyck,  the  jailor,  sheriff's  officers  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Lacey. 
Strang  appeared  .dressed  in  a  long  white  robe,  trimmed  with  black, 
black  gloves  and  shoes,  and  wearing  on  his  head  a  white  cap,  also  trimmed 
with  black;  preceding  him,  in  a  wagon  drawn  by  two  black  horses,  was 
placed  his  coffin,  which  was  enclosed  within  a  pine  box.  He  followed  on 
loot  between  the  clergyman  and  the  sheriff,  with  firm  and  undaunted 
steps ;  and  on  arriving  at  the  gallows,  he  immediately,  unassisted, 
ascended  to  the  platform,  where  Mr.  Lacey  read  to  him  the  church  of 
England's  burial  service,  Strang  joining  him  fervently  in  prayer  for  God's 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  435 

mercy  and  grace.  Strang  made  a  brief  address  to  the  spectators,  express 
ing  his  contrition.  Strang  himself  drew  the  cap  over  his  face.  The 
knot  slipped  to  the  back  of  his  neck,  his  neck  did  not  break,  and  his 
sufferings  were  apparently  long  and  painful.  The  body  was  taken  from 
the  jail  and  put  on  board  the  steamboat  and  conveyed  to  the  residence  of 
his  father  and  family  in  Dutchess  county.  FTis  brothers  and  sisters  waited 
on  him  the  day  before  the  execution  to  bid  him  a  last  and  eternal  farewell. 
The  poor  and  afflicted  father  could  not  bring  himself  to  bear  such  a  mode 
of  separation,  he  left  Albany  three  days  previous.  Strang  left  a  wife  and 
two  children. 

The  trial  of  Jesse  Strang  after  he  was  indicted,  at  a  special  Court  of  Oyer 
and  Terminer,  held  in  the  Capitol,  Circuit  Judge  William  A  Duer,  presid 
ing,  was  a  time  of  intense  excitement.  Many  of  the  surging  multitude 
came  in  the  wantonness  of  mere  curiosity,  to  see  one  whose  career  was 
brought  to  this  untimely  end  by  crimes  that  could  admit  of  no  denial  j 
others  came  to  see  that  neither  force  nor  fraud  should  frustrate  the  supremacy 
of  abiding  law  and  that  one  who  could  not  restrain  his  hands  from  needless 
bloodshed  should  pay  the  penalty.  By  taking  the  life  of  a  human  being 
when  not  required  by  God,  a  man  forfeits  his  own,  and  ought,  in  obedi 
ence  to  the  divine  requirement,  to  be  put  to  death.  "Whoso  sheddeth 
man's  blood,  by  man  shall  his  blood  be  shed/'  This  was  designed  to  be 
another  safeguard  of  human  life.  Meanwhile  there  were  others  present 
whose  hearth  was  desolate,  whose  hearts  were  crushed  with  anguish  be 
neath  this  terrible  ordeal,  they  were  bowed  down  by  sorrow  and  there 
could  be  no  relief.  Yet  in  the  midst  of  all  their  trouble  they  ever  can 
hear  those  gracious  words  "My  grace  is  sufficient  for  thee." 

"  GOVERNOR  DE  WITT  CLINTON  expired  on  the  evening  of  Monday, 
February  11,  1828,  aged  59  years.  He  was  born  in  the  village  of  New 
Windsor,  March  2d,  1769.  His  father,  General  James  Clinton,  was 
a  brave  and  useful  officer  in  the  French  and  Indian  wars,  and  in  the 
revolutionary  struggle.  His  uncle,  George  Clinton,  was  governor  of  New 
York  state  when  De  Witt  commenced  the  study  of  law  with  Samuel 
Jones,  Esq.,  and  was  elevated  to  the  vice-presidency  of  the  United  States. 
In  1198  Be  Witt  Clinton  was  elected  a  member  of  assembly  from  the 
city  of  New  York,  and  in  1800  was  chosen  a  senator  and  then  by  a  joint 
ballot  of  both  branches  of  the  legislature,  he  was  elected  to  a  seat  in  the 
senate  of  the  United  States,  where  he  took  an  active  interest  in  the 
concerns  of  the  country.  Clinton  early  became  a  strong  partisan  in  favor 
of  the  Erie  canal,  and  it  is  owing  to  the  bold  stand  he  took  in  this  great 
enterprise  that  his  popularity  in  a  measure  was  owing.  In  the  summer 
of  1810,  he  went  on  a  tour  with  other  commissioners  for  exploring  the 
route  of  this  work.  This  country  was  then  comparatively  a  wilderness, 
and  there  was  not  a  house  where  the  city  of  Rochester  now  stands.  De 
Witt  Clinton's  person,  in  his  youth  and  early  manhood,  was  remarkable 
for  its  masculine  beauty,  and  as  years  advanced  assumed  a  majestic 
character.  His  stature  was  upwards  of  six  feet,  straight,  large,  robust  and 
finely  proportioned;  taking  him  all  in  all,  he  was  the  best  looking  man, 
that  this  nation  ever  produced.  He  was  devoted  to  literary  and  scientific 
pursuits,  and  was  an  efficient  patron  of  learning.  His  writings  place 
him  high  in  the  ranks  of  science.  He  was  an  eminent  statesman,  an 
elegant  and  profound  scholar,  and  a  practical  citizen.  The  news  of 
Governor  Clinton's  death  caused  great  sorrow  to  his  numerous  friends. 
The  summons  came  without  scarcely  a  moment's  warning,  whilst  he  was 


436  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

sitting  in  his  chair,  in  his  study,  in  the  midst  of  his  family,  conversing 
with  his  sons.  The  first  indication  of  the  approach  of  •  the  attack  being 
the  falling  back  of  his  head  upon  the  chair,  and  life  instantly  left  him  ; 
the  lapse  between  that  moment  and  the  arrival  of  Dr.  Bay  was  not  more 
than  ten  minutes.  Gov.  Clinton's  fame  will  live  after  him.  The  cause 
of  his  sudden  death  was  the  rupture  of  a  blood  vessel  at  the  heart ;  a  pain 
less,  and  speedy  extinction  of  life. 

"  The  funeral  took  place  on  Thursday,  February  14th.  The  day  was 
ushered  in  at  sunrise  by  the  discharge  of  cannon,  which  was  repeated  every 
half  hour  until  sunset.  The  two  houses  of  the  legislature  proceeded  in  a 
body  to  the  mansion  of  the  deceased.  The  hearse  was  covered  by  a  superb 
canopy,  and  drawn  by  four  white  horses,  their  heads  decorated  with  black 
plumes  and  their  harness  trimmed  with  crape.  The  horses  were  led  by 
grooms  properly  habited,  with  white  turbans  on  their  head. 

:t  At  the  vault  military  honors  were  paid  them  in  the  presence  of  an 
immense  multitude  of  spectators.  The  side  walks,  windows  and  roofs 
were  thronged  with  people,  many  of  whom  wore  badges,  of  white  satin 
ribbon,  bearing  a  miniature  likeness  of  Clinton.  Colors  of  vessels  at  the 
wharf  were  displayed  at  half  mast.  A  solemn  knell  which  announced 
the  moving  of  the  procession  fell  with  sorrow  on  many  hearts  ;  the  clergy 
and  physicians  with  scarfs,  the  minute-guns,  masonic  honors,  military,  all 
tended  to  render  the  scene  solemn  and  impressive."  Rev.  Dr.  Ludlow, 
in  the  absence  of  Rev.  Dr.  Chester,  prayed.  The  shock,  when  told  of 
the  death  of  that  noble  man,  and  the  funeral  spectacle  comes  up  forcibly 
to  my  mind;  my  childish  love  for  the. great,  majestically  tall,  handsome 
and  good  governor,  my  father's  true  friend,  was  very  stropg,  for  he  mingled 
playfulness  and  mirth  in  his  familiar  conversation  with  the  little  ones. 
Valuable  mementoes  given  by  Mrs.  Clinton,  after  the  governor's  death, 
are  still  preserved  and  cherished  in  our  family. 

The  charter  for  the  Hudson  and  Mohawk  railroad,  the  first  in  America, 
from  Albany  to  Schenectady  was  passed  by  our  legislature  at  the  session 
of  1826. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

INTERESTING  LETTERS  FROM  SOUTH  AMERICA. 

Gen.  Harrison  to  Gen.  Van  JRensselaer. 

Dear  General,  New  York,  8th  Nov.,  1828. 

I  am  extremely  glad  to  hear  that  you  have  determined  to  commit  your 
Son  to  my  care.  It  will  be  his  own  fault  if  the  trip  does  not  prove  bene*- 
ficial  to  him.  He  will  acquire  an  accurate  knowledge  of  the  French  and 
Spanish  Languages.  See  a  great  deal  of  the  world,  by  the  necessary  inter 
course  with  the  Diplomatic  Agents  with  which  he  will  associate,  become 
intimately  acquainted  with  a  most  interesting  country,  whose  relations 
with  us  are  becoming  more  and  more  important  to  his  country,  and  should 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  437 

he  choose  to  devote  himself  to  that  pursuit,  lay  the  foundation  of  future 
employment  in  the  Diplomacy  of  the  nation.  Indeed  he  will  acquire 
kaowledge  which  will  be  useful  to  him,  in  any  avocation  he  may  after 
wards  engage. in.  A  fine  young  man  of  the  name  of  Bunker,  a  friend  of 
the  Mr.  Henry  Ogden,  whom  I  mentioned  to  you,  will  leave  this  for 
Bogota  in  about  two  months,  he  has  been  there  before,  speaks  the  Spanish 
language  and  is  well  acquainted  with  the  route,  I  would  advise  you  to  send 
your  son  with  him.  By  the  time  they  arrive,  I  shall  have  commenced 
housekeeping,  being  in  the  meantime  (until  my  furniture  arrives)  obliged 
to  live  in  the  house  of  a  gentleman  who  has  invited  me,  for  there  are 
neither  taverns  nor  boarding  houses  in  Bogota.  You  must  fit  him  out, 
and  frank  him  to  me,  after  his  arrival  I  will  pay  all  his  expenses  and 
return  him  to  you.  A  plain  blue  coat  with  the  Diplomatic  button,  which 
can  only  be  got  in  Philadelphia,  is  all  the  uniform  he  will  require.  If 
that  button  cannot  be  got  (it  has  an  Eagle  with  an  olive  branch,  in  one 
talon,  and  a  thunderbolt  in  the  other)  the  button  of  the  marine  corps  will 
answer.  Mrs.  Van  Kensselaer  need  not  fear  the  climate  of  Bogota,  it  is 
as  healthy  there  as  in  New  York.  Nor  can  any  political  commotion  in  the 
country  affect  us.  In  haste.  Your  friend,  W.  II .  HARRISON. 

Geul.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  Post  Master,  Albany,  N.  Y. 

In  1828  General  William  Henry  Harrison,  the  hero  of  Tippecanoe, 
was  appointed  by  President  John  Quincy  Adams  of  Massachusetts  as 
envoy  extraordinary  and  minister  plenipotentiary  to  the  republic  of  Colom 
bia,  comprising  the  vice-royalty  of  new  Grenada  and  the  late  captain  gen 
eralship  of  Venezuela.  He  accepted  this  appointment  and  repaired  without 
delay  to  the  scene  of  his  duties,  where  he  was  received  with  every  demon 
stration  of  respect.  He  found  this  unhappy  country  in  a  deplorable  condi 
tion  ;  the  people  ignorant  of  their  rights,  and  almost  in  a  state  of  anarchy, 
and  General  Simon  Bolivar  apparently  about  to  assume  the  despotic  power 
of  a  military  dictator.  Shocked  at  this  state  of  things,  with  the  frankness 
of  an  old  soldier,  he  wrote  his  celebrated  letter  to  General  Bolivar  after  he 
was  superseded.  To  every  sentiment  traced  in  that  letter  each  republi 
can  heart  could  respond  and  could  not  fail  to  appreciate  the  philanthropic 
motives  of  the  writer  in  its  dictation.  It  is  a  well  known  fact  that  prior  to 
the  late  revolution  in  Colombia,  every  North  American  estimated  Bolivar 
as  a  pure  patriot,  and  all  who  visited  this  country  carried  with  them  a 
strong  predilection  in  his  favor,  but  this  confidence  in  the  republicanism  of 
the  chief  was  not  well  founded.  Gen.  Harrison  observed  for  himself  and 
did  properly  estimate  the  different  tales  he  heard  in  favor  of,  and  to  the 
prejudice  of  Bolivar.  A  soldier  himself,  he  (in  his  own  words),  "could 
possess  no  feelings  but  those  of  the  kindest  characters  towards  one,  who  had 
shed  so  much  lustre  on  the  profession  of  arms"  though  he  regretted  the  ill 
advised  policy  which  led  him  to  aspire  at  a  sceptre.  Before  leaving  America 
Gen.  Harrison  requested  that  the  son  of  his  old  friend  should  join  the 
mission. 

My  brother,  Kensselaer  Van  Kensselaer,  left  Albany  on  November  30, 
1828,  in  the  steam  boat  Constellation,  Capt.  K.  G.  Cruttenden,  and  sailed 
from  New  York  city,  on  December  4th,  in  the  brig  "  Tarnpico,"  Capt. 
Fish,  "under  a  hopeful  flag  and  a  promise  of  a  happy  voyage/7  His  ob 
ject  being  to  join  William  H.  Harrison,  the  United  States  minister  pleni 
potentiary  at  Bogota  the  capital  of  Colombia,  South  America.  The  fol 
lowing  descriptive,  private  letters,  penned  by  the  thoughtful  and  observ- 


438  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

ant  traveler,  for  the  home  circle  of  "loved  ones,"  in  his  own  graphic, 
bold,  off  handed  style,  without  hesitation  as  to  choice  of  words  or  lan 
guage,  were  written  in  that  southern  peninsula  forty-five  years  ago.  They 
will  be  found  interesting  and  instructive  as  making  us  better  acquainted 
with  the  natural  features  of  the  country,  its  productions,  ceremonies,  go 
vernment  and  religion,  as  delineated  in  scenes  and  occurrences  which  fell 
under  his  immediate  observation.  His  connection  with  the  diplomatic 
body,  also,  gave  him  ample  opportunities  to  become  well  informed  regard 
ing  this  country  ruled  by  the  rod  of  Spanish  despotism.  A  region  so 
varied  in  aspect  and  exquisite  in  beauty,  of  which  but  little  was  known  at 
that  early  period,  that  the  human  mind,  even  now,  is  "successively  sur 
prised  with  the  sublime  and  astonishing  works  of  nature  where  rivers  of 
amazing  breadth  flow  through  beautiful  and  widely  extended  plains,  and 
where  lofty  mountains,  whose  summits  are  covered  with  eternal  snow,  inter 
cept  the  course  of  the  clouds  and  hide  their  heads  from  the  view  of  mor 
tals."  Yet  despite  the  conflicts  and  hardships  of  travel,  with  its  perils 
both  in  the  valleys  and  mountains,  beautiful  spectacles  were  seen  on  every 
side,  all  of  which  added  their  quota  to  that  enjoyment  which  his  capacity 
for  description  traced  as  he  observed  Nature  in  all  her  various  garbs."  It 
is  also  a  very  highly  favored  part  of  the  globe,  compared  with  the  other 
great  divisions,  as  it  respects  the  salubrity  of  its  climate,  the  fertility  of 
soil,  and  the  value  of  its  natural  productions. 

"The  surface  is  greatly  diversified.  The  western  part  consists  chiefly  of 
elevated  table  land,  crowned  by  chains  of  majestic  mountains;  it  is  tra 
versed  by  the  Andes,  at  a  distance  varying  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  and 
fifty  miles  from  the  western  coast;  the  most  celebrated  summits  of  which 
are  within  Colombia,  and  they  have  been  seen  at  sea,  at  the  distance  of 
one  hundred  and  eighty  miles  from  the  shore.  A  number  of  these  ele 
vations  are  volcanic,  and  a  great  many  of  them  clothed  with  snow.  They 
abound  in  natural  wonders,  as  stupendous  precipices,  impetuous  torrents, 
picturesque  cataracts ,  and  frightful  chasms.  The  torrents  and  chasms 
are  often  crossed  by  rope  bridges.  The  highest  summits  have  an  aspect 
of  unrivalled  sublimity,  their  elevation  carrying  them  above  the  region  of 
the  clouds  ;  and  below  their  snowy  tops,  the  storm  is  seen  to  burst  : 
and  the  exploring  traveler  hears  the  thunder  roll,  and  sees  the  lightning 
dart  beneath  his  feet.  Between  the  different  ridges  there  are  extensive 
plains  of  great  fertility  and  beauty,  well  cultivated  and  populous. 

"The  Andes  are  said  to  derive  their  name  from  the  Peruvian  word  anti, 
which  signifies  copper.  They  are  composed  in  great  part  of  porphyry, 
and  abound  in  precious  metals.  The  Andes,  too,  are  a  great  nursery  for 
birds.  Among  these  the  condor  is  the  most  remarkable,  and  is  the  largest 
bird  that  has  the  faculty  of  flying  in  the  air.  Its  wings,  when  extended, 
measure  from  twelve  to  sixteen  feet ;  and  it  soars  to  the  height  of  more 
than  20,000  feet;  it  is  of  the  genus  vulture.  Many  parts  of  South  Amer 
ica  are  extremely  subject  to  earthquakes,  and  for  the  sake  of  greater  secur 
ity,  the  houses  are  commonly  built  of  only  one  story." 

Gen.  Van  Remselaer  to  Gen.  Harrison. 
My  Dear  Sir,  Albany  Dec.  1st,  1828. 

My  Son  —  Major  Rensselaer  Van  Rensselaer  of  the  Militia  of  this  State, 
sails  on  Monday  next  to  join  you  in  South  America.  I  do  not  wish  to  say 
any  thing  in  his  favor,  lest  you  should  be  disappointed  in  your  expecta 
tions  of  him.  He  goes  from  here  fully  equipped  and  must  do  as  you  and 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  439 

I  did  —  provide  fur  himself.  We  had  not  when  poor  boys,  of  about  the 
same  age,  dear  friends  to  take  us  by  the  hand.  He  has  already  learnt 
from  me  to  love  you }  and  thus  much  I  may  venture  to  say,  that  you  will 
find  him  to  possess  a  considerable  share  of  talents,  integrity  and  firmness. 
Any  difficult  business  you  put  him  upon,  he  will  if  possible  execute.  To 
my  God  and  to  you,  my  old  friend,  I  commit  him  with  my  blessing,  the 
only  legacy  I  can  leave  him.  He  takes  with  him  a  negro  boy,  raised  in 
my  family,  as  his  body  servant;  they  did  not  wish  to  be  separated.  The 
boy  —  named  Cato  —  says  he  will  be  of  no  expense  to  Master  Rcmselaer  ; 
he  probably  may  be  of  service  in  your  family,  he  is  a  pretty  good  waiter, 
hostler  and  gardener.  My  Son  will  stay  a  short  time  at  Baranquilla  with 
the  Messrs  Glen  of  this  quarter  —  early  friends  —  to  learn  the  Spanish 
language.  That  your  Mission  may  prove  honorable  and  profitable  to  our 
dear  Country  and  yourself,  I  do  most  sincerely  pray. 

I  am  dear  Sir,  your  old  friend, 

SOL.  VAN  HENSSELAER. 
His  Excellency,  Major  Genl.  William  H.  Harrison, 

Minister  Plenipotentiary,  Colombia,  South  America. 

Retisselaer  Van  Renssdaer  to  Ms  Father. 
Dear  Father,  New  York  2nd  December  1828. 

My  plans  so  far  have  succeeded,  and  Dr  Van  lleusselaer's  arrangements 
will  enable  me  to  effect  the  rest  without  difficulty.  The  ship  will  sail  to 
day  —  Tuesday,  but  precisely  at  what  hour,  I  cannot  tell,  until  T  hear  from 
John  Glen  who  has  gone  to  see  the  owner  about  it,  she  will  probably  leave 
about  one  o'clock.  Glen  does  not  go  with  us  —  but  remains  a  little  longer 
in  this  country  before  he  returns  to  his  Southern  home.  This  ship  does 
not  touch  at  St.  Martha,  on  her  way  to  or  from  Carthagena  at  all.  We 
will  travel  on  mules  from  the  latter  place  to  Baranquilla,  which  will  give 
us  an  opportunity  of  seeing  some  of  the  country  bordering  on  the  sea 
coast.  Glen  gives  me  letters  to  his  friends  in  Carthagena,  but  I  shall  not 
remain  there  longer  than  is  necessary,  nor  any  where  else  until  I  get  home. 
Cato's  first  attempt  at  acting  the  lackey  and  as  valet  de  chambre  augurs 
well  for  the  future.  I  preserve  an  inflexible  gravity  as  he  tries  to  make 
himself  generally  useful ;  he  is  always  good  natured  and  cheerful,  and  is 
really  more  expert  in  his  new  calling  than  I  anticipated  he  would  be.  He 
is  as  anxious  as  myself  to  commence  our  new  career  in  South  America.  I 
feel  very  sanguine  of  success  there,  and  do  really  hope  that  you  will  always 
think  the  same  for  I  will  use  the  utmost  diligence  in  the  path  of  duty. 
I  know  your  fondest  hopes  and  affections  are  centred  in  me  (they  are  re 
ciprocated)  and  a  determination  to  think  me  doing  well,  will  inake»you  all 
happier.  1  o'clock  —  Passage  paid,  and  about  going  aboard  the  Ship.  I 
shall  write  you  again  by  the  Pilot  when  aboard  the  packet.  My  best,  my 
tenderest  love  to  my  dear  considerate  and  affectionate  Mother,  Sisters  and 
all.  Believe  me  gratefully  and  sincerely  yours. 

Gen.  Sol.  Van  Kensselaer,  Albany,  N.  Y.  RENSS.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Rensselaer  Van  Renssdaer  to  his  Father. 

Brig  ;'  Tampico"  New  York  Bay, 
Dear  Father,  Off  Staten  Island,  4th  December,  1828. 

Owing  to  the  difficulty  of  getting  the  crew  on  board,  we  did  not  leave 
New  York  until  9  o'clock  this  morning,  but  w,j  are  now  under  fine  head 
way  and  will  soon  be  outside  with  this  favorable  wind.  The  bustle  of 


440  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

departure  and  the  noisy  preparations  of  the  crew  overhead,  which  although 
attractive  to  me  for  its  novelty,  does  not  permit  my  ideas  to  flow  copiously. 
I  therefore  consider  it  peculiarly  fortunate  that  I  have  not  a  great  deal  to 
say  now.  The  Doctor  and  John  Glen  have  been  very  attentive  and  kind 
to  me.  The  Diplomatic  buttons  were  given  me  yesterday,  they  are  very 
different  from  those  of  the  Marine  Corps.  Of  course  I'll  have  them  put 
on  instead  of  those  I  had  ordered  in  New  York.  Don  Glen  has  given  me  a 
host  of  letters  for  persons  in  Colombia,  which  will  make  for  me  plenty  of 
acquaintances  in  my  travels.  We  have  but  one  passenger  besides  myself, 
a  French  gentleman  from  Panama  who  speaks  the  Spanish  language  very 
fluently,  he  will  be  quite  an  acquisition  as  company  and  useful  to  me  in 

my  studies  aboard.  1A    ,  ,     ,  r\&  T*    ,.  T    r 

J  10  o  clock  A.M.  Off  Fort  Lafayette. 

The  Captain  says,  there  will  be  no  stop  now  until  Carthageua  picks  us 
up,  and  suggests  the  propriety  of  my  closing  letters.  I  coincide  with  him 
in  it,  not  only  on  account  of  the  shortness  of  the  Pilots  stay  aboard,  but 
there  is  a  sort  of  an  indigenous  sensation  within,  (caused  perhaps  by  the 
motion  of  the  vessel)  that  bids  me  finish  soon,  or  it  will  raise  a  tumult 
that  will  prevent  all  letter  writing,  but  I  will  anticipate  it.  We  have  a 
prospect  of  a  fine  run,  the  wind  is  fair  and  off  the  coast.  All  this  good 
brig  wants  in  case  of  a  gale  is  plenty  of  sea  room,  which  we  will  soon 
have,  as  we  are  sailing  triumphantly  onward.  You  need  not  apprehend 
any  danger,  I  do  not ;  the  sea  sickness  I  would  rather  court  than  shun, 
so  cheer  up  each  one  keep  a  good  heart,  and  all  will  yet  turn  out  well. 

f  past  ^.0  o'clock.  Sandy- Hook  Light-house  just  by,  the  Pilot  leaves  us 
soon.  My  qualmishness  has  already  left  me.  I  must  now  close.  Cato 
does  stand  it  well,  and  is  delighted  with  all  he  sees  in  the  sea  route. 
God  bless  you  all  —  all ;  bushel  baskets  full  of  love  to  all  inquiring 
friends,  don't  forget  Rykeman.  Yours  ever  sincerely, 

Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  P.  M.,  Albany.       R.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

"  It  was  regretted  that  South  America  so  beautifully  formed  and  en 
riched  by  the  hand  of  nature  had,  by  Spanish  oppressiveness,  so  long 
been  prevented  in  their  abject  depression  from  all  improvement  or  the 
population  of  a  country  which  might  have  supported  millions  of  beings  in 
affluence.  A  set  of  avaricious  men  have  successively  drenched  with  inno 
cent  blood  those  widely  extended  plains  on  this  vast  peninsula."  Colom 
bia,  the  temporary  home*  of  our  travelers,  is  a  very  extensive  country, 
comprising  all  the  northwestern  part  of  South  America,  and  is  composed 
of  the  Old  Spanish  vice  royalty  of  New  Grenada  and  Carracas  or 
Venezuela,  which  were  united  and  formed  into  a  republic  in  1819.  The 
former,  extending  along  the  Pacific  ocean  from  the  isthmus  of  Darien  to 
Peru,  is  bounded  on  the  east  by  the  latter  which  comprises  a  triangular 
territory,  lying  between  the  Amazon  river  and  the  Caribbean  sea  nearly, 
if  not  quite  equal  to  that  of  the  United  States.  The  two  regions  are  sub 
divided  into  departments,  and  into  provinces  or  states  which  represented 
in  a  congress  assembled  at  Rosario  de  Cucuta,  in  1821,  according  to  an  act 
of  confederation  and  to  a  constitution  modeled  in  many  respects  after  our 
own.  After  confirming  the  election  of  Gen.  Simon  Bolivar  to  the  presi 
dency  it  established  the  seat  of  general  government  at  Santa  Fe  De  Bo 
gota. 

For  a  time  every  appearance  indicated  the  speedy  .establishment  of  a 
happy  result  to  the  tremendous  struggles  of  this  brave  and  chivalrous 
people  for  independence;  but  in  the  practical  test  of  some  of  the  provisions 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  441 

of  their  new  Constitution  many  incongruities  and  inconveniences  were  man 
ifested.  The  difficulties  and  expenses  of  traveling  through  such  a  very 
mountainous  country,  for  the  high  court  resident  at  the  capital,  it  appeared 
so  formidable  to  applicants  for  claims  or  for  justice,  as  to  be  deemed  equi 
valent  to  a  denial.  A  spirit  of  discontent  was  thus  early  engendered  in 
several  'portions  of  the  republic,  and  the  host  of  military  officers  (who 
for  near  a  dozen  years  had  enjoyed  the  fascinating  pomp  and  circumstance 
of  war,  either  cloyed  with  the  monotonous  duties  of  the  peace  establish 
ment,  or  piqued  at  the  fancied  slights  evinced  towards  themselves  in  the 
distribution  of  the  lucrative  offices),  did  all  in  their  power  to  encourage 
it,  in  order,  as  they  hoped,  to  promote  their  own  ambitious  views.  Conse 
quently,  instead  of  being  at  leisure  to  remedy  their  defects,  the  govern 
ment  were  harassed  by  a  succession  of  conspiracies,  for  the  suppression  of 
which  nearly  all  their  time  and  resources  were  requisite.  In  the  intervals, 
however,  conventions,  for  the  purpose  of  compromising  the  causes  of  colli 
sion  between  the  different  states,  or  between  state  and  government,  were 
called.  Owing,  however,  to  the  extreme  diversity  of  sectional  interests, 
and  to  invincible  jealousy,  it  was  apparent  that  nothing  effectvie  could 
be  done  and  that  the  integrity  of  the  confederacy  could  not  last.  Vene 
zuela  first  seceded  and  formed  a  government  by  itself.  The  south  western 
states  of  New  Grenada  next  promulgated  their  act  of  separation,  and 
designated  as  the  "  government  of  the  Ecuador,"  under  their  President 
General  Flores,  are  now  waging  a  ruinous  war  against  Colombia. 

Rensselaer  Van  Rensselaer  to  Ms  Father. 
My  Dear  Father  *  Carthagena  S.  A.  December  28,  1828. 

My  last  dated  the  4th  sent  ashore  by  the  pilot,  left  our  staunch  little 
brig  scudding  away  finely  past  Sandy  Hook  at  the  rate  of  9  knfcts  per 
hour.  We  lost  sight  of  the  noted  Highlands  of  Navesink  at  twilight;  the 
wind  continuing  fair  we  reached  the  Gulf  Stream  on  the  8th  and  9th. 
There  we  had  a  touch  of  what  the  sailors  call  "dirty  weather,"  and  were  tost 
about  handsomely  ;  the  few  sails  we  had  set,  gave  a  rapid  headway.  The 
pitching  and  rolling  motion  of  the  vessel,  increased  the  sea-sickness  which 
had  first  grappled  with  me  at  Sandy-Hook,  and  held  on  for  several  days. 
I  was  not  well  during  the  whole  voyage,  and  at  times  was  truly  most  ex 
quisitely  sick.  But  as  I  took  the  Captain's  advice,  in  "  taking  aboard  all 
the  provisions  I  could  stow  away,"  as  soon  as  the  taste  arising  from  the 
discharge  of  the  old  stock  was  forgotten,  I  did  not  loose  so  very  much 
strength  or  flesh  as  might  have  been  expected.  And  now  a  residence  in 
the  harbor  in  still  water,  or  on  shore,  has  awakened  a  most  voracious  ap 
petite,  an  indulgence  of  which  has  made  me  feel  as  strong  as  I  ever  did. 
Cato  was  sick  but  once,  and  that  was,  during  the  height  of  the  gale.  Af 
ter  the  9th  we  had  passed  the  Gulf  Stream  and  found  smoother  water, 
with  light  winds.  Indeed  we  were  often  becalmed  for  a  short  time,  but 
made  head- way  everyday;  the  lighest  day's  work  was  45  miles.  On  the 
14th  we  had  the  gatification  of  speaking  a  brig,  in  Lat.  25°  50',  Lon.  68° 
30',  a  pleasure  it  was  indeed  to  see  others,  besides  ourselves  on  the  wild 
trackless  ocean.  Dec.  17th  and  18th  found  us  nearing  the  dreaded  Mona 
passage  ;  all  hands  were  now  earnestly  employed  in  putting  our  armory  in 
condition  to  give  any  Pirates,  that  might  be  there,  a  suitable  reception  in 
case  of  any  attempt  to  molest  us.  We  had  two  six  pounders  aboard,  but  / 
owned  most  of  the  small  arms ;  however,  we  passed  close  by  the  shore  of 
St.  Domingo  on  the  18th  without  interruption. 

56 


442  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

The  beach  is  very  similar  to  that  of  Long  Island,  flat  land  of  a  light 
sandy  soil;  on  the  side  we  passed,  was  hilly,  covered  with  a  growth  of  low 
verdant  busbes,  they  looked  well  to  us.  After  reaching  the  Mona,  we 
were  favored  by  the  trade  winds,  which  wafted  us  gaily  on  our  course. 
While  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  West  Indies  we  had  frequent  rain 
storms,  accompanied  with  dangerous  gusts,  sudden  and  violent  tempests  of 
wind,  rain,  thunder  and  lightning,  but  a  sharp  lookout  enabled  the 
experienced  captain  to  foresee  their  approach,  in  time  to  avoid  the  effect  of 
the  furious  swelling  of  the  sea.  On  the  22nd  we  reached  the  port  of 
Carthagena,  of  which,  the  town,  vicinity  &c.  I  will  write  from  Barran- 
quilla.  Edward  Glen  was  in  town,  but  just  in  the  act  of  leaving,  with  a 
lot  of  goods,  when  the  Captain  and  Custom  House  officers  went  ashore 
with  the  letter-bag ;  but  as  part  of  his  horses  had  already  started,  and 
being  anxious  to  overtake  them,  he  was  obliged  to  leave  without 
seeing  me.  He  yesterday  sent  back  horses  for  me,  with  which  I  start 
to  day,  immediately  after  dinner  which  is  now  coming  on  the  table. 
I  intended  to  have  deferred  writing  to  you  till  after  reaching  Glen's 
residence,  as  the  Tampico  does  not  leave  here  till  the  10th  proximo; 
but  as  a  letter  might  miscarry,  I  thought  best  to  have  two  "  white 
winged  messengers"  on  the  way  for  your  satisfaction.  This  one  I'll 
leave  with  the  Captain  and  send  the  other  by  mail  express.  They  are 
loading  the  horses  so  I  must  hurry.  The  Climate  within  the 
tropics  is  hot  enough  here  in  all  conscience,  a  continual  and  scorching 
heat,  but  just  now  the  weather  is  as  moderate  as  with  us  the  last  of  June. 
The  general  character  of  the  people  is  as  described  by  John  Glen ;  as  far 
as  I  now  see  they  have  a  mixture  of  pride  and  laziness  combined  with 
avarice ;  but  I  feel  as  sanguine  as  ever  of  doing  well  here.  My  love  to 
all.  f  Yours  as  ever,  HENS.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany,  N.  Y. 

Rensselaer  Van  Rensselaer  to  Ids  Father. 
My  Dear  Father,  Barranquilla  S.  A.  Jany  1,  1829. 

I  little  thought  two  months  since  that  the  last  day  of  1828  would  leave 
me  at  Barrankelia,  but  so  it  is,  and  now  having  told  you  where  I  am, 
after  wishing  you  my  honored  Father,  my  own  dear  Mother,  Sisters  and 
kind  friends  a  great  many  happy  returns  of  this  day,  will  (as  my  letter 
from  Carthagena  was  written  in  such  haste)  waft  you  back  again  to  Lat. 
26°.50\  Lon.  68°. 80',  where  we  were  Sunday  Dec.  14th  ult.  speaking  the 
brig  "  Louisa  of  St.  Johns,"  from  Trinidad -bound  home;  the  wind  was 
fresh,  we  barely  had  time  to  exchange  the  usual  inquiries  of  "  What's 
your  name  ?"  "  What's  your  Longitude  ?"  "  Where  from  ?"  "  Where 
bound  ?  "  we  passed  each  other  so  rapidly.  Our  hailing  first,  gave  John 
Bull  the  last  word  and  though  he  improved  his  time,  I  could  not  under 
stand  a  word  of  the  long  yarn  he  was  spinning  when  leaving  us,  but  our 
Captain  thought  he  said  something  about  the  Mona  passage,  and  supposed 
he  might  have  warned  us  against  pirates.  The  next  day  the  sea  was  too 
rough  to  allow  us  to  overhaul  our  armory,  but  the  day  after,  the  cartridges 
were  made  for  the  2  six  pounders,  for  my  fire  arms  &c.  The  only  sword 
on  board  was  put  in  my  hands;  in  Cato's  a  Spanish  knife  about  two  feet 
long,  which  with  another  knife  and  pistol,  comprised  our  means  of  defence, 
under  the  management  of  ten  men,  and  a  Frenchman^  The  night  before 
we  reached  the  passage,  the  Mate  came  below,  and  told  us  of  a  black  look 
ing  schooner  on  our  lee  quarter.  He  had  seen  her  some  time,  but  did  not 


LEGACY  OP  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  448 

call  the  Captain  until  he  was  sure  of  its  being  a  vessel ;  we  all  watched 
her  closely  but  the  Frenchman  who  was  sick  in  his  berth. 

Says  the  Captain  to  his  Mate,  "  Does  she  gain  on  you  ?" —  "  Yes  sir." 
Capt.  "  Well  then  Sir,  we'll  try  her  speed,  out  with  the  studding  sails." 
Mate, "Aye,  aye  sir" — "  Out  with  the  studding  sails  boys,  be  lively  now." 
"  Aye,  aye,  Sir,"  the  crew  respond,  and  the  additional  sails  were  soon  spread. 

Our  brig,  which  en  passant,  is  a  good  sailor,  yielding  to  the  impulse  left 
the  stranger,  merchant  or  piratical  craft,  in  a  short  time  and  just  then  the 
trade  wind  struck  and  was  fair  for  us  till  we  reached  Colombia.  We  passed 
so  close  to  the  Island  of  Hispaniola  or  St.  Domingo  that  we  could  see 
nothing  of  Porto  Rico  or  the  Mona  Islands.  The  squalls  of  wind, 
accompanied  by  heavy  showers  of  rain,  are  very  frequent  and  dangerous 
in  the  West  Indies  at  all  seasons,  the  duration  is  short  but  if  not  guarded 
against  in  time  the  effect  is  fatal.  On  the  18th  we  lost  sight  of  St. 
Domingo,  and  on  Sunday  21st  the  high  peaks  of  the  Nahuange  mountains 
in  South  America  appeared  bearing  south  of  us  (our  course  being  South 
West).  There  are  visible  an  immense  distance  at  sea,  rising  above  the 
mist  or  fog  that  hides  its  base  from  the  sight ;  their  sombre  shade  con 
trasted  with  the  beautiful  azure  sky,  and  the  white  rnist  spreading  below 
till  it  reaches  the  dark  blue  ocean,  gives  it  a  very  singular  appearance,  to 
persons  accustomed  to  the  monotonous  view  on  only  the  boundless  main. 
As  we  proceeded  on  our  course,  the  Sierra  or  mountains  of  St.  Martha, 
(from  the  sight  of  which  we  had  been  excluded  by  the  intervening 
Nahuange)  meets  our  view.  They  are  14,229  feet  high,  their  tops  covered 
with  perpetual  ice  and  snow ;  upon  which  the  sun  shines,  in  all  his 
splendor,  long  after  he  has  buried  himself  from  our  gaze  in  the  deep, 
giving  them  a  resemblance  to  immense  bodies  of  crystals  suspended  in  the 
air.  Those  glaciers  reflecting  back  the  prismatic  colors'  caused  by  the  rays 
of  the  sun  at  twilight,  from  high  above  the  clouds  which  clothe  its  base 
and  rests  upon  the  deep  blue  ocean,  has  a  magical  effect  upon  the  eye  of 
the  seasick  wanderer.  2'2nd.  Our  course  after  first  making  land  is  parallel 
with  the  coast,  but  we  did  not  keep  near  enough  to  distinguish  anything 
save  the  mountains,  until  we  approached  Carthagena,  where  La  Papa  the 
only  hill  of  consequence  in  the  vicinity,  shows  itself  about  a  mile  North 
East  from  the  City  crowned  with  the  remains  of  a  dilapidated  Nunnery. 

We  passed  the  City  about  4  o'clock,  on  our  way  to  Boca  Chica,  or  the 
small  entrance  to  the  harbor,  nine  miles  South  West  of  it.  Boca-Grande 
or  the  large  entrance  three  miles  from  the  Town,  was  closed  by  the 
Spaniards  during  the  revolution  as  the  width  of  the  passage  rendered  its 
defence  very  difficult. 

Carthagena  looks  extremely  well  in  passing  by,  its  appearance  from  sea 
is  better  than  from  any  other  quarter,  it  is  the  principal  seaport  town. 
The  wind  was  very  light  when  approaching  the  land,  which  was  a  fortu 
nate  thing  for  us ;  although  there  is  a  good  anchorage  for  vessels  in  the 
bay,  which  is  seven  miles  wide,  yet  there  are  many  shallows  and  hazardous 
spots.  In  consequence  of  the  darkness  of  the  night  we  struck  on  a  reef, 
about  9  o'clock,  near  Boca  Chica,  and  the  vessel  heaving  and  sinking 
with  the  light  swells  of  the  sea  would  have  soon  beat  to  pieces  if  those 
waves  had  been  heavier.  As  it  was  the  Captajn,  although  alarmed  for 
the  safety  of  his  vessel,  displayed  the  same  equanimity  of  mind  that  he 
did  "  when  floods  of  water  poured  from  the  clouds  with  a  prodigious  im 
petuosity,"  and  the  same  composure  exhibited  during  the  whole  passage. 
At  the  same  time  his  orders  were  obeyed  with  a  right  good  will  by  the 


444  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

entire  crew.  I  had  never  seen  even  our  Frenchman  display  so  much 
alacrity,  he  was  out  of  cabin  in  an  instant  after  the  first  thump  •  and  when 
the  boat  was  let  down,  to  carry  out  an  anchor  by  which  to  warp  the  brig 
out,  he  was  the  first  man  in  it;  and  in  spite  of  the  assurance  of  the  Mate 
that  he  should  not  be  left  behind,  in  case  we  went  to  pieces,  he  remained 
there  till  the  heavy  anchor  was  dropped  in  deep  water,  and  did  not  come 
aboard  again  till  the  last  of  the  men  had'left  the  boat.  The  poor  fellow 
was  in  real  trouble,  but  for  my  life,  I  could  not  but  laugh  at  him  whilst 
he  was  in  the  boat. 

Cato  had  tried  the  pumps  as  directed,  and  they  soon  sucked  and  the 
vessel  was  proved  stanch.  Monsieur  Bosquet  was  standing  by  the  pumps 
and  shortly  after  hearing  the  noise  caused  by  the  air  rushing  in  to  fill  up 
the  vaciiuui  caused  by  the  receding  water,  he  made  a  spring  towards  me, 
and  getting  hold  of  my  arm,  exclaimed  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  "  0  mon 
Dieul  Mr.  Valencia,  Monsieur  Valencia,  nous  serous  perdu !"  i.  e.,  "O 
my  God  !  Monsieur  Valencia  (as  he  called  me)  we  will  be  lost." 

I  explained  the  cause  of  the  noise  he  had  heard  and  pointing  out  the 
short  distance  we  were  from  land  said  we  would  be  saved.  The  rising 
moon  enabled  us  now  to  distinguish  the  shore,  but  that  would  not  pacify 
him,  he  could  not  swim,  and  we  were  on  a  sharp  rocky  bottom,  that  some 
of  the  shaggy  points  could  certainly  go  through  the  vessel  and  sink  us  he 
was  quite  sure.  Just  then  I  found  by  the  lead,  which  I  was  holding, 
that  the  heaving  on  the  anchor  started  the  brig  and  passed  the  word  to 
the  Captain  "  she  moves/'  "  She  moves  boys,  heave  away,"  says  the 
captain  from  one  end  of  the  capstan  ;  "  She  moves,  my  bullies,"  says  the 
Mate  from  the  other.  All  hands  now  appeared  to  have  received  new 
vigor  from  the  news  I  had  imparted  and  exerted  themselves  accordingly. 
The  Captain  who  had  taken  the  lead  corroborated  my  report,  and  a  new 
hand  at  the  pumps  pronounced  her  a  "  sound  ship."  The  cry  was  echoed 
aloud,  and  all  hands  on  board,  but  the  Frenchman,  manning  the  windlass 
brought  the  vessel  up  to  the  second  anchor,  when  a  favoring  blast  filling 
our  sails  we  soon  left  our  dangerous  berth.  At  eleven  o'clock  we  came 
to  anchor  under  the  guns  of  the  forts  at  the  mouth  of  Boco-Chica.  The 
Forts  are  about  half  a  mile  apart,  strongly  built,  well  garrisoned  and  stored, 
of  a  circular  shape,  mounted  with  two  tiers  of  heavy  guns.  The  Spaniards 
have  confined  in  them  a  number  of  persons  supposed  to  have  been  con 
cerned  in  the  disturbances  at  Bogota,  among  whom  is  General  Santander, 
Vice  President. 

Having  for  eighteen  days  been  accustomed  to  hear  the  roaring  of  the 
elements,  and  hum  of  the  seamen  about  me  only,  on  that  night  the  period 
ical  cry  of  the  Sentries  on  the  walls  of  the  castles,  the  tolling  of  the  bells, 
the  twittering  of  the  pelican  and  other  birds,  the  barking  of  dogs,  together 
with  the  melodious  tones  of  the  jackass  on  shore,  formed  such  "  a 
combination  of  sweet  sounds,"  that  I  being  naturally  fond  of  music,  could 
not  think  of  sleeping  five  minutes  at  a  time  during  the  night,  although  I 
felt  fatigued  not  only  from  my  exertions  the  evening  before,  but  from  the 
operation  of  a  heavy  dose  of  salts,  of  which  1  had  taken  a  good  one,  (not 
by  any  means  forgetting  to  give  the  same  to  Cato.)  On  December  23rd  at 
7  P.  M.  a  Pilot  came  on  board  and  conducted  us  into  the  harbor  as  the 
assistance  of  a  good  pilot,  amid  all  the  many  shoals,  is  quite  necessary. 
We  passed  the  64  gun  ship  "  Columbia  "  fitting  out  for  the  coast  of  Peru, 
(since  gone),  another  national  vessel  of  the  same  size,  together  with  three 
other  smaller  ones  lie  in  the  harbor  dismantled  and  going  to  decay.  The 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  445 

water  here  is  so  smooth  that  ships  feel  no  more  motion  than  they  would  in 
a  river,  while  a  great  variety  of  good  fish  abound  in  the  bay.  Near  one 
of  the  forts  on  Island  Tierra  Bomba  (or  Hound  Land  )  which  forms  one 
side  of  the  fortress,  is  a  small  hamlet,  three  miles  off  is  another  containing 
a  Lazaretto  and  a  Monastery.  Back  of  the  first,  the  ruins  of  an  old  castle 
tends  to  diversify  the  scene  ;  near  the  last,  the  first  indication  we  have  seen 
of  cultivation  is  manifested  in  a  field  or  two  of  maize  and  yams.  To  give 
you  Cato's  description  of  the  village  houses,  they  look  like  "  so  many 
straw  thatched  barns."  The  port  is  nine  miles  long,  varying  from 
one  to  three  miles  wide,  is  a  good  harbor  for  shipping  with  plenty 
of  water  and  land  locked.  The  land  surrounding  it,  though  uneven,  does 
not  in  any  point  attain  a  great  elevation. 

At  eleven  o'clock  we  dropped  anchor  one  mile  from  the  town,  a  nearer 
approach  being  impracticable  for  large  vessels  from  the  shallowness  of 
the  water.  A  boat  of  revenue  officers  soon  came  aboard  ;  after  examining 
the  Captain's  papers,  and  sealing  up  the  hatches,  departed  leaving  one  of 
the  number  on  board  to  prevent  smuggling,  also  directing  passengers  not  to 
land  without  a  lolcta  or  permit  from  the  police.  That  day  I  sent  a  letter 
of  introduction  from  John  Glen  to  an  Irish  jontlemon  by  the  name 
of  Kinsella,  as  Mr.  Glen  had  led  me  to  suppose  that  he  would  do  any 
thing  for  a  friend  of  his,  but  being  engaged  on  a  courting  expedition  is 
too  much  of  a  soldier  to  forsake  his  post,  to  procure  boleta's  for  strangers. 
I  therefore  after  sealing  up  a  second  letter  to  McPherson  the  American 
Consul,  sent  that  ashore,  who  having  had  some  difficulty  with  the  civil 
authorities  there  (He  had  been  imprisoned  by  them,  the  correspondence 
arising  from  that  circumstance  with  General  Montillo,  President  Bolivar 
and  Mr.  Clay,  he  afterwards  showed  me  and  is  preparing  a  statement  for 
me  to  take  on  to  Gen.  Harrison),  could  not  attend  personally  to  it,  but 
gave  the  business  in  the  hands  of  a  New  Yorker  by  name  of  Kelly,  who 
took  all  the  steps  for  getting  me  ashore.  Whilst  waiting  for  my  boleta, 
I  observed  the  manner  of  discharging  a  vessels  cargo.  The  freight  is 
taken  to  the  Custom  House  (where  everything  landed  is  examined)  in 
large  canoes  or  Jnmgos  —  bunglers  would  be  a  more  appropriate  name  for 
they  are  such  clumsy  looking  things;  are  manned  by  a  patron  or  captain 
with  three  or  four  men,  will  carry  from  1  to  8  tons.  The  natives  when 
at  work  wear  pantaloons  only,  frequently  they  substitute  for  the  "  fig 
leaf"  a  handkerchief  their  whole  dress  —  many  of  these  strong  limbed 
fellows  would  serve  as  good  models  to  the  sculptor  for  his  chisel  to  form 
from  stone. 

On  Christmas  morning  I  first  landed  in  Colombia,  and  had  the  honor  of 
a  presentation  to  all  the  police  magistrates,  and  to  the  Commandant  Gen. 
Montillo.  After  having  passed  through  with  that  ceremony,  my  own  per 
sonal  access  to  the  shore  was  secured,  but  the  grand  difficulty  was  to  pro 
cure  the  same  privilege  for  my  baggage.  An  order,  for  that,  was  necessary 
from  the  Custom  House,  and  a  passport  for  my  departure  from  the  City 
into  the  interior.  All  of  which  was  accomplished  by  aid  of  Mr.  Kelly, 
together  with  M.  Juliet  (formerly  of  the  Troy  Seminary)  and  a  Monsieur 
La  Batte  (entire  strangers  to  me),  after  waiting  in  vain  for  the  promises 
of  Kinsella  to  procure  them  for  me  to  be  fullfilled.  During  the  time  I  was 
employed  in  getting  my  papers,  I  heard  of  a  gentleman's  —  called  Burke, 
intention  of  going  on  to  Barranquilla,  and  sent  him  word  that  I  would  be 
happy  to  accompany  him.  He  returned  as  answer,  that  he  designed  to 
start  on  Saturday  evening  the  27th,  and  would  be  extremely  glad  of  my 


446  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

company.  In  consequence  of  which  I  detained  the  horses  and  guide, 
that  Edward  Glen  had  procured  for  me,  at  a  heavy  expense  ;  however, 
when  the  day  arrived  Mr.  Burke,  who  had  neither  thought  proper  to  call 
upon,  or  send  me  word  about  it,  was  not  yet  ready  •  and  as  I  did  not  know 
when  he  would  be,  I  left  Carthagena  the  next  day  alone.  I  was  advised 
to  wait  for  him,  but  I  told  McPherson  and  others  that  Mr.  Burke's  com- 
pany  was  as  little  desirable  to  me  as  mine  appeared  to  be  to  him,  and  that 
I  could  travel  without  putting  myself  under  any  obligations  to  him,  that 
if  our  situations  had  been  reversed,  my  conduct  under  the  same  circum 
stances  would  have  been  different.  The  grand  difficulty  in  procuring  my 
certificates  was  in  consequence  of  the  holidays,  a  gala  season  in  every 
sense  of  the  word,  when  .the  entire  community  engage  in  feasting  and 
masquerading  to  the  exclusion  of  attention  to  business.  My  papers  were 
given  as  a  matter  of  very  great  favor. 

Carthagenia  is  situated  on  what  was  formerly  a '  Peninsula,  but  the 
Spaniards  in  fortifying  it  dug  a  ditch,  35  or  40  feet  wide  across  the 
Isthmus,  to  prevent  sapping  quite  deep,  inside  of  which  the  walls  of  stone 
arise  30  feet  high  and  from  10  to  15  feet  in  thickness.  The  suburbs  as 
called  though  larger  than  the  city,  are  secured  in  the  same  manner  well 
fortified  with  wall  and  ditch..  One  bridge  across  each  ditch  serves  to 
connect  it  with  the  mainland,  these  are  of  wood  and  can  be  destroyed 
with  ease  when  necessary.  The  whole  line  of  fortification  is  ornamented 
with  24  pounders  of  copper,  elegant  workmanship,  besides  mortars  &c. 
Half  a  mile  from  the  City  walls,  is  the  Castle  of  St.  Philippe,  it  is  situated 
on  an  eminence  150  feet  high,  it  is  also  strongly  fortified  and  commands 
the  town,  it  presents  a  grand  appearance.  Half  a  mile  further  in  the 
same  direction  from  the  City,  the  hill  of  La  Papa,  rears  its  coronated  head 
upwards  of  500  feet  above  the  sea.  With  a  singular  oversight  the 
Spaniards,  in  their  wisdom,  when  erecting  works  for  the  defence  of  the 
City  did  not  think  of  fortifying  it,  in  consequence  the  troops  of  Gen. 
Bolivar  became  its  masters  without  much  trouble  during  the  revolution. 
From  whence  they  securely  cannonaded  Sari  Philippe,  till  battered  walls 
on  the  land  side  affording  no  protection  to  the  famished  garrison,  they 
were  compelled  to  strike  to  the  Colombian  flag  ;  after  which  its  guns  in 
conjunction  with  those  on  La  Papa  were  directed  upon  the  City.  Whilst 
those  land  operations  were  going  on,  General  Padilla  (since  shot  in  Bogota) 
taking  advantage  of  a  favorable  breeze,  run  by  the  Forts  at  Boca  Chica, 
in  a  small  sloop  of  war,  at  night,  anchored  in  the  harbor  and  thereby  cut 
off  the  inhabitants  from  the  only  remaining  source  of  procuring  supplies. 
Shortly  after  the  City  yielded  to  its  assailants;  but  with  provisions  plenty 
the  place  is  impregnable. 

After  reporting  myself  to  the  civil  authorities,  being  at  liberty  to  follow 
the  dictates  of  my  fancy,  I  yielded  to  its  impulse  and  followed  the  crowd 
to  the  public  square  in  the  heart  of  the  City,  Here  the  Magistrates  had 
assembled  to  dispense  Liberty,  the  greatest  blessing  of  man,  as  a  Christmas 
present  to  about  thirty  slaves  of  both  sex  and  all  ages.  It  was  a  most 
interesting  sight ;  when  the  Cap  of  Freedom  was  presented  to  them,  the 
poor  mortals  could  not  restrain  their  tears  and  theory  of  Viva  el Librator 
and  Viva  la  Republica,  burst  from  the  crowd  at  the  conclusion  of  the 
ceremony.  The  delighted  freed-men  doffed  their  ordinary  hats  and  having 
mounted  their  tri-colored  caps,  paraded  the  streets  with  the  most  grotesque 
demonstrations  of  joy.  It  was  laughable  to  witness  the  ludicrous  expres 
sion  with  a  broad  gria  on  their  comical  faces  and  the  spring  halt  sort  of 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  447 

step  with  which  they  skipped  along  receiving  the  congratulations  of 
friends.  The  sight  gave  a  favorable  impression  of  the  Colombian  people, 
particularly  of  the  Manumission  (Society,  with  whose  funds  the  freedom,  of 
those  slaves  had  been  procured.  At  the  conclusion,  my  friend  conducted 
me  to  his  house  where  I  remained  till  the  sea  breeze  set  in,  this  wind 
comes  only  from  two  points  of  the  compass  and  is  almost  as  regular  as  the 
sun.  This  sea  breeze  sets  in  about  11  A.  M.,  arid  continues  till  near  sun 
set,  when  it  is  succeeded  by  the  land  breeze,  which  blows  till  8  or  9  A. 
M.  Between  the  changes  the  air  is  calm,  while  the  sun  sends  down  his 
almost  perpendicular  rays  with  such  vehement  heat,  that  the  majority  of 
the  inhabitants  seek  the  shelter  of  their  houses,  the  thermometer  at  such 
times  will  rise  in  the  sun  to  150°,  in  the  shade  to  80°  or  90°.  Though 
I  have  been  exceedingly  careful  of  self,  still  in  traveling  have  been  at 
times  necessarily  exposed  to  the  heat,  at  all  hours  of  the  day,  but  have 
not  subsequently,  so  far,  experienced  any  injurious  effects  from  the  ex 
posure  ;  on  the  contrary,  I  feel  stronger  and  more  rugged  than  1  have  for 
the  five  or  six  last  years.  The  pain  in  my  breast  which  was  often  trouble 
some  to  me  at  home  for  that  period,  has  not  effected  me  in  the  least.  I 
know  not  whether  to  attribute  this  to  my  severe  sea  sickness  or  to  the 
climate,  but  imagine  both  have  a  "  hand's  share  "  in  the  goo'd  result.  Cato, 
too,  is  as  hearty  as  a  buck  goat. 

The  houses  of  Carthagena  are  built  of  stone,  and  covered  with  tile 
roofs;  those  of  the  wealthy  class  are  two  stories  high  with  balconies, 
hanging  over  the  street,  with  lattices  of  wood.  The  one  story  houses 
generally  have  two  apartments,  one  of  which  is  used  as  a  parlor,  eating 
and  working  room ;  the  other  as  a  general  sleeping  apartment  for  the 
family.  The  hammocks  for  strangers  are  suspended  either  in  the  parlor, 
or  in  a  shed  at  the  back  of  the  house  ;  every  house  has  a  yard  attached 
to  it,  in  the  rear  of  which  is  a  room  for  cooking  and  for  servants.  There 
are  no  ceilings  and  no  floors  except  brick  or  cement  and  frequently  only 
ground  floors  in  the  lower  story.  These  houses  are  very  singular  and 
antique  :  the  latticed  or  barred  windows  without  lights,  the  immense 
thick  walls  and  heavy  doors  give  each  one  the  appearance  of  a  castle  or 
dungeon,  but  when  you  enter,  they  are  airy,  cool  and  clean.  The  public 
edifices  have  the  same  heavy  aspect ;  the  Cathedrals  are  very  richly  em 
bellished  with  furniture  of  the  most  costly  description.  The  streets  are  in 
regular  squares,  but  not  very  wide  ;  not  paved  and  of  course,  as  the  soil 
is  sand,  they  are  very  dusty  in  the  dry  season.  The  Population  is  about 
25  or  30,000  of  every  shade  from  the  pure  white  to  the  real  Guinea  negro, 
the  Creoles  or  contaminated  class  predominate  over  the  unmixed,  though 
the  aborigines  form  the  largest  numbers;  there  is  a  commingling  of  a  few 
Europeans  with  Negroes,  Indians  and  Creoles.  The  latter  are  the  busi 
ness  class  and  generally  thrifty.  Color  does  not  seein  to  deteriorate  from, 
or  augment  the  respectability  of  any  person,  all  as  far  as  I  have  had  an 
opportunity  to  observe  are  equal,  provided  they  have  the  necessary  shiners 
here  as  with  us  "  money  makes  the  niare  go." 

The  Festivities  of  the  holidays,  Las  fiesta,  commence  just  before  Christ 
mas  and  continue  ten  or  twelve  days,  during  which  there  is  almost  an 
entire  cessation  from  labor,  indeed  for  certain  periods  the  law  prohibits 
the  transaction  of  business.  Dancing  and  masquerading  are  kept  up  every 
night  till  dawn  during  the  holidays  on  the  public  square,  private  balls 
are  not  then  allowed.  On  the  Square  under  the  canopy  of  a  large  awning 
stretched  on  poles,  spread  for  their  accommodation,  such  a  commingling 


448  LEGACY  OP  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

of  the  "  black  spirits  and  white,  blue  spirits  and  gray,"  in  their  fanciful 
disguises  is  most  astonishing.  There  surrounded  by  the  mob  who  have 
free  access,  you  see  hundreds  "  trip  it  on  the  light  fantastic  toe,"  engaged 
in  the  giddy  waltz,  and  at  intervals  breaking  off  to  witness  the  explosion 
of  some  splendid  pyrotechnical  exhibitions.  The  richest  class  alone  as 
sume  the  mask,  and  probably  the  greater  proportion  attend  without  being 
able  to  bear  the  expense.  Most  of  the  ordinary  dresses  for  the  ladies  are 
very  costly  and  elegant ;  the  prevailing  head-gear  is  a  large  figured  tortoise 
shell  comb  covered  with  a  rich  black  lace  veil;  gold  neck  ornaments, 
white  gowns,  figured  silk  stockings  and  satin  slippers  constitute  the 
dress  for  all  kinds  of  weather  ;  bonnets  are  never  worn  because  the  climate 
here  is  extremely  hot,  and  sultry  during  the  whole  year.  The  gentle 
men's  dress  is  a  complete  suit  of  white  material  with  pumps.  The  young 
of  the  poorer  classes  run  about  the  streets,  with  all  the  clothes  that  Nature 
gave  them  and  no  more.  The  ladies,  in  masquerading,  appear  more  de 
sirous  to  remain  incog  than  to  support  any  character  as  they  do  in  Europe. 
For  that  reason  I  was  not  as  well  pleased  as  I  had  thought  I  would  be  ; 
some  few  of  the  Masks,  however  did  sustain  a  character  tolerably  well. 
Among  those  was  a  North  American  Indian  with  his  tomahawk  wampum- 
belt,  knife  and  rifle,  a  very  demure  looking  Nun  ;  a  gouty  Sexagenarian 
with  two  pretty  daughters,  both  of  the  Senoras  evidently  were  watching 
an  opportunity  of  running  away  with  some  handsome  lover.  When  they 
were  dancing,  the  poor  old  man,  scarcely  able  to  see  across  his  nose,  would 
hunt  for  them  till  his  cough  compelled  him  to  be  seated.  There  was  also 
a  Monkey  with  his  two  keepers.  The  best  of  the  whole  company  was  a 
Bashaw  with  his  Sultana ;  they  were  richly  dressed  in  Oriental  robes 
and  supported  their  characters  to  a  nicety.  I  remarked  to  Capt.  Fish-as 
they  passed  by  us,  what  I  thought  of  them,  and  added,  I  did  not  wonder 
at  his  taste  in  confining  himself  to  the  society  of  one  Senora,  who  could 
move  and  act  the  Sultana  so  well.  In  the  next  turn  the  Mask  addressed 
me  in  Spanish  with  "  How  do  you  do  Senor  Ingles,"  from  which  I  in 
ferred  that  he  had  understood  my  remark.  I  could  not  find  out  who  it 
was,  but  from  the  height  and  figure  supposed  him  to  be  a  Mr.  Bunch,  the 
richest  Englishman  in  the  place,  to  whom  I  had  been  introduced.  .The 
masks  seldom  hail  a  stranger,  or  a  person  unknown  to  them,  but  always 
return  a  salutation.  Sunday  is  the  grand  gala  day  for  the  amusements  at 
which  time  a  more  general  muster  is  made  with  much  smoking  of  cigars. 
A  corner  of  the  same  square  is  appropriated  to  the  slaves  for  their  use 
during  the  "  Fiestas,"  who  imitating  the  example  of  their  betters,  have 
their  own  fun  in  dancing  the  monotonous  "  fandangos  "  while  the  festivi 
ties  last. 

There  is  one  custom  in  Colombia  that  does  not  suit  my  Yankee  stomach 
at  all !  at  all,  and  that  is  to  be  content  with  two  meals  per  day.  It  is  a 
universal  practice  to  swallow  a  cup  of  coffee  at  first  rising  in  the  morning ; 
the  regular  breakfast  is  taken  at  10  o'clock  it  generally  consists  of  coffee, 
bollos,  fish,  a  mixed  dish  (made  of  salt  meat,  yams,  plantains,  potatoes  and 
other  roots  called  San  Cocho),  poultry  &c.  At  6  o'clock  p.  M.  you  are 
called  to  dinner  of  innumerable  dishes  of  soup,  fish,  turtle,  poultry,  pork, 
and  other  meats  which  are  served  up  in  succession  with  a  change  of  plates 
for  each  variety.  Instead  of  bread  and  potatoes,  we  have  fine  yams  and 
the  "bollos,"  which  is  the  substitute  for  bread  where  flour  cannot  be  obtained , 
(it  is  a  preparation  from  maize  and  is  quite  palatable,  though  not  equal  to 
our  "staff  of  life.")  The  meal  is  finished  with  oranges,  papaws,  plantains 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  449 

and  other  kinds  of  fruit,  wines  and  a  cup  of  chocolate,  which  is  served  up 
in  a  small  quantity  and  is  perfectly  delicious.  There  is  scarcely  any  twi 
light  owing  to  the  vertical  position  of  the  sun,  therefore  our  dinner  is 
never  finished  till  after  dark,  which  sets  in  almost  immediately  at  sunset, 
but  at  the  conclusion  of  the  meal  we  are  furnished  with  cigars,  which  are 
here  used  by  men,  women  and  children  of  every  rank,  even  in  the  ball 
room,  without  regard  to  time  or  place  from  the  cradle  to  the  senile  crutch. 
The  road  for  a  mile  or  two  from  the  suburbs  is  well  enough  for  carriages 
in  use,  and  indeed  the  only  one  kind  that  can  traverse  these  highways. 
Even  these  are  used  only  by  the  most  wealthy ;  they  are  very  clumsy  sort 
of  gigs,  drawn  by  one  horse,  on  which  the  driver  is  mounted  ;  the  gig  is 
calculated  to  carry  three  persons  on  its  only  seat,  and  it  is  well  for  the 
poor  horses  that  the  route  extends  no  farther,  as  the  weight  of  the  ma 
chine  is  load  enough  without  a  passenger.  But  poor  as  the  conveyance 
is,  the  bare  headed  ladies  seem  to  enjoy  the  drive  very  much. 

And  now  having  for  some  days  enjoyed  the  pleasant  breeze  from  the 
Caribean  Sea  we  will  return  to  the  starting  point.  On  Sunday  28th  at 
4  p.  M.  I  left  the  strongly  fortified  Carthagena,  Lat.  10°  26',  W.  Lon.  75° 
26',  accompanied  to  the  outer  gates  by  six  or  seven  young  Americans, 
where  we  found  that  the  guards  had  stopped  the  guide  with  Cato  and  my 
baggage  ;  also  had  demanded  a  search  (an  operation  it  had  undergone  in 
passing  through  the  Custom  House,)  but  after  producing  my  Passport  we 
were  allowed  to  proceed  without  any  further  detention.  After  hearty 
adios  from  my  Countrymen,  who  had  kindly  given  every  instruction  they 
supposed  my  guide  might  require  I  soon  lost  sight  of  the  dusty  streets, 
lofty  domes,  the  splendid  Cathedral,  the  unfinished  decaying  Inquisition, 
handsome  turrets  and  very  thick  walls, of  the  principal  seaport  town  in 
Terra  Firma.  ["This  country  was  called  Terra  Firma,  by  Columbus,  on  ac 
count  of  its  being  the  first  part  of  the  continent  which  was  discovered,  all 
the  lands  discovered  previous  to  this  being  islands."] 

The  road  past  San  Phillipe  and  La  Papa  (with  its  dilapidated  Nun 
nery,  whose  sanctity  was  not  regarded  by  the  Patriots)  ,  is  very  fine,  but 
after  that,  this  public  road  is  worse  and  worse.  Two  miles  from  the  walls 
it  contracts  until  it  becomes  no  better  than  a  sheep-path  through  the 
woods,  than  like  the  great  source  of  communication  between  a  large  sea 
port  and  the  grand  interior.  In  many  places  the  pools  of  water  standing 
in  the  main  road  compel  us  to  leave  it,  in  doing  so,  we  meander  about 
among  the  stumps  and  trees  before  we  regain  the  forsaken  path,  till  we 
eke  out  the  distance  to  four  times  the  length  it  otherwise  would  have  been. 
Of  course  our  progress  was  slow,  well !  so  much  the  better,  for  now  we  can 
look  at  ourselves  and  our  animals.  First  in  line  is  the  Patron  or  guide, 
he  sits  "  in  all  his  pride  of  place,"  between  my  two  trunks  with'  his  legs 
crossed  over  the  neck  of  his  horse,  looking  more  fit  to  carry  the  horse  than 
the  horse  him,  the  tawny  dog  !  Next  in  rank  is  my  noble  self  in  corduroy 
pantaloons  and  short  jacket,  boots  and  spurs  with  holsters  and  pistols,  be 
fore  me ;  not  forgetting  the  indispensable  fan  in  my  pocket,  with  a  small 
portmanteau  behind  my  borrowed  saddle  from  Kelly.  I  was  rigged  out  in 
style,  for  American  saddles  are  as  scarce  as  good  horses.  Cato  brings  up 
the  rear  ;  his  poney  is  of  the  same  tough,  ambling  breed  as  mine  and  the 
guides.  On  each  side  of  his  native  saddle,  which  is  nothing  more  than  a 
saw-buck  placed  on  mats,  are  my  two  bags.  He  does  not  like  the  way  of 
riding  these  horses,  but  has  his  legs  straddling  without  the  cross ;  under 

57 


450  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

him  is  my  hammock  and  his  mat,  on  his  shoulders  the  gun.  Our  guns 
are  all  loaded.  Oato  has  had  his  lesson,  and  being  fully  prepared  in  case 
of  trouble  we  shall  be  able  to  show  a  pretty  good  fight.  Now  that  you 
know  how  we  look,  we  must  tell  you  how  we  feel,  strangers  in  a  strange 
land,  very  much  like  cats  in  a  strange  garret. 

As  I  had  never  been  in  the  country  since  landing  in  South  America, 
every  object  was  novel  to  me  ;  nothing  at  all  that  meets  our  view  is  like 
what  we  have  seen  before.  The  houses  are  built  of  reeds,  thatched  with 
palm  leaves;  goats  are  substituted  for  cows,  jacks  for  horses;  (horses 
are  as  rare  here  as  jacks  are  with  us").  Dogs  look  like  wolves  and  cats 
like  skeletons  of  things  that  have  been..  Birds,  insects,  trees,  foliage,  man 
ners,  language,  all,  all  is  new,  but  then  being  so  strange  and  I  of  such 
a  contemplative  genius,  the  whole  assemblage  serves  as  food  for  amuse 
ment  arid  pour  passer  le  temps.  The  guide  laughs  and  swears  by  turns 
because  I  do  not  understand  his  Spanish  lingo,  but  then  I  laugh  when 
it  pleases  me  because  the  stupid  jacknapes  knows  nothing  of  pure  English  ; 
my  revery  is  frequently  broken  in  upon  by  his  guarding  me  against  some 
projecting  branch  whilst  dodging  among  the  trees.  Our  ponies  are  going 
on  while  I  am  moralizing,  and  ten  o'clock  at  night  finds  us  five  leagues 
[15  miles]  from  Carthagena  at  the  village  of  Turbacco,  but  the  evening 
was  too  far  advanced  to  be  able  to  distinguish  what  kind  of  a  place  it  was. 
I  was  both  hungry  and  fatigued ;  at  first  there  was  some  difficulty  in 
making  my  wants  known,  but  what  with  my  Spanish,  signs,  the  landlord's 
broken  French  and  the  ditto  English  of  a  young  gentleman,  whose  di 
rection  is  Senor  Buenaventura  De  Aleazer,  (Phoebus  !  what  a  name  !) 
I  finally  succeeded  very  well.  Seiior  De  Aleazer  was  very  polite;  after 
inspecting  my  Passport  he  informed  me  he  was  going  to  the  United  States 
as  Secretary  of  the  Colombian  Legation.  He  gave  me  a  letter  of  intro 
duction  to  his  brother  who  was  a  Secretary  at  Bogota,  expressing  a  wish  for 
a  letter  from  Barranquilla  to  my  parents,  which  I  agreed  to  give.  His 
instructions  to  my  guide  had  the  effect  of  making  my  journey  much  more 
pleasant  than  it  would  otherwise  have  been. 

At  3  oclock  A.  M.  when  I  arose  to  pursue  my  journey,  my  stranger 
friend  also  got  up  and  over  a,  glass  of  his  anise,  cordial  bade  me  a  kind 
"  adios  "  and  away  I  started  by  moonlight  with  grateful  feelings  that 
persons  seldom  experience  after  so  short  an  acquaintance.  About  daylight 
we  passed  through  the  hamlet  of  Rebollera,  one  league  from  Turbacco  as 
the  road  runs,  but  owing  to  the  damage  it  had  sustained  from  previous 
rains,  we  were  obliged  to  take  so  many  circuitous  turns,  that  we  trebled 
the  distance.  Two  leagues  further  on  we  stopped  to  breakfast  at  Cana 
veral,  another  pretty  little  hamlet.  The  road  was  better  but  still  compelled 
to  deviate  from  the  direct  path  so  frequently  that  it  was  ten  oclock  before 
we  reached  the  little  village  of  Sipacoa  distant  about  two  leagues.  There 
are  no  intermediate  houses  between  these  hamlets  or  villages,  the  space  is 
covered  with  impenetrable  forests,  without  water,  which  undoubtedly  is 
the  grand  cause  of  its  uncultivated  state  for  the  soil  appears  to  be  good. 
Wherever  water  can  be  obtained  you  find  as  many  inhabitants  settled 
round,  as  it  will  supply  through  the  dry  season,  and  the  whole  stock  of 
the  little  hamlet  will  consist  of  Jacks,  goats,  fowls  and  occasionally  a  hog. 
On  leaving  a  village  my  guide  always  procured  a  good  supply  of  the  Cocoa- 
nuts  for  the  sake  of  the  water  with  which  they  are  filled ;  we  found  it  a 
very  necessary  precaution  for  without  the  liquor 'of  the  nuts  we  might 
have  wished  in  vain  for  a  cooling  nutritious  beverage  to  quench  our  thirst 


LEGACY  OP  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  451 

while  crossing  this  savanna  or  extensive  plain.  The  road  improves  as 
we  advance  through  forests  of  immensely  large  trees  of  which  Mahogany 
claims  pre-eminence,  it  drops  its  leaves  twice  a  year,  is  bare  now  ;  the 
bark  is  smooth,  of  a  brown  color;  the  majority  of  these  trees  are  larger 
in  circumference  than  a  hogshead,  running  up  without  much  tapering  to 
the  height  of  from  80  to  100  feet  before  it  throws  out  a  branch. 

I  was  much  interested  at  observing  quite  a  cavalcade  of  jacks  pass  us 
loaded  with  planks  of  mahogany  about  twenty  feet  long,  three  inches  thick ; 
two  of  those  planks  constituted  a  load  for  a  pair  of  jacks.  The  patfent 
brutes,  with  the  ends  lashed  on  either  side  of  their  respective  pack  saddles 
were  jogging  along  in  their  sober  pace,  eight  or  ten  in  number,  the  driver 
on  the  last  one  bringing  up  the  rear.  It  is  surprising  the  weight  and 
magnitude  these  poor  animals  carry  for  so  great  a  distance  without  stop 
ping —  fourteen  leagues  without  food  or  water  ! ! !  The  Palm-tree  bears 
off  the  crown  of  beauty  from  the  other  forest  trees ;  it  does  not  often  attain, 
to  a  great  height,  but  its  elegant  leaves  emerging  from  the  very  top  of  a 
straight,  smooth  and  tapering  body,  assuming  an  oval  shape  of  evergreen 
contrasts  well  with  the  naked  branches  of  some  of  the  lordly  trees  around. 
The  leaves  of  the  palm  tree  are  used  here  for  thatching  houses,  but  at  home 
as  fans  for  the  ladies.  The  perpetual  verdure  of  the  woods  with  its  bright 
green  foliage  always  adorn  these  grounds  and  is  a  most  refreshing  sight. 
At  Sipacoa,  the  first  Cocoa-trees  are  seen  after  leaving  Carthagena,  but 
now  we  meet  with  them  in  every  village.  The  body  of  the  Cocoa  resem 
bles  at  a  distance  the  palm,  entirely  without  branches;  it  rises  from  the 
ground  with  a  smooth  and  slightly  tapering  trunk  from  30  to  50 
feet.  They  exactly  resemble  the  feather  of  a  fowl — but  rather  larger 
you  will  suppose  —  as  they  measure  from  the  point  to  the  end  of  the  stem 
from  ten  to  fourteen  feet ;  they  are  also  three  feet  broad  and  winged-. 
Between  these  feathery  leaves  on  the  top  of  the  tree  the  fruit  is  seen  in  a 
cluster  of  about  a  dozen,  in  every  stage  of  vegetation  from  the  bud  to 
the  falling  cocoanuts. 

Black  cattle  and  horses  are  rarely  met  till  near  Barranquilla,  their  only 
fodder  is  corn-stalks  and  a  species  of  rush,  but  the  provision  for  man  is 
scarcely  better. 

The  plumage  of  the  Birds  in  these  dense  forests  is  superb,  of  very 
many  varieties ;  the  macaw  or  ''guayamayo"  is  the  most  elegant  of  all  others, 
but  its  hideous  scream  is  such  a  disagreeable  noise  as  counterbalances  its 
beauty.  The  many  different  species  of  the  parrot  kind  arc  found  in  per 
fection  with  all  their  gaudy  plumes.  A  small  kind  of  black  monkey  is 
constantly  seen.  A  small  species  of  the  wild  turkey  (^guaclieraca}  is  also  very 
common  and  is  fine  eating.  I  procured  a  number  with  my  fowling  piece  — 
which  by  the  way  is  an  excellent  article  for  travelers  in  this  country.  At 
7  oclock  we  dismounted  at  San-Estanislado,  on  the  night  of  the  29th  a  large 
village  regularly  laid  out  in  squares,  on  one  of  the  mouths  of  the  River 
Magdalena,  containing  about  6  or  8000  souls.  This  place  is  five  leagues 
from  Sipacoa ;  here  we  swung  our  hammocks  for  the  night  after  supping. 
Dec.  30  at  4  oclock  were  on  the  road  again,  and  though  it  was  night  could 
not  but  be  struck  with  the  beautiful  appearance  of  the  coco  tree  with  its 
conical  figure  when  contrasted  with  the  white  washed  cottages  with  thatched 
roofs.  At  Agua  Pablo  six  leagues  further  on  we  halted  for  breakfast. 
It  is  a  place  of  considerable  size,  the  houses  of  a  uniform  size  and  plastered 
over.  It  would  amuse*  you  to  see  me  taking  my  meal  in  this  village,  the 
shed  in  which  I  am  eating  is  detached  from  the  house,  in  one  corner  of  an 


452  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

enclosure  ;  my  landlord  is  one  of  the  richest  men  in  the  village.  His  stock 
of  all  kinds  is  half  starved,  and  all  have  free  access  to  my  table,  which  is 
a  large  bowl  or  flat  bottomed  "calaboza"  turned  upside  down  to  suit  the 
present  exigency,  next  comes  a  calaboza  pitcher  of  water,  a  calaboza  plate, 
a  calaboza  spoon  (  but  no  knives  or  forks  ;  they  recollect  that  fingers  were 
made  before  them,  and  do  not  think  it  worth  while  to  atttempt  any  im 
provement  on  Nature),  calabozas  for  cups  and  calabozas  for  dishes  — 
now  we've  set  the  table,  we'll  show  the  "bill  of  fare." 

The  first  thing  the  guide  did  after. swinging  my  hammock — which  is 
always  done  at  stopping  places  —  was  to  procure  a  fowl,  the  neck  was 
twisted,  and  before  the  poor  thing  was  defunct  it  had  lost  its"  feathers;  in 
two  minutes  it  was  in  the  pot,  and  in  ten  more  on  my  table !  I 
was  too  hungry  to  stop  to  consider  the  chances  of  its  coming  to  life  again, 
but  ate  away  sans  ceremonie,  my  hands  performing  the  duties  of  knife  and 
fork ;  a  calaboza  spoon  was  used  to  convey  the  contents  of  a  bowl  (it  was 
a  very  fashionable  dish  called  "  San-cocho  —  being  a  compound  of  salt 
meat,  plantains,  yams,  sweet  potatoes,  onions,  rice  and  juca)  to  the  mouth. 
While  the  operation  of  mastication  progressed,  was  very  much  annoyed 
by  the  group  of  naked  children,  famished  dogs,  cats  and  goats  which  were 
jostling  and  crowding  to  approach  as  near  as  possible  to  what  they  con 
sidered  my  sumptuous  banquet.  The  intrusion  at- last  became  so  unbear 
able,  that  to  rid  myself  of  the  nuisance,  I  threw  a  single  drumstick  to  be 
divided  among  the  curs  according  to  the  most  approved  rules  of  canine 
justice.  The  ruse  du  guerre  to  rid  myself  of  such  a  heterogeneous  mass  of 
foes  as  beset  me,  (now  increased  by  ducks,  turkeys,  hogs,  men  and  women) 
was  indeed  the  occasion  of  a  general  fight,  "  Oh  !  what  a  row,  what  a 
rumpus  and  a  rioting"  —  the  "din  of  war"  was  long  and  loud. 
The  contending  hosts  went  pell-mell  out  of  one  end  of  the  hut  whilst-  the 
"  bone  of  contention  "  was  removed  through  the  kindness  of  a  pig.  At 
the  commencement  of  the  battle,  much  to  my  relief  men,  women,  children, 
goats  and  cats  had  scampered  off  in  delectable  confusion  leaving  me  the 
sole  possessor  of  the  premises  and  the  undisturbed  partaker  of  my  meal. 

At  2  oclock  we  left  this  memorable  spot  and  at  5  drew  up  at  Sabana 
Larga  five  leagues  from  Aqua  Pabelo.  This  is  a  beautiful  large  place 
and  like  all  the  other  Colombian  villages  is  tastefully  laid  out  at  right 
angles,  it  is  of  an  oblong  shape;  the  houses  of  a  uniform  size  and  equi 
distant  from  each  other,  covered  with  a  cement  and  whitewashed ;  a  fine 
large  yard  is  attached  to  each  dwelling,  in  which  are  a  number  of  elegant 
coco's  groaning  with  fruit  in  clusters  between  the  leaves.  My  want  of 
the  Spanish  here,  was  the  cause  of  my  making  quite  a  mistake  in  directing 
the  guide,  when  I  wished  to  start  on  our  route  again.  I  meant  to  have 
said  we  will  go  at  two  odock,  but  adding  a  word  more  than  was  necessary 
to  express  my  meaning,  he  came  to  me  two  hours  after  turning  in,  with 
word  that  he  was  all  ready  for  a  start,  and  away  we  went  at  eleven  oclock 
at  night,  but  as  the  road  was  good,  I  neither  regretted  our  short  rest  or 
speedy  start.  We  passed  through  the  Arrogo-Grande  which  is  now  nothing 
but  a  dry  bed,  but  in  Ae  rainy  season  a  turbid  dangerous  stream,  a  barrier 
to  all  travelers  on  this  road.  We  met  a  large  body  of  Militia  going  to  the 
parade  ground,  at  Malambo,  all  mounted  on  jackasses.  At  Soladad,  two 
leagues  further  on,  we  saw  a  large  battalion  of  the  same  kind  of  troops, 
under  review  and  drill.  It  is  two  leagues  from  here  to  Barranquilla, 
where  we  arrived  about  half  past  eight  o'clock,  A'.  M.,  fatigued,  hungry 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  453 

and  sleepy,  having  traveled  thirty-nine  miles  without  stoppage.  The 
same  ride  by  day  would  have  been  impracticable  from  the  heat  of  the  sun. 

The  guide  took  us  up  to  the  most  elegant  house  I  have  seen  in  South 
A'merica  with  its  many  trees  for  use  and  ornament  as  Cocoa,  and  Tama 
rind  ;  after  dismounting  the  baggage  he  was  off,  which  gave  me  an 
opportunity  of  examining  the  premises. 

The  dwelling  is  built  of  stone,  with  a  terraced  roof  from  which  there  is 
a  fine  view  of  the  river  Magdalena,  of  the  distant  snow-capped  mountains 
of  San  Martha  with  its  white  peak  19000  feet  above  the  sea,  the  village 
and  surrounding  country.  The  front  of  the  building  is  of  a  chaste  con 
struction  covered  with  white  cement,  the  rooms  five  in  number  are  twelve 
or  fourteen  feet  high  with  stone  floors  —  cool  and  airy  —  there  is  no  second 
story.  I  was  asking  three  or  four  slaves  who  had  come  out  to  get  a  sight 
of  me,  where  Seilor  Glen  lived,  when  the  guide  returned  and  Edward  Glen 
with  him,  who  cordially  welcomed  rue  to  his  house.  "  You  are  home  now," 
says  my  old  friend,  "  I  will  have  your  things  put  awav  and  then  for  break 
fast."  After  which  he  showed  me  to  my  apartments,  where  I  found  a 
bath  ready  and  my  hammock  swung,  I  soon  passed  tliroiujli  the  first,  and 
then  into  the  second  where  a  comfortable  snooze  carried  off  all  the  effects 
of  my  fatigue. 

The  Glens  live  in  grand  style,  with  three  or  four  blacks  to  wait  on  the 
table  and  two  or  three  in  the  kitchen.  Edward  has  engaged  a  young  man 
to  give  me  lessons  in  Spanish,  to  commence  tomorrow  and  in  all  probabil 
ity  I  will  remain  here  till  John  Glen  comes  over.  I  am  anxious  to  see 
him  again,  as  he  undoubtedly  will  bring  home  letters.  Barranquilla  is  a 
large  village  containing  about  6000  inhabitants.  The  houses  are  not  as 
compact,  nor  are  the  streets  as  regularly  laid  out  as  most  of  the  Colom 
bian  villages  are,  yet  the  place  looks  well,  a  number  of  tasty  mansions, 
belonging 'to  foreigners,  built  of  stone  cemented  over  and  white-washed, 
of  which  Glen's  is  the  most  conspicuous,  adds  together  with  its  orna 
mental  trees  to  the  beauty  of  the  place. 

A  branch  of  the  Magdalena  running  past  here  empties  in  the  sea  at 
Sanvanilla  seven  leagues  off ;  the  water  is  sufficiently  deep  to  bear  away 
loaded  vessels  of  60  tons,  a  number  of  which  belonging  to  the  Glens  are 
constantly  employed  by  them  in  transporting  goods  up  the  river  and  along 
the  sea  coast.  The  larger  boats  are  built  of  various  kinds  of  timber  in 
the  strongest  manner  ;  the  knees  are  stout  and  the  seams  are  well  cauiked. 
The  smaller  sizes  are  from  20  to  80  feet  long  and  from  2  to  8  feet  wide  ; 
they  are  all  flat  bottomed.  These  boats  are  propelled  in  absence  of  a  fair 
wind  by  the  Boga  or  boatmen's  long  setting  pole,  with  a  fork  at  the  end 
to  prevent  its  sinking  too  deep  in  the  mud.  I  need  not  ask  you  to  write 
by  everv  packet,  for  you  must  be  aware  of  the  loneliness  of  my  situation 
here  till  the  language  becomes  familiar,  and  can  judge  of  my  anxiety  to 
hear  of  every  little  circumstance  connected  with  home,  every  letter  will 
be  a  treasure  to  me. 

I  leave  this  with  Edward  Glen  in  a  week's  time  on  a  visit  to  St.  Martha, 
distance  30  leagues,  for  a  day  or  two,  and  then  after  reaching  Bogota,  will 
have  sailed  all  of  the  navigable  Magdalena  River.  I  shall  write  you 
again  before  leaving  this  to  join  General  Harrison,  which  will  go  over  in 
the  packet  that  brings  John  Glen  ;  this  leaves  by  the  vessel  that  I  came 
in.  Your  letters  after  the  receipt  of  this,  should  be  directed  to  Bogota. 
I  wrote  to  Gen.  Harrison  from  Carthagena  of  my  wish  to  remain  here 


454  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

sometime,  expressing,  however,  my  readiness  to  join  him  sooner  than  I 
had  contemplated  if  he  required  it,  and  now  I  hold  myself  prepared  to 
"  pack  up  my  tatters,"  at  a  moment's  warning.  I  am  careful  of  my  health, 
but  fear  no  difficulties  nor  the  climate.  The  only  news  that  I  could  glean 
here  and  at  Carthagena  is,  that  there  are  more  persons  concerned  in  the 
late  disturbances  at  Bogota  than  was  at  first  supposed,  the  arrests  are  still 
going  on  ;  a  person  was  committed  to  prison  the  day  before  yesterday  in 
Carthagena.  Popayan  is  in  a  state  of  commotion,  the  Capital  in  the 
hands  of  the  rebels,  Bolivar  with -the  Southern  division  of  the  Army  is 
marching  down  to  defeat  them,  while  the  Peruvians  in  large  force  are 
hastening  to  their  assistance.  500  men  left  Carthagena,  a  few  days  since, 
to  join  the  Liberator.  All  this  makes  the  timely  arrival  of  General 
Harrison  at  Bogota,  a  very  desirable  thing  to  the  Americans  in  this  un 
settled  Country. 

In  traveling  through  this  new,  wild  and  comparatively  unknown  coun 
try,  I  keep  a  Journal  of  which  my  letters  home  are,  in  all  important  points 
a  copy  j  if  they  are  preserved,  they  may  be  amusing  hereafter  and  perhaps 
useful  in  case,  that  by  accident,  the  original  should  be  lost.  Perhaps  you 
will  think  it  a  meagre  journal,  but  it  is  a  task  never  before  attempted  by 
rue,  and  I  think  or  at  least  hope  the  numbers  will  improve.  I  will  en 
deavor  at  all  events  to  be  more  systematical  and  connected.  Long  letters 
will  keep  up  my  acquaintance  with  my  mother  tongue,  otherwise  I  might 
stand  a  chance  of  losing  all  knowledge  of  it,  since  the  Spanish  language 
now  engrosses  all  my  attention  j  by  the  way,  it  is  quite  as  easy  for  me  to 
acquire  as  I  anticipated,  the  pronounciation  is  the  most  difficult  part.  I 
must  now  close,  having —  as  I  hope  you  will  in  writing  to  me  —  filled 
my  paper.  I  can  only  get  letters  from  across  the  ocean  once  a  month, 
then  all  write.  Edward  Glen  is  a  fine,  noble  fellow  ]  he  says  and  also 
does  Cato  that  I  must  not  forget  them  in  writing  to  those  at  home. 

Remember  me  to  all.  Wishing  each  one  a  very  Happy  New  Year  and 
many  of  them. 

Most  truly  and  sincerely  yours, 


General  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  P.  M. 

Albany,  New  York.     Kstado  Uuidos  del  Norte. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  455 

Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  his  Son. 
My  dear  Rensselaer.  Albany  January  18,  1829. 

Glen  sails  in  a  few  days  by  whom  I  send  this,  I  have  procured  your 
Commission  and  inclose  it.  I  have  also  a  tin  box  containing  your 
masonic  diplomas  from  the  encampment  at  Hudson,  this  I  will  send  down 
to  New  York  if  I  find  a  chance. 

Charles  E.  Dudley  is  appointed  a  Senator  to  Congress. 

Governor  Van  Buren's  trouble  is  commencing ;  he  is  very  friendly  to 
me.  Pie  was  at  the  Jackson  dinner  and,  although  my  seat  was  some  dis 
tance  from  him,  he  asked  me  to  drink  wine  with  him  and  the  same  evening 
at  the  ball  was  very  sociable  with  me. 

Chauncey  Humphry,  Stillwell,  Dr.  Staats  and  Mahar  are  candidates 
for  my  office,  poor  fellows  they  are  ridiculed  and  laughed  at;  their  leaders, 
as  I  am  told,  do  not  wish  for  a  change,  but  I  shall  not  trust  to  appear 
ances..  About  the  last  of  February  I  intend  to  visit  Washington  and 
trust  to  my  own  strength  and  influence  with  the  old  Hero.  I  may  also 
be  of  service  to  my  good  friend  Gen.  Harrison.  I  shall  at  least  know 
what  he  has  to  expect,  oppose  any  measure  that  may  be  hostile  to  him  and 
write  the  result  to  him,  from  that  place.  As  they  all  write  I  have  little 
more  to  say  than  to  remind  you  that  you  are  now  thrown,  as  I  was,  upon 
the  world  ;  you  have  powerful  friends  to  push  you  along  by  their  influence, 
but  all  must  now  depend  upon  yourself.  To  high  Heaven  I  commit  you, 
and  trust  that  you  may  be  a  credit  to  your  name  and  Country  is  the  prayer 
of  your  affectionate  father,  SOL.  VAN  KENSSELAER. 

Dear  Rensselaer,  my  heart  says  Amen  to  the  prayer  of  your  beloved 
Father,  so  I  will  only  add,  my  greatest  desire  is  that  you  will  be  guided 
by  the  dictates  of  the  Third  Chapter  of  Proverbs.  Take  good  care  of 
Cato.  May  God  bless  and  preserve  you  prays  your  Mother. 

ARRIET  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Col.  Rens.  Van  Rensselaer,  Bogota,  S.  A. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

SOUTH  AMERICAN  LETTERS  CONTINUED. 

Rensselaer  Van  Rensselaer  to  Ms  Father. 

Dear  Father,  Barranquilla,  Feb.  6,  1829. 

You  see  that  I  have  given  this  letter  a  number  3,  which  will  be  done 
to  all  the  regular  ones  I  write  home,  it  is  a  hint  taken  from  Carter 
Harrison,  by  it  you  will  know  if  any  miscarry.  I  have  sent  you  one 
from  Carthagena,  one  from  here  and  one  from  Santa  Martha,  the  last  is 
considered  a  kind  of  supplement  to  the  others  and  not  counted  a  regular 
one.  I  have  been  waiting  the  last  fortnight  with  much  anxiety  to  hear 


456  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

from  home,  as  the  January  Packet  from  the  U.  S.  should  have  been  here 
then,  it  has  not  yet  arrived  and  hardly  knew  how  to  account  for  its  long 
passage.  We  have  had  some  tempestuous  weather  here  lately;  a 
schooner's  wreck  with  sailor's  hats,  &c.,  was  driven  ashore  on  the  coast 
near  this  three  weeks  since.  The  frigate  Colombia,  which  had  taken  to 
harbor  in  Santa  Martha,  was  obliged  to  cut  loose  her  four  heavy  anchors 
and  stand  out  to  sea,  to  avoid  going  to  pieces  on  the  breakers  towards 
which  she  was  driving  in  spite  of  all.  She  has  since  made  the  port  of 
Carthagena  good  again.  I  hope  that  John  Glen's  vessel  has  waited  for 
the  December  packet  from  this,  if  she  has,  a  dangerous  gale  has  been 
avoided;  but  if  she  left  at  the  regular  time  I  should  hardly  think  she 
would  reach  her  place  of  destination.  I  shall  remain  here  eight  or  ten  days 
more,  and  then  go  on  at  all  events.  Edward  Glen  does  every  thing  to  make 
my  residence  here  pleasant,  the  fact  of  my  staying  so  long  is  evidence  of  it, 
but  still  I  want  to  be  at  Bogota  as  soon  as  possible.  Since  my  arrival 
have  been  chiefly  employed  in  studying  the  language,  my  proficiency  is 
so  great  that  I  have  but  little  difficulty  in  reading  it,  however  my  Yankee 
and  French  brogue  in  a  measure  prevent  my  understanding  and  being 
understood  when  speaking,  yet  I  am  well  satisfied  with  my  progress. 

On  the  morning  of  the  6th  ult.  I  went  with  Senor  Diego  De  Castro,  a 
fine  young  man  —  the  chief  clerk  of  Mr.  Glen,  to  Santa  Martha.  We 
left  this  in  one  of  Glen's  bungo  about  3  o'clock  A.  M.  Our  bogador  was 
a  good  one,  he  sent  us  along  at  the  rate  of  four  miles  an  hour  ;  our  passage, 
a  north  east  course,  was  through  the  chain  of  caiios  or  creeks  and  lakes 
(between  the  Island  Salamanca  and  the  mainland)  one  of  the  latter  is  21 
miles  long  and  is  called  Cienega  De  Santa  Mart'a.  The  land  on  the  banks 
was  generally  too  low  and  flat  to  admit  of  cultivation ;  but  within  8  or  10 
miles  of  Barranquilla  we  would  occasionally  pass  a  rosa  or  plantation  of 
plantains,  paw-paws  and  sugar  cane,  but  excepting  these,  the  ground  is 
covered  with  large  trees  of  which  the  Mangrove  is  the  most  numerous. 
The  water  on  this  route  is  covered  with  ducks,  swans,  herons,  gulls,  croco 
diles,  and  the  bittern,  which  stalks  among  the  reeds  with  its  long  legs 
and  neck  or  feeding  upon  fish;  it  makes  a  most  singular  booming  cry. 
The  land  is  covered  with  a  large  headed  red  monkey,  foxes,  turkeys,  the 
nocturnal  guacharocas,  plovers,  snipe,  other  water  and  laud  birds  of  every 
color  and  description  ;  not  forgetting  the  many  parrots  of  brilliant  plumage, 
with  their  hooked  bill  climbing  the  trees  in  every  direction.  These  forests 
are  also  filled  with  tigers,  deer,  wild  hogs,  armadillos  which  when  attacked 
roll  themselves  up  like  a  ball,  ant  eaters,  &c.  There  is  no  great  variety 
in  the  scenery  along  this  water  route,  but  on  all  the  low  ground  incapable 
of  tillage,  the  evergreen  Mangrove  tree  with  its  dense  foliage,  excluding 
all  other  kinds,  stands  thick  and  high  quite  to  the  water's  edge  rooting  in 
the  mud,  perfect  forests. 

Where  the  land  is  tillable  every  variety  of  trees  flourish  in  great  luxu 
riance,  the  very  largest  bearing  beautiful  flowers  at  certain  seasons;  even 
now  although  many  of  the  trees  have  dropped  their  leaves,  yet  the  number 
of  evergreens  are  so  great  that  the  forests  are  perpetually  green  and  the 
aromatic  odor  of  the  blooming  ones  is  delightful.  The  cultivated  spots 
are  "  few  and  far  between."  We  passed  about  five  or  six  rosas  or  plan 
tations  and  they  are  quite  small ;  the  largest  containing  about  fifteen 
acres.  The  one  at  which  we  stopped  after  daylight  to  cook  sancocho,  to 
last  us  through  the  day,  was  in  fine  order.  The  plantain  and  banana  trees 
grow  in  straight  rows,  the  large  clusters  of  fruit  hanging  on  all ;  they 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  457 

stand  about  eight  or  ten  feet  apart ;  the  plantains  are  best  when  boiled  or 
roasted  and  quite  palatable,  but  the  bananas  have  a  more  exquisitely,  lus 
cious  taste,  and  arc  eaten  raw,  though  smaller  they  are  of  the  same  species. 
The  trees  which  produce  them  are  of  soft  pithy  nature  growing  eight  or 
twelve  feet  high,  after  once  bearing  they  are  cut  down ;  the  suckers  that 
spring  up  from  its  roots  are  suffered  to  grow  up  and  bear,  after  which  they 
are  served  in  a  similar  manner.  The  glossy  leaves  are  about  six  feet  long 
and  one  foot  wide  —  the  fruit  is  four  or  more  inches  long  and  over  an  inch 
in  diameter,  covered  with  a  thick  peel.  The  papayo  or  papaw-tree  grows 
something  like  the  plantain,  bearing  a  very  sweet  fruit  resembling  our 
musk-melon ;  it  differs  from  the  plantain  in  bearing  periodically,  whereas 
plantain  produces  fruit  from  some  one  or  other  of  the  trees  all  the  year 
round.  Water  and  musk-melons  can  be  and  are  raised  here  with  a  little 
care,  as  well  as  salads  and  other  vegetables  so  as  to  have  a  constant  supply, 
but  the  natives  never  think  of  replanting  till  the  old  crop  is  exhausted. 

The  Juca  a  kind  of  potato  but  more  tasteless,  the  yams  ditto  are  here 
raised  as  well  as  corn,  and  sugar  cane ;  the  two  last  are  scarcely  distin 
guished  from  one'another  when  growing.  The  process  of  planting  here  is 
very  simple,  a  hole  is  made  in  the  ground  the  proper  depth,  the  seed 
dropped  in,  covered  and  then  left  to  itself;  it  would  be  a  novelty  here  to 
see  a  hoe  or  any  other  instrument  with  which  to  mellow  the  ground ;  they 
have  not  the  least  idea  of  a  systematic  mode  of  husbandry. 

I  missed  a  great  deal  of  fine  sport  by  not  having  my  gun  with  me,  for 
the  game  was  very  plentiful,  and  it  is  seldom  or  never  disturbed  by  the 
natives;  it  is  quite  tame  suffering  us  to  pass  directly  under  them.  It  was 
very  aggravating  to  be  so  near  the  wild  turkeys  of  several  species,  some 
are  as  large  as  our  domestic  ones,  others  smaller,  the  least  about  the  size 
of  the  bantam  fowl.  Large  white,  grey  and  blue  cranes  are  very  plentiful 
and  tame,  now  and  then  a  grey  fox,  or  an  alligator  would  show  themselves 
close  by  us.  The  only  disturbance  we  met  with  was  on  the  water  from 
the  mosquitoes,  if  they  are  not  as  large  as  ours,  their  numbers  supply  the 
deficiency,  perfect  plagues.  When  in  the  larger  lakes  we  spread  our  little 
sail,  if  the  wind  proved  fair  ;  but  as  that  was  generally  against  us  the  boat 
man  was  obliged  to  set  us  along  with  a  pole  for  they  never  use  the  paddle 
unless  in  deep  water.  Twelve  o'clock  at  night  we  arrived  at  Peublo-Viejo, 
we  anchored  in  the  lake  and  spreading  out  our  mats  on  the  bottom  of  the 
boat  slept  soundly  till  day  ;  then  we  landed  at  the  dirty  little  Indian  village 
standing  on  a  neck  of  land  between  the  lake  of  Santa  Martha  and  the  sea. 
We  were  terribly  annoyed  by  the  sand  flies,  their  numbers  here  are  very 
great,  and  until  an  hour  or  two  of  their  society  had  made  me  a  little  ac 
customed  to  their  ways,  I  found  them  almost  insupportable,  they  are  the 
first  I  had  seen. 

This  is>65  miles  from  Barranquilla;  we  now  hired  horses  preferring  that 
mode  of  going  the  remaining  part  of  the  route,  to  the  difficulty  of  proceed 
ing  by  sea  in  the  open  canoe  around  some  very  dangerous  points.  One 
miles  ride  brought  us  to  the  village  of  Cienega  another  Indian  site,  it  was 
formerly  a  fine  town  but  is  now  a  wretched  place.  It  was  the  scene  of  a 
famous  battle  during  the  revolution  between  the  Patriots  under  Gcnl. 
Moutillo,  and  the  Royal  Indians;  the  latter  were  beaten  and  their  village 
burnt  to  the  ground. 

Our  ride  from  here  to  the  hamlet  of  Gaira —  six  leagues,  is  mostly  on 
the  sea  beach,  excepting  in  some  few  places  where  the  passage  around 

58 


458  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

some  of  the  headlands  is  too  hazardous,  there  we  are  obliged  to  leave  the 
beach,  and  rise  through  tortuous,  difficult,  and  narrow  denies  over  the 
points  of  the  hills  of  St.  Martha.  These  hills  rise  up  very  abruptly,  close 
from  the  sea,  to  the  height  of  from  6  to  1200  feet  and  nearly  barren,  the 
trees  being  small  and  very  scarce.  The  Snow  mountains  that  we  saw 
from  sea  are  60  miles  back  in  the  interior.  Between  Gaira  and  Santa 
Martha,  two  leagues  apart,  those  hills  are  crossed  over,  but  before  reaching 
the  place  at  which  the  ascent  begins,  you  go  through  a  narrow  vale  where, 
without  a  breath  of  air,  the  mid-day  sun  beat  vertically  down  upon  us  in 
full  strength;  while  the  white  sand  below  reflecting  back  such  an  over 
powering  heat  gave  us  a  pretty  fair  idea  of  the  vigor  of  the  Sun  when  in 
the  zenith.  I  thought  it  hot  enough  to  roast  a  large  round  a-la-mode-becf 
in  ten  minutes,  and  much  feared  part  of  my  under  lip  was  baked.  I  never 
enjoyed  the  fresh  breeze  so  much  as  I  did  after  leaving  those  sultry  vales  ; 
as  we  rose  from  the  lower  regions  to  the  upper  ones  the  pure  air  and  fine 
prospect  enlivened  us  and  horses  so  much,  that  it  enabled  us  to  pass 
swiftly  through  a  similar  valley,  on  the  other  side,  without  feeling  the 
effects  of  the  heat  so  sensibly.  A  pretty  little  stream  from  the  hills  to 
gether  with  the  bracing  sea  gales  made  the  remaining  half  mile  to  the 
city  very  pleasant.  We  were  delighted  with  the  prospect  as  we  halted  on 
the  top  of  the  hills,  perhaps  800  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  but  it 
would  be  better  still  if  the  lands  were  as  well  cultivated  below  as  they  are 
under  Mt.  Holyoke  or  Catskill.  But  the  ground  is  all  in  a  state  of  nature  ; 
its  tenants  are  fierce  tigers,  deer,  foxes  &c.  Santa  Martha  is  situated  in 
a  sort  of  an  amphitheatre  formed  by  the  surrounding  hills,  the  inhabitants 
get  a  good  supply  of  fresh  hill  water  from  the  pretty  rivulet  which  empties 
into  the  sea  near  it.  The  City  is  about  one-fourth  the  size  of  Carthagena, 
the  houses  have  the  same  heavy  effect  as  those  of  that  seaport  but  not  in 
so  great  a  degree  ;  they  are  mostly  one  storied,  built  of  brick  or  stone  with 
veranda.  Santa  Martha  is  not  a  walled  town  but  there  are  heavy  batteries 
at  the  two  Forts  for  its  protection ;  one  on  a  high  bluffy  island,  the  other 
on  the  main  shore  on  the  beach  ;  vessels  pass  on  either  side  of  the  island 
to  enter  the  harbor.  There  was  but  one  vessel  in  when  I  was  there,  a 
schooner  from  Boston.  I  gave  her  captain  a  letter  for  home. 

It  was  about  2  o'clock  p.  M.,  when  we  arrived  here  where  we  remained 
till  the  next  day  at  5  P.  M.  After  dining  twice  with  the  family. of  Senor 
Micio  and  breakfasting  once  with  Mr.  Severs  the  U.  S.  Consul,  we  started 
homeward;  our  journey  being  principally  in  the  night,  by  moonlight, 
was  cool  and  pleasant.  Although  Peublo-Viejo,  where  we  left  our  boats, 
was  only  25  miles  from  St.  Martha,  we  did  not  reach  it  till  12  o'clock 
owing  to  the  rough  roads,  and  just  as  we  were  about  embarking  a  guard 
of  soldiers  surrounded  and  ordered  us  to  remain  till  morning,  and  submit 
to  have  our  baggage  searched  for  contraband  goods.  Diego  being  known 
to  them  they  accepted  a  bottle  of  rum  as  a  passport,  and  we  went  on  in 
the  cool  night  and  reached  home  the  next  day. 

Every  village  near  a  navigable  water  has  a  body  of  soldiers  quartered 
in  it,  to  prevent  the  smuggling  that  has  been  and  is  still  carried  on  by 
all  nations.  My  jaunt  to  St.  Martha  has  been  a  very  serviceable  one  to 
me,  posting  me  up  as  to  what  will  be  required  in  going  up  the  river,  and 
has  convinced  me  that  I  can  bear  the  heat  and  inconveniences  attending 
the  trip.  1  ride  out  occasionally  with  Edwar  J  Glen  which  has  made  the 
geographical  situation  of  this  section  of  the  country  quite  familiar  to  me. 
Five  leagues  west  of  this  is  the  tidy  little  village  of  Gallapa  where  we 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  459 

once  rode  to  dun  the  priest  for  cotton.  We  saw  one  or  two  cotton  rosas 
on  the  road,  they  are  badly  cultivated,  only  one  crop  is  taken  from  a  piece 
of  ground,  and  then  the  squatters  leave  it  for  another  virgin  piece.  Cotton 
and  Indigo  are  the  natural  products  of  this  sandy  country,  the  first  is 
raised  in  small  quantities,  the  last  not  at  all  in  this  province.  On  the 
20th  went  with  my  very  good  friend  to  Savinilla  the  sea  port  at  the  mouth 
of  this  river,  where  he  is  now  loading  a  Scotch  brig  with  fustic  and  cotton ; 
in  going  we  passed  through  Camacho.  Laplaya  to  the  custom  house  in  the 
port  and  the  fort  at  Point  Savinilla  terminated  our  ride.  The  Fort,  so 
called,  is  eight  leagues  from  home  and  nothing  but  a  piece  of  ground 
leveled  at  the  mouth  of  the  port  in  a  good  situation  on  a  promontory, 
which  not  only  commands  the  entrance  to  the  harbor  but  the  back  ground 
also,  it  now  is  poorly  fortified  and  as  badly  manned,  it  has  four  large 
cannon  mounted.  Camacho  and  Laplaya  are  two  hamlets  being  the 
dwellings  of  the  proprietors  of  the  immense  herds  of  Black  cattle  that 
graze  on  the  plains  of  their  vicinity ;  these  savannas  afford  excellent 
pasturage  for  the  congregated  beasts.  We  were  well  armed  in  going  to 
this  fort  and  were  in  hopes  of  bringing  home  the  skin  of  a  lion  that  has 
been  in  the  habit  lately  of  eating  up  the  goats  at  the  Custom  House,  but 
were  disappointed  in  not  seeing  him  as  was  the  poor  old  custom  house 
officer. 

We  are  to  have  another  hunt  in  a  few  days,  the  party  is  to  be  composed 
of  Edward,  myself  and  Cato  with  two  others  and  Salamanca  is  to  be  the 
scene  of  our  valorous  achievements  against  these  "  lords  of  the  forest/'  a 
description  will  be  added  hereafter.  The  woods  on  this  coast  are  infested 
with  great  numbers  of  wild  animals  among  which  are  foxes,  rabbits,  hogs, 
deer  and  tigers.  The  tigers  are  very  destructive  to  the  goats  and  young 
stock  —  it  is  quite  common  for  them  to  invade  the  door  yards  at  night  for 
booty  —  but  at  the  sight  of  a  man  they  flee  to  their  fastness  in  the  thorny 
underbrush,  where  they  cannot  be  pursued ;  but  if  wounded  or  provoked 
they  defend  themselves  with  desperation  and  are  extremely  dangerous. 
I  was  much  amused  with  the  result  of  a  contest  between  one  of  these 
tigers  and  a  full  grown  buck  negro.  The  point  of  contention  was  a  calf 
in  charge  of  the  negro  :  it  appears  that  the  depredator  impelled  by  severe 
hunger,  could  not  resist  the  passing  opportunity  of  a  fine  flit  yearling,  but 
immediately  reversing  his  usual  time  for  such  operations,  left  his  mid-day 
lair  for  the  onslaught.  The  coveted  prey  was  soon  on  his  back,  and  the 
victor  marching  off  in  triumph,  when  the  pursuing  negro  seized  the  bellow 
ing  victim  by  one  of  his  hind  legs,  upon  which  a  trial  of  strength  —  last 
ing  some  minutes,  took  place  between  the  two  champions.  The  four  legged 
hero  finding  his  course  impeded  by  the  woolly  headed  Sambo,  released  his 
captive  to  beat  off  the  intruaer.  His  first  charge  or  leap  was  a  gallant  one, 
and  Cuffee's  story  would  have  been  a  short  and  dismal  one,  but  that 
fortunately  he  had  a  quick  eye,  strong  arm,  and  the  circumstance  of  his 
having  a  blunderbuss  in  his  left  hand  occurring  to  him  at  the  moment  (a 
thing  it  appears  he  had  entirely  forgotten)  which  he  presented,  in  the 
vigor  of  desperation  to  the  breast  of  the  raging  tiger,  with  such  effect  that 
both  recoiled  back  some  feet  without  any  visible  damage  to  either.  From 
the  attitude  of  each  of  the  belligerents  now,  it  seemed  as  if  both  had 
acquired  a  formidable  opinion  of  the  prowess  of  the  other  as  a  result  of 
the  last  attack.  The  tiger  stood  growling  ominously  and  shewing  his  teeth 
at  the  disappointment :  the  excitement  which  had  for  the  time  being 
usurped  the  place  of  fear  in  the  negro,  at  the  first  danger  of  his  calf,  now 


460  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

left  him  and  for  the  first  time  he  realized  his  own  peril.  He  has  a  gun 
it  is  true  but  he  scarcely  knows  its  use ;  and  as  he  turns  to  flee,  the 
treacherous  tiger  perceiving  the  intention  makes  another  spring  at  him, 
and  the  affrighted  black  levels,  this  time  fires  and  by  a  miracle  shot  true, 
the  whole  charge  of  slugs  passing  directly  through  the  heart  of  the  monster. 
The  scene  of  this  action  was  on  the  island  of  Gomer  opposite  and  one  mile 
from  Barranquilla.  The  slave  is  owned  by  Senor  Antonio  Mendoza  who 
keeps  Mr.  Glen's  cattle  j  the  head  of  the  ferocious  animal  which  I  saw 
was  an  enormous  one. 

One  more  instance  occurred  in  that  vicinity  during  my  stay,  of  a  tiger's 
being  successsfully  encountered,  single  handed  and  that  too  by  a  gallant 
boy  of  sixteen  jears  of  age.  He  was  out  with  his  jackass  for  wood  hav 
ing  with  him  only  a  lance;  while  engaged  in  loading  his  beast,  hearing 
his  two  little  curs  bark,  he  looked  round  and  perceived  a  large  tigress 
descending  a  gigantic  tree  which  stood  near  him.  With  the  decision  of  a 
man  he  ran  with  his  lance  and  pierced  her  through  before  she  could  reach 
the  ground,  and  then  went  to  discover  the  object  of  the  dogs'  attack  •  it 
was  a  half  grown  cub,  which  after  a  furious  conflict  yielded  itself  prisoner 
to  the  young  Niinrod.  The  boy's  father  proved  himself  a  brute  by  kill 
ing  the  cub  and  flogging  the  lad  for  what  he  termed  his  temerity.  The 
hides  of  both  the  tigress  and  her  cub  are  now  in  the  possession  of  Edward 
S.  Glen.  The  dread  of  those  tigers  appear  to  be  almoat  universal,  I  never 
could  make  up  a  party  to  hunt  them  for  love  or  money.  I  once  went  out 
alone  for  six  or  eight  hours  but  without  any  success.  The  extreme  dull 
ness  of  Barranquilla  which  I  had  a  fair  opportunity  of  testing  whilst 
waiting  three  months,  gave  me  plenty  of  time  for  study,  writing  and 
gunning.  The  paucity  of  game,  among  the  shrubs  of  the  sandy  plains  in 
the  immediate  neighborhood,  compelled  me,  in  the  pursuit  of  my  favorite 
amusement,  to  cross  the  Magclalena  where  in  tbe  vicinity  of  Mr.  Glen's 
u  rosa  "  the  greatest  number  of  ducks  of  the  teal  species,  enliven  the 
numerous  lagoons  of  the  Savanna  groves,  together  with  plover,  snipes,  &c. 
There  I  would  frequently  hie  to  pass  an  idle  hour ;  the  beauty  of  the 
grove  was  enchanting  and  the  freshness  of  the  sea-breeze  wafted  over  the 
little  lakes  destroyed  all  the  baneful  influence  of  the  midday  sun.  The 
rich  bed  of  grass,  with  which  the  whole  plain  was  covered,  afforded  the 
sportsman  a  fine  opportunity  of  approaching  unperceived  as  near  the  flocks 
of  devoted  ducks  as  he  could  desire,  one  or  two  shots  generally  gave  Cato 
and  myself  as  much  of  a  load  as  we  wished  to  carry  a  mile  to  the  river. 
This  place  was  visited  regularly  twice  or  thrice  a  week  for  a  month  or 
two,  and  every  time  with  success,  but  at  length  a  little  adventure  occurred 
which  induced  me,  through  motives  of  caution,  to  discontinue  my  visits  to 
that  fascinating  spot. 

Being  one  day  intent  upon  getting  in  a  favorable  position  for  a  fair  shot 
at  a  fine  large  flock  of  ducks,  and  crawling  as  usual  in  the  grass  nearer 
the  pond  in  which  they  sported,  when  almost  within  the  desired  distance, 
I  was  surprised  and  alarmed  by  the  sudden  agitation  of  the  grass  under 
my  "all fours"  Withdrawing  my  attention  from  the  ducks  to  discover 
the  cause,  imagine  my  horror  at  discovering  a  very  large  snake  directly 
under  me.  The  ducks  of  course  were,  at  the  moment,  forgotten,  and  my 
first  idea  was  to  shoot  the  reptile  but  simultaneously  Gate's  machete  or 
chopping  knife  occurred  to  rue,  for  which  I  called  and  saved  my  ammuni 
tion.  Whilst  Cato  was  approaching  |from  the  distance  with  his  weapon, 
the  snake  was  making  off,  but  I  followQd  to  keep  him  in  sight,  till  Cato 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  461 

came  up.  The  serpent  then  stopped  and  threw  himself  in  attitude  for 
battle;  a  more  threatening  object  could  scarce  present  itself.  About  three 
feet  of  its  length  protruded  above  the  grass ;  its  fiery  eye,  the  brandishing 
of  its  forked  tongue  with  the  quick  opening  and  shutting  of  its  ponderous 
jaws  proclaimed  its  deadly  rage.  Cato  made  one  mis-blow  with  the 
machete,  the  snake  darted  at  him  in  return  with  like  success.  I  then  took 
the  tool  myself  and  was  lucky  enough  to  sever  the  head  from  its  body  at 
the  first  stroke.  The  color  was  a  beautiful  rich  cream  color,  studded  over 
with  small  glossy  black  spots ;  it  measured  eight  feet,  and  I  afterwards 
learned  that  its  bite  is  deadly  and  incurable.  How  I  escaped  touching  it 
in  passing  over  him  on  my  hands  and  knees  is  a  mystery  to  me,  he  then 
was  basking  in  the  sun  and  probably  sleeping;  if  I  had  unfortunately 
touched  him,  one  bite  would  have  told  my  story.  The  danger  at  all  events 
was  too  apparent  for  me  as  a  prudent  person  to  expose  myself  to  a  like 
hazard  the  second  time ;  I  never  went  there  for  ducks  again. 

On  February  15th  Edward  received  a  letter  from  his  brother  John 
dated  "  New  York  Dec.  24th,"  in  which  he  states  his  intention  of  return 
ing  by  way  of  St.  Thomas  and  Jamaica;  this  letter  came  via.  Chagres,  but 
does  not  lessen  my  apprehensions  for  his  safety,  as  he  has  had  time  to  ac 
complish  all,  but  is  not  yet  here.  As  Edward  thinks  that  John  will 
certainly  go  on  immediately  to  Bogota  after  his  return,  and  being  so 
urgent  that  I  shall  wait  for  his  arrival.  I  will  now  remain  till  the-  Febru 
ary  packet  from  New  York  arrives.  February  23rd.  I  was  this  day  ex 
tremely  gratified  by  the  receipt  of  an  answer  to  my  letter  from  Carthagena, 
of  Dec.  25th  to  General  Harrison.  His  letter  dated  Bogota  Feb.  7th  says  : 
"  Upon  my  arrival  here  evening  before  last  I  received  yours  &c."  He 
mentions  that  his  furniture  had  not  yet  arrived  and  of  course  had  not  yet 
commenced  housekeeping,  he  concludes  with  :  "  If  this  letter  should  find 
you  still  at  Barranquilla  you  can  use  your  own  discretion  as  to  the  time 
of  your  departure.  Whenever  you  do  come,  it  will  give  me  much  pleasure 
to  receive  you  as  the  son  of  an  old  and  highly  valued  friend."  That  let 
ter  has  confirmed  me  in  my  intention  of  remaining  some  time  longer  here? 
for  the  sake  of  John  Glen's  company  up  the  river.  The  General's  letter 
of  which  the  above  is  the  substance,  suits  me  exactly ;  his  remark  about 
his  furniture  is  intended  to  give  me  an  idea  of  his  as  yet  unsettled  state, 
and  is  as  1  take  it,  an  indirect  way  of  saying  he  is  not  yet  ready  to  receive 
me,  but  notwithstanding  he  will  be  glad  to  see  me  for  your  sake  at  any 
time. 

March  3rd.  Edward  Glen  last  evening  received  a  package  of  letters 
from  his  friends  at  home  by  the  brig  Medina,  which  left  his  brother  at 
St.  Domingo  and  is  now  in  Santa  Martha.  Our  fears  are  now  at  an  end 
respecting  John  Glen,  he  will  go  to  Jamaica  before  he  returns.  I  am  in 
hopes  of  hearing  from  our  Consul  at  Carthagena,  in  reply  to  mine,  regard 
ing  Gen.  Harrison's  furniture,  still  detained  in  the  Custom  House  for 
duty,  if  my  information  is  correct  I  shall  put  it  in  a  train  to  be  sent  on 
before  I  leave  this.  It  takes  two  months  for  heavy  or  bulky  articles  to 
reach  Bogota  from  Carthagena  therefore  my  waiting  will  be  out  of  the 
question.  The  war  with  Peru  is  no  more,  it  died  a  natural  death  after 
her  vessels  had  been  repulsed  in  an  attempt  against  Guayaquil  and  a  few 
companies  of  her  troops  were  beaten  on  land  by  a  similar  number  of 
Colombians.  The  insurrection  at  Popayan  headed  by  a  discontented  Colonel 
has  also  been  quashed.  The  Country  is  tranquil  and  its  affairs  evidently 
improving,  a  proof  of  which  is  that  a  certain  proportion  of  its  Exchequer 


462  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

bills  arc  receivable  now  at  the  Custom  House  for  duties,  a  thing  heretofore 
not  allowed,  and  General  Bolivar's  disposition  to  facilitate  the  commercial 
intercourse  with  this  country  is  manifested  in  his  late  order  opening  the 
Port  of  Savinilla  for  exportation.  In  consequence  of  Edward's  pressure 
of  business  we  have  not  been  able  to  leave  home  for  our  lion  hunt,  and 
now  as  our  preparations  for  the  jaunt  up  the  river  takes  up  all  our  time, 
we  will  be  obliged  to  lay  that  resolution  on  the  table.  John  Glen  has 
arrived  but  having  touched  at  Jamaica,  in  his  passage,  he  sent  my  letters 
on  by  the  N.  Y.  packet  and  I  now  have  the  mortification  and  disappoint 
ment  to  know  they  have  gone  on  to  Bogota.  My  exposure  to  the  climate 
and  the  Sun  has  been  frequent  and  intentional ;  after  landing  I  used 
much  caution  in  going  out  scarcely  ever  without  my  umbrella,  but  as  I 
became  more  and  more  inured  was  less  guarded,  and  now  I  feel  as  safe  in 
venturing  abroad  without  any  extraordinary  precautions  as  most  of  the 
natives.  The  only  indisposition  of  any  kind  that  I  have  experienced  here, 
was  a  slight  headache  at  Santa  Martha  after  crossing  its  hills  and  confined 
vales,  but  an  half  hour's  nap  made  me  strong  as  ever,  and  now  look  for 
ward  to  my  passage  up  the  river  with  pleasure. 

What  an  agreeable  diversity  I  will  experience  in  relaxation  from  study 
while  going  with  the  windings  of  the  River  Magdalena  a  distance  of  eighty 
miles  and  new  objects  constantly  unfolded  to  my  vision.  This  journey  is 
an  every  day  occurrence  with  Merchants,  from  several  of  whom  I  have  ob 
tained  much  valuable  information  in  regard  to  this  rout ;  which  together 
with  the  assistance  of  my  good  friend  Edward  have  made  rnvself  familiar 
with  all  the  requisites  for  it,  and  am  now  amply  provided  with  every 
necessary  and  many  luxuries  for  the  trip.  My  boat  is  good  and  I  have 
three  of  Glen's  best  men  to  man  it,  Cato  and  myself  have  mats,  musquito- 
bars  &c  j  the  awning  of  the  boat  is  manufactured  of  leaves,  impervious  to 
sun  or  rain.  Not  having  English  or  Americans  aboard  save  Cato,  will  be 
an  advantage  to  my  Spanish  for  my  crew  speak  no  other  language.  I 
have  been  in  the  habit  of  exercising  Cato  with  the  broad-sword,  by  which 
I  have  not  only  made  a  pretty  good  swordsman  of  him,  but  improved  my 
own  knowledge  of  the  science.  It  is  a  very  necessary  accomplishment 
here,  as  every  native  from  necessity  carries  a  inachetta  or  long  knife, 
without  it  he  could  never  make  his  way  through  the  underbrush  of  the 
forest ;  besides  the  machetta  is  substituted  for  the  ax,  hoe  and  spade, 
being  therefore  an  essential  instrument  to  every  workman.  It  is  not  at  all 
extraordinary  that  strangers  who  have  seen  these  natives  so  generally 
wearing  them,  should  from  that  very  circumstance  form  an  unfavorable 
impression  of  their  character.  Indeed  the  ragged  clothes  and  long  beard 
of  some  of  these  fellows,  make  them  appear  the  perfect  counterpart  of 
what  Fancy  would  present  as  the  picture  of  a  complete  ruffian.  The  fact 
of  the  weapon  being  often  drawn  when  travelling  does  not  tend  to  destroy 
the  image.  I  have  often  when  passing  them  at  night  had  a  pistol  out  ready 
for  an  emergency,  but  I  have  never  had  a  crossword  or  look  from^any  of 
them  ;  on  the  contrary  have  found  them  to  posess  much  of  that  obliging 
disposition  of  our  own  backwoodsmen,  but  more  ignorant;  they  are  great 
beggars,  nor  are  they  as  strong  or  as  brave,  the  sight  of  a  firearm  will 
scatter  a  dozen. 

Notwithstanding  the  exaggerated  accounts  that  we  had  at  home  of  the 
unsettled  state  of  the  Country,  originating  in  a  measure  in  the  selfishness 
of  the  resident  merchants,  I  am  well  pleased  not  only  with  the  people,  but 
with  the  country  which  is  now  tranquil. 


LEGACY  OP  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  463 

I  hope  that  a  very  few  years  will  see  me  again  on  the  banks  of  the 
bonny  Hudson  with  a  sufficient  fortune  to  make  you  all  happy.  I  have 
just  been  informed  that  the  person  to  whom  Gen.  Harrison's  furniture  is 
consigned  is  only  waiting  for  orders  to  forward  it,  while  the  General  is  in 
daily  expectation  of  receiving  it  and  therefore  does  not  think  of  writing; 
under  these  circumstances  1  shall  assume  the  responsibility  of  ordering  it 
on.  I  hope  that  my  good  old  Grandmother  and  all  my  friends  are  well. 
I  suppose  Aunt  Maria  by  this  time  is  Mrs.  Jacob  S.  Glen.  Give  my  best 
love  to  one  and  all.  Yours  as  ever, 

RENSSELAER  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Genl.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  P.  M.,  Albany,  New  York,  North  America. 

Andrew  Jackson. 

General  Andrew  Jackson  had  a  triumphant  election  and  on  the  4th  of 
March,  1829,  an  imposing  inauguration  to  the  office  of  president.  "  Seve 
ral  surviving  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  Revolution  surrounded  the  old 
hero,  when  he  took  the  oath  of  office  as  the  seventh  president  of  the 
United  States."  In  this  presidential  contest  there  had  been  almost  un 
exampled  malignity  of  party  feeling  which  discharged  heavy  guns ;  but 
the  successful  candidate  constructed  a  cabinet  wholly  of  his  political 
friends.  "  It  was  done  with  decision,  and  then  with  inflexible  honesty,  a 
strong  will,  incorruptible  integrity,  and  audacity  which  amazed  his  friends 
and  alarmed  his  opponents,  he  began  the  administration  of  public  affairs 
with  great  vigor."  Among  the  visitors  at  Washington  was  Gen.  Van 
Rensselaer  not  only  to  be  present  at  the  inauguration,  but  also  to  meet  any 
prescriptive  tendency  that  might  be  afloat.  "  General  Jackson  scrupulously 
rejected  all  party  or  personal  considerations  in  regard  to  Gen.  Van  Rens- 
selaer's  politics,  arid  behaved  most  honorably  in  his  distribution  of  official 
patronage.  When  introduced  by  Mr.  Livingston,  the  president  took  his 
hand  in  both  of  his  own  remarking  that  he  had  long  wished  to  see  Gene 
ral  Van  Rensselaer,  and  continued  he :  '  If  there  was  any  thing  he  could 
do  for  him,  besides  taking  care  of  the  present  Post  Office,  he  must  men 
tion  it  to  him,'  adding  '  I  well  recollect  your  decided  conduct  in  my  state 
in  1797  (Tennessee)  at  the  head  of  your  noble  troop  of  Dragoons,  the 
finest  in  the  service  —  that  you  did  not  come  to  action  was  not  your  fault. 
You  were  also  the  first  to  draw  your  sword  and  shed  your  blood  after  the 
disgraceful  surrender  of  Hull,  the  fall  of  Brock  was  a  very  great  achieve 
ment.  Your  country  owes  you  much  Sir/  A  miserable  set  of  democratic 
cormorants  at  Albany  applied  to  the  old  hero  for  the  removal  of  Gen. 
Van  Rensselaer  from  the  Albany  Post  Office,  but  that  splendid  type  of 
Revolutionary  times  made  this  high  souled  and  patriotic  reply  :  '  By  the 
Eternal  I  will  remove  no  man  from  office  who  carries  British  lead  in  his 
body.'  He  would  not  be  guilty  of  such  a  wanton  outrage." 

A  New  Anecdote  of  Gen.  Jackson. 

After  Jackson's  first  election  in  1829,  a  strong  effort  was  made  to  re 
move  Gen.  -  — ,  an  old  revolutionary  soldier,  at  that  time  postmaster  in 
one  of  the  principal  New  York  towns.  He  had  been  so  fierce  an  Adams 
man  that  the  Jackson-  men  determined  to  displace  him.  Silas  Wright 
had  just  left  his  seat  as  a  Representative  in  Congress  from  New  York, 
and  was  precisely  the  man  to  head  a  movement  against  the  old  Postmaster. 
His  influence  with  Jackson  was  boundless.  His  force  in  debate  made 
him  a  match  for  the  giants  themselves;  and  as  Mr.  Van  Buren  was  then 


464  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Jackson's  Secretary  of  State  the  combination  was  powerful.  The  old 
Postmaster,  knowing  that  these  two  political  masters  were  against  him, 
went  to  Washington,  called  upon  the  President  immediately  upon  his 
arrival,  and  was  most  courteously  received  and  requested  to  call  again, 
which  he  did  several  times,  but  nothing  was  said  about  the  post  office. 
The  old  postmaster  now  heard  from  his  friends  at  home  that  the  important 
document  was  on  its  way,  so  he  resolved  on  a  coup  de  main.  The  next 
day  there  was  a  presidential  reception,  and  among  the  early  visitors  was 

Gen. .     After  a  cordial  greeting  by  Gen.  Jackson,  he  quietly  took 

his  seat  and  waited  until  the  long  train  of  visitors  had  duly  saluted  the 
nation's  chief  and  passed  through  the  grand  east  room  on  their  way 
home.  The  President  turned  to  his  venerable  guest  with  some  surprise, 
as  he  noticed  him  still  seated  on  one  of  the  sofas,  and  entered  into  fami 
liar  conversation  with  him,  when,  to  his  amazement,  the  old  soldier  said, 
"  Gen.  Jackson,  I  have  come  here  to  talk  to  you  about  my  office.  The 
politicians  want  to  take  it  from  me,  and  they  know  I  have  nothing  else  to 
live  upon."  The  President  made  no  reply,  till  the  aged  postmaster  began 
to  take  off  his  coat  in  the  most  excited  manner,  when  Old  Hickory  broke 
out  with  the  inquiry.  "  What  in  heaven's  name  are  you  going  to  do  ? 
Why  do  you  take  off  your  coat  in  this  public  place  ?  "  "  Well  Sir,  I 
am  going  to  show  you  my  wounds,  which  I  received  in  fighting  for  my 
Country  against  the  English."  "  Put  it  on  at  once  Sir  !  "  was  the  reply. 
"  I  am  surprised  that  a  man  of  your  age  should  make  such  an  exhibition 
of  himself,"  and  the  eyes  of  the  iron  President  were  suffused  with  tears, 
as  without  another  word  he  bade  his  ancient  foe  good  evening.  The  very 
next  night  the  crafty  and  able  New  York  politician  called  at  the  White 
House  and  sent  in  his  card.  He  was  immediately  ushered  into  the  pre 
sence,  and  found  Jackson  in  loose  gown  and  slippers,  seated  before  a 
blazing  wood  fire,  quietly  smoking  his  long  pipe.  After  the  ordinary 
courtesies  had  been  exchanged,  the  politician  opened  his  budget.  -He 
represented  the  district  from  which  the  venerable  post-master  hailed  ;  said 
the  latter  had  been  a  very  active  advocate  of  John  Quincy  Adams ;  that 
he  had  literally  forfeited  his  place  by  his  earnest  opposition  to  the  Jack 
son  men,  and  that  if  he  were  not  removed  the  new  administration  would 
be  seriously  injured.  He  had  hardly  finished  the  last  sentence,  when 
Jackson  sprung  to  his  feet,  flung  his  pipe  into  the  fire,  and  exclaimed, 
with  great  vehemence,  '  I  take  the  consequences.  Sir,  I  take  the  conse 
quences.  I  will  not  remove  the  old  man.  I  cannot  remove  him.  Why, 
Mr.  Wright,  do  you  know  that  he  carries  more  than  a  pound  of  British 
lead  in  his  body  ?"  COL.  FORNEY. 

Rensselaer  Van  Rensselaer  to  Ms  Father. 
My  Dear  Father,  Barranquilla,  March,  17,  1829. 

My  home  letters  sent  from  Jamacia  were  fowarded  from  St.  Martha  to 
Bogota,  it  is  truly  a  disappointment  not  to  receive  them  here,  but  then 
having  concluded  from  the  bearing  of  Mrs.  Yisscher's  letter  to  Edward, 
of  February  1st,  that  nothing  extraordinary  has  occurred  in  our  family  (ex 
cepting  the  marriage  to  take  place  on  the  17th)  I  endeavor  to  agree  with 
the  tourist  moralist  who  perhaps  under  like  circumstances  says  :  "In  a 
fleeting  world  like  this  how  foolish  it  is  to  fret  and  ever  worry  ourselves 
with  the  petty  vexations  of  such  a  transient  existence."  It  is  however 
some  consolation  to  know  those  letters  are  not  lost  but  await  my  joining 
General  Harrison.  I  was  misinformed  regarding  his  furniture,  it  was 


LEGACY  OP  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  465 

forwarded  by  Mr.  Bunch,  the  consignee,  immediately  after  its  arrival  in 
Carthagena,  and  must  by  this  time  be  near  or  at  its  journey's  end.  I  there 
fore  only  wait  John  Glen's  arrival,  in  his  own  home,  to  avail  myself  of  his 
company  up  the  river ;  though  I  should  not  stay  if  it  was  not  certain  that 
either  himself  or  Edward  will  go  on.  I  suppose  the  snow,  of  which  I  un 
derstand  you  have  had  such  an  abundant  supply  this  winter,  has  made 
your  city  quite  lively.  Often  times  when  pensively  admiring  the  resplen 
dent  beauty  of  the  moonlight  nights  in  my  tropical  abode,  do  I  think  of 
pleasant  scenes  at  home  at  such  moonlight  revels,  and  wish  for  the  power 
of  ubiquity  that  I  might  occasionally  enjoy  the  pleasures  of  those  sleigh 
rides,  behind  the  jingling  sleigh  bells,  in  the  society  of  "  loved  ones  "  who 
would  not  give  refinement  a  cause  to  blush.  Here  snow  is  out  of  the 
question,  nor  have  I  seen  a  drop  of  rain  as  yet ;  the  Schenectady 
road  will  give  you  an  idea  of  these  in  a  dry  time,  for  the  soil,  but  not  the 
width  as  these  roads  are  merely  sufficiently  wide  to  allow  two  loaded  jacks 
to  pass  each  other.  Having  spoken  of  the  roads  I  will  now  give  you  a  few 
of  the  phases  of  Society  as  come  under  my  observation. 

Being  invited  among  the  rest  of  Mr.  Glen's  family  I  attended  several 
parties,  one  of  which  I  shall  endeavor  to  describe.  It  is  customary  at 
every  Christening,  which  takes  place  at  the  eighth  day  after  the  birth  of 
an  infant,  to  invite  all  visiting  friends  and  to  close  the  evening  with  a 
dance.  On  this  occasion  Senor  Jose  Maria  Penez  the  "  Juez  Politico" 
was  met  at  the  church  by  his  friends  at  the  baptism  of  a  son;  each  of  the 
guests  upon  entering  the  aisle  was  presented  with  a  lighted  candle  which 
he  held  in  his  hand  whilst  the  Curate  was  performing  the  ceremony,  of 
which  by  the  way,  not  one  word  could  be  distinguished  as  the  discordant 
sounds  of  the  organ  from  the  commencement,  absorbed  in  the  vortex  of 
its  own  notes  all  other  things,  otherwise  audible.  The  christening  over, 
all  the  guests  proceeded  in  regular  order,  two  and  two,  accompanied  by 
guards  with  lanterns  to  the  dwelling,  where  the  congratulations  first  took 
place.  Then  the  guests  after  tasting  such  of  the  various  kinds  of  potables 
as  they  fancied,  partook  of  a  great  variety  of  cakes,  and  sugar  preserves, 
y'cleped  "  dulces,"  after  which  they,  according  to  the  custom  of  the.  country 
fitted  their  pockets.  Appetites  having  been  fully  satisfied  with  the  redun 
dant  stores  of  cakes,  candies,  liquors  and  cigars,  the  gentlemen  felt  them 
selves  competent  to  perform  the  more  pleasing  part  of  their  duties,  on  this 
evening,  by  waiting  upon  the  ladies.  The  doors  of  the  adjoining  room 
were  accordingly  thrown  open  to  the  sound  of  music  from  a  very  good 
band,  and  lo  !  all  the  beauty  of  Barranquilla  was  discovered,  seated  round 
the  dancing  room  in  "  dread  array."  I  have  frequently  seen  beauty  so 
displayed  at  home  in  the  same  systematic,  terrific  order;  and  have  felt 
more  reluctance  in  encountering  them,  than  I  am  sure  I  would  so  many 
throat  cutting  banditti;  but  on  this  occasion  the  beaux  entering  in  a  body 
were  countenanced  by  each  other  through  the  trying  ordeal  in  passing  by 
the  formidable  assemblage.  The  round  of  reverencias  were  made  to  the 
lovely  phalanx  while  filing  by  to  our  seats  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  room. 
Each  gentleman  having  selected  his  partner  takes  his  stand  on  the  floor 
and  when  all  is  ready  the  music  strikes  up,  then  the  fair  one  marches  up 
and  takes  her  place  opposite  her  accepted  one  when  the  giddy  whirling 
and  twisting  commences.  The  dances  generally  are  waltzes,  though  they 
have  what  are  called  country  dunces,  but  they  partake  so  much  of  the 
nature  of  waltzes  that  I  can  scarcely  distinguish  them  apart. 

59 


466  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

The  ladies  who  have  corne  under  my  inspection,  in  this  province  of 
Carthagena,  are  of  an  olive  complexion,  with  features  regular,  small  and 
generally  handsome  ;  their  teeth,  in  which  they  appear  to  take  much 
pride,  are  always  beautifully  white;  their  hands  and  feet  small ;  the  latter 
are  ever  drest  in  silk  or  satin  stockings  and  slippers.  Indeed  they  are 
more  extravagant  in  the  dress  of  their  feet  than  any  other  part  of  their 
person.  A  beautifully  figured  tortoise  shell  comb  is  an  indispensable 
ornament  to  their  fine  heads  of  hair ;  a  figured  crape  shawl  thrown  loosely 
over  is  the  only  head-gear  in  doors  or  out;  their  eyes  are  as  black  as 
their  hair.  I  had  remarked  the  general  use  of  cigars  among  all  classes 
but  was  astonished  to  perceive  how  readily  the  elderly  ladies  could  puff 
the  nauseous  weed,  the  mimic  volcanoes  of  smoke  were  rising  in  every 
quarter  of  the  room.  A  great  mark  of  civility  is  to  light  a  cigar  and  offer 
it  to  a  stranger,  if  not  accepted  and  smoked  it  is  considered  a  mark  of 
ill-breeding  or  contempt. 

A  little  girl  of  thirteen  years  danced  the  fandango,  a  sort  of  lively  jig 
or  hornpipe  which  threw  the  company  into  extacies  of  delight.     The  ladies 
do  not  look  with  that  feeling  of  indignation  upon  the  immorality  of  either 
sex,  that  our  fair  skinned,  rosy  cheeks  at  home  do  ;  their  ideas  of  delicacy 
are  less  fastidious  than  ours,  as  is  proved  not  only  in  manners  but  in  con 
versation.     Character  is  nothing,  money  here  is  everything ;  but  though 
so  desirable  you  seldom  meet  rich  natives;  they,  particularly  the  unedu 
cated  portion  which  is  very  great,  are  the  most  improvident  fellows  in  the 
world.     Like  our  Indians  if  they  only  have  for  their  present  need,  they 
care  not  for  the  future;  a  showy  dress  and  plenty  to  eat   will   suffice. 
Foreigners  taking  advantage  of  their  dispositions  soon  realize  a  fortune 
from  their  idiosyncrasy.     The  most  common  materials,  if  of  a  showy  ap 
pearance  are  imported  and  sold  at  extravagant  prices ;  a  yard  of  striped 
calico,  for  instance,  sells  for  $1.50,  other  things  in  proportion  at  fabulous 
gains.     The  people  are  ignorant  and  indolent,  they  work  for  very  low 
wages  but  never  work  unless  they  want  money.     They  seldom  or  ever 
betray  a  trust,  though  their  promises  cannot  be  depended  on  ;  they  are 
effeminate  and  timorous  not   easily  excited  to  quarrel ;  they  look  upon 
foreigners  as  "  creatures  of  another  sphere,"  and  dislike  to  offend  them 
as  much  as  they  could  a  Sprite.     One  of  Mr.  Glen's  clerks,  a  very  clever 
native,  sometime  since  after  watching  Cato  and  myself  at  our  daily  exer 
cise  of  fencing,  very  civilly  asked,  if  I  would  object  to  try  my  skill  with 
him.     I  was  quite  glad  of  the  opportunity  of  trying  the  science  of  the 
natives,  and  this  man  particularly  as  he  had  boasted  frequently  at  table, 
of  the  superior  agility  of  his  countrymen  at  the  exercise  and  of  his  own 
skill,  I  wanted  to  know  how  my  broadsword  would  work  on  a  pinch  with 
the  machete.     The  tilting  match  was  against  him,  it  has  been  repeated 
frequently  with  the  same  result ;  he  could  guard  against  all  the  cuts  very 
well  but  two  and  five,  but  the  front  give  point  would  strike  him  every 
time.     The  trial  has  been  quite  satisfactory  to  me  and  to  him  too,  for  he 
is  now  taking  lessons  of  me;  but  I  hope  and  think  there  is  no  danger  of 
coming  to  the  real  test  of  my  skill.     Another  morning  while  Cato  and 
myself  were  engaged  in  our  gymnastic    exercise,  the  thumping  of   our 
sticks  collected  a  crowd  of  admiring  spectators  round  our  door ;  among 
the  number  two  expressed  a  desire  to  try  my  skill  against  their  machetta 
exercise.     I  consented  and  was  gratified  to  find  that  they  could  not  parry 
a  skillfully  planted  cut,  nor  guard  against  an  occasional  thrust.     I  was 
pleased  as  here  every  man  carrys  a  machete,  and  as  they  always  resort 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  467 

to  it  in  a  fight,  the  idea  of  being  a  match  for  the  best  of  them  in  an  ex 
tremity  was  not  an  ungrateful  feeling. 

I  have  seen  a  funeral.  The  subject,  a  child  of  two  years,  a  neighbor 
of  mine,  died  about  ten  o'clock  at  night ;  when  defunct,  all  its  female 
relatives  collected  and  a  wake  with  all  its  Irish  concomitants  :  drinking, 
howling,  praying  &c.  commenced  and  lasted  all  night  to  my  particular 
disquiet.  Very  early  in  the  morning  the  body  was  borne  to  the  church 
accompanied  by  the  acting  Curate-Padre  Cantillo  —  a  man  of  the  world, 
a  skillful  rake  and  gambler  —  stopping  at  each  crossing  of  the  streets 
where  the  funeral  service  was  chanted,  and  holy  water  profusely  scattered 
over  the  remains.  The  service  concluded  at  church,  the  body  in  simply 
a  winding-sheet  (coffins  are  never  used  for  old  or  young)  was  again  com 
mitted  to  the  care  of  those  who  are  hired  for  the  occasion  to  be  the  howl 
ing  mourners,  and  amid  their  noisy  wailing  was  borne  and  consigned  to 
its  last  resting  place.  The  pillow  on  which  a  person  breathes  his  last, 
though  carried  to  the  grave  with  him  is  never  interred,  but  being  an  un 
hallowed  article,  or  more  probably  the  object  of  superstitious  dread,  when 
wanted  no  more  is  thrown  over  the  sepulchral  wall  among  the  bushes, 
where  the  pillows  of  the  dead  hang  as  thick  as  blackberries. 

This  people  are  greatly  given  to  superstition,  which  is  much  encouraged 
by  their  spiritual  advisers  as  also  strengthened  by  their  religious  rites  and 
ceremonies.  One  of  the  good  women  of  this  town  set  the  whole  place  in 
commotion  by  reporting  her  house  to  be  haunted.  Her  story  was  that  on  a 
certain  night  a  "  bruxa"  or  Witch  entered  the  house  where  a  lady  friend 
and  herself  were  asleep  in  bed,  her  son  of  eighteen  years  in  his  hammock, 
and  after  daubing  herself  and  bedmate  over  with  patches  of  tar,  proceeded 
to  the  hammock  of  the  boy  giving  him  such  a  violent  blow  on  the  breast, 
with  the  flat  hand,  that  he  was  deprived  of  his  senses  and  did  not  recover 
till  noon  of  next  day.  ^he  averred  that  the  doors  were  all  locked,  and 
the  witch  consequently  must  have  entered  by  the  key-hole.  The  first  use 
the  boy  made  of  his  returning  senses  was  very  considerately  to  visit  the 
Padre  for  absolution.  The  toothless  bewitched  old  widow  applied  next 
day  to  Mr.  Glen  for  a  servant  to  sleep  in  her  house  as  a  guard,  and  it 
was  full  a  week  before  any  clue  to  the  mystery  could  be  obtained.  It  was 
finally  discovered  that  the  other  inmate  of  the  bewitched  room,  a  buxom 
lass  of  twenty  years,  having  silently  enjoyed  the  effects  of  the  scheme, 
could  keep  her  joke  no  longer,  but  avowed  herself  the  authoress  of  all  the 
witches  pranks,  to  the  confusion  of  the  sages  and  old  women  who  had 
made  so  many  profound  speculations  on  the  important  event. 

We  had  the  Feast  of  the  Carnival,  which  in  Italy  lasts  some  weeks',  but 
at  this  place  where  so^many  are  dependent  upon  each  day's  labor,  they  have 
been  wisely  reduced  to  three  days,  during  which  time  work  is  out  of  the 
question,  for  all  are  full  of  fun  and  frolic.  Upon  what  occasion  the  festi 
val  originated,  I  cannot  now  tell,  whether  in  Paganism  or  some  Kcclesias 
tical  event.  Here  the  aborigines  of  the  country  in  their  ancient  dress 
appear  to  bear  the  principal  parts,  as  it  will  be  my  part  to  shew  in  due 
order.  The  numerous  masks  who  passed  in  groups,  I  observed  to  beat  one 
another  with  sticks  and  in  the  scuffles,  that  would  occasionally  ensue  for 
some  bauble,  I  noticed  the  clothes  fly  in  tatters,  but  only  on  one  occasion 
an  instance  of  a  person's  falling  out  of  humor,  and  he  poor  devil,  was  well 
paid  for  his  pettishness.  A  crowd  of  masks  seized  hitn  and  after  rubbing 
his  face,  with  a  very  rough  weed,  till  it  nearly  bled,  held  him  by  the  heels 
and  arms  extended  horizontally  in  the  air,  whilst  others  beat  him  umerci- 


468  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

fully  on  an  unmentionable  part.  This  tutoring  was  designed  to  show  that 
as  no  real  injury  was  intended  to  be  given,  therefore  no  person  should 
evince  anger  at  any  trick  played  upon  him.  I  recollected  this  lesson, 
when  as  incidentally  passing  out  in  the  course  of  the  morning,  a  mask  threw 
an  egg.  It  struck  me  fair  in  the  breast  on  my  immaculate  white  linen 
and  broke,  but  to  my  satisfaction  I  found  it  had  contained  nothing  but 
pure  water ;  the  meat  having  been  previously  extracted  for  the  purpose. 
This  trick  had  been  concerted  by  Edward  with  some  ladies  of  the  vicinity, 
who  recompensed  me  for  the  wetting,  by  calling  me  in  and  surprising  me 
with  a  shower  of  rose  and  cologne  water.  The  next  day  all  was  knocked 
aback  by  their'daubing  my  face,  white  vest  and  pantaloons  with  red,  yellow 
and  blue  water  paint,  till  I  looked  more  like  a  harlequin  than  any  thing 
else,  though  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  giving  them  a  Rowland  for  an 
Oliver,  and  subsequently  I  had  more  than  the  full  equivalent  of  fun,  of 
seeing  all,  both  ladies  and  gentlemen  daubed,  that  day  by  other  masks,  in 
a  similar  manner. 

Among  all  the  groups,  that  attracted  my  notice,  none  for  originality 
and  becomingness  of  dress  captivated  my  fancy  so  completely  as  the  two 
parties  of  Indians ;  the  first  party  headed  by  their  Chief  chosen  for  the 
occasion,  was  selected  from  the  immediate  descendants  of  the  unfortunate 
people  they  represent.  The  other  party  or  civilized  Indians  acted  in 
concert  with  the  militia.  The  object  of  the  two  parties  was  to  represent 
the  final  subjugation  of  the  country,  by  the  Spaniards  over  the  primitive 
Indians  who  had  been  the  only  "  lords  of  the  soil."  These  two  parties  were 
particular  in  avoiding  a  meeting  till  the  evening  of  the  third  day ;  in  the 
meantime  all  were  employed  in  seeking  such  diversions  as  best  suited 
themselves.  The  unsubdued  tribe  dressed  out  in  their  aboriginal  grandeur, 
each  warrior  bearing  his  bow  and  quiver,  would  occasionally  dance  through 
the  streets  to  the  sound  of  their  native  music,  which  is  produced  by  two 
players  on  a  kind  of  flute.  These  flutes  are  three  feet  long ;  the  first 
contains  four  finger  holes  and  yields  a  melodious,  wild  and  animating 
strain  of  which  the  people  are  excessively  fond.  The  other  or  second  flute 
has  but  one  or  two  finger-holes,  it  with  a  gourd  containing  beans  is  used 
by  the  second  person  as  an  accompaniment  to  the  other.  The  dances  to 
this  music  were  conducted  with  much  system  and  regularity;  a  war-whoop 
given  in  their  peculiar  tone,  would  sometimes  make  the  "  welkin  ring 
again."  The  showy  dresses  of  this  wild  tribe  rendered  still  more  gaudy 
by  a  profusion  of  brilliant  feathers,  over  which  was  displayed  their  pristine 
arms  —  the  bow  and  arrow  —  gave  them  a  grotesque  and  on  the  whole 
rather  a  splendid  appearance.  On  the  evening  of  the  third  day,  at  sun 
set,  the  troops  having  formed  a  junction,  with  the  body  of  friendly  Indians, 
the  combined  force  marched  out,  to  an  open  space,  where  the  wild  tribes 
had  assembled ;  when  a  battle  took  place  between  the  forces,  in  which  the 
latter  were  completely  routed  and  made  prisoners,  when  the  show  ceased 
in  the  baptism  of  one  of  the  captives.  It  had  been  nothing  more  than  a 
burlesque  Sham-fight  with  a  few  blows  of  the  pikes  and  many  shouts  ; 
yet  the  show,  at  all  events,  awakened  a  train  of  ideas,  which  associated  as 
they  naturally  were  with  the  cruel  and  unatural  treatment  which  the 
Ancestors  of  this  very  people  received,  from  their  blood-thirsty  subduers, 
left  an  impression  not  easily  eradicated. 

After  a  walk  of  two  miles  through  the  dust  to  see  the  mighty  conflict 
I  was  returning  home  quite  disappointed,  but  soon  was  amply  compensated 
for  my  trouble  by  learning  from  one  of  the  numerous  niasqueraders  of  the 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  469 

day,  the  way  to  relieve  a  weary  jackass  of  his  burden.  The  fellow,  dressed 
as  a  rough  looking,  foolish  countryman,  came  alon^on  his  beast  and  stopped 
just  before  me  saying  his  poor  jack  was  tired,  and  that  he  meant  to  relieve 
him  of  a  heavy  load,  then  dismounting  from  the  miserable  nag,  he  took 
off  the  saddle  and  the  load,  then  laced  it  on  his  own  back.  I  thought 
him  a  very  considerate  fellow  as  the  animal  was  scarcely  able  to  carry  its 
own  weight,  and  supposed  the  ci-devant  rider  intended  to  walk,  but  he 
mounted  again  saying  go  on  old  boy  you  see  I  carry  all  the  load,  you  have 
nothing  to  carry  but  me.  It  would  have  passed  with  an  Irishman  as  a 
bull,  but  the  fellow's  compeers  took  it  as  a  superb  piece  of  humor  and 
laughed  at  it  heartily.  They  have  not  the  means  in  this  place  of  carrying 
a  day  of  this  kind  through  with  so  much  display  as  at  larger  towns ;  but 
the  Indian  part  of  the  ceremony  was  acted  to  life,  and  has  given  me  an 
idea  of  many  of  their  customs.  One  of  the  masqueraders  went  through 
the  streets  painted  jet  black,  with  horns  on  his  head,  having  a  negro 
dancing  drum  in  his  hand,  on  which  ever  and  anon  he  would  tap  and  keep 
time  with  his  feet.  I  have  not  yet  received  proof  positive  of  its  not 
having  been  the  Old  Nick  himself,  it  was  a  good  fac-simile  at  all  events. 
Palm  Sunday  is  the  occasion  of  another  feast,  at  which  time  all  people,  both 
young  and  old  able  to  walk,  are  seen  parading  the  streets  to  the  Cathedral, 
with  a  beautiful  large  mountain  or  cabbage  palm-leaf  on  their  shoulders. 
These  leaves  are  all  stacked  up  in  church  in  a  body,  the  priest  then  gives 
them  a  devout  benediction  and  sprinkles  them  over  with  a  profusion  of 
holy  water,  after  which  each  individual  bears  his  respective  leaf  off  to  his 
home.  Then  after  braiding  the  smaller  fibres  in  basket  work  fashion, 
suspends  the  truly  precious  article  up  in  a  secure  part  of  the  house,  where 
it  acts  till  another  year  as  an  infallible  charm  or  preventive  against  thunder 
bolts.  Still  another  one  of  the  great  days  is  the  Crucifixion  of  our  Saviour, 
when,  by  the  aid  of  images,  it  is  acted  over  again  in  every  particular  as 
described  in  Scripture.  The  ceremony  commences  in  church  at  the  be 
trayal  of  Judas ;  and  goes  through  with  the  nailing  on  the  cross,  the  taking 
down,  the  placing  in  the  sepulchre,  the  resurrection  &c  ;  during  which 
time  the  procession  of  civil  and  military  have  several  perambulations  around 
the  streets,  bearing  in  their  ranks  the  Images  representing  Christ,  of  the 
Virgin  Mary  and  several  of  the  Apostles. 

In  their  progress  all  spectators  kneel  in  reverential  awe ;  and  from  the 
houses  of  the  wealthy  the  fumes  of  incense  come  out  in  clouds  to  mingle 
with  that  rising  from  the  censers  of  the  boys  preceding  the  images.  The 
streets  too  in  many  places  are  strewed  with  flowers,  whilst  every  person 
show  their  excessive  grief  for  the  event  they  commemorate  by  the  black 
color  of  their  apparel.  During  the  continuation  of  these  festivities  gamb 
ling  tables  are  seen  every  night  posted  around  all  parts  of  the  town,  at 
which  even  the  poorest  are  found  there  staking  their  quartillo  or  three 
cent  piece.  Indeed  this  appears  to  be  a  universal  vice ;  at  Carthagena 
also  the  number  of  gaming  tables  were  very  conspicuous  and  I  was  struck 
with  the  many  votaries  patronizing  them  especially  on  Sunday  which  was 
the  popular  festival  day  for  diversions  of  all  kinds. 

Besides  Cato's  faithful  attendance  on  me,  he  has  always  been,  at  my 
desire,  employed  on  Mr.  Glen's  rosa,  so  that  he  felt  as  contented  as  could 
be  expected,  though  an  occasional  regret  would  break  forth  from  his  honest 
bosom  for  home.  The  day  was  at  length  determined  upon  when  Edward 
and  myself  were  to  embark  upon  the  Magdalena,  and  all  things  required 
were  in  readiness,  but  another  unavoidable  contrc-temps  detains  us  a  short 


470  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

time  longer.  I  enclose  a  letter  from  Edward  Glen  to  Mrs.  Visscher,  he 
desires  me  to  remember  him  kindly  to  you  all,  he  thinks  of  going  home 
within  a  year.  I  would  like  to  meet  him  there  with  all  my  golden  hopes 
realized,  I  would  treat  him  as  a  brother. 

With  love  to  all,  Yours  most  truly, 
Gen.  Sol.  Van  Kensselaer,  P.  M.,  Albany.          R.  V.  RENSSELAER. 

Post  Master  General  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
My  dear  Sir,  Washington,  19th  March,  1829. 

Mr.  Moore  has  assured  me  that  your  Son  would  be  continued.  On 
that  head  and  I  trust  upon  every  other  you  may  rest  easy.  In  a  few  days 
•I  shall  leave  Washington  for  the  West.  It  is  painful  to  separate  from  so 
many  friends  in  the  Post  Office  Department.  They  lay  very  near  to  my 
heart  and  shall  find  a  place  there  while  life  continues.  From  the  faith 
ful  and  able  manner  in  which  your  duties  as  Post  Master  have  been  dis 
charged,  you  need  entertain  no  fear  of  being  molested. 

Sincerely  your  friend, 

Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  P.  M.,  Albany.  JOHN  McLEAN. 

Post-Master  General  John  McLean  was  succeeded  in  1829  by  William 
T.  Barry,  but  subsequently  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  judges  of  the 
supreme  court  and  did  honor  to  his  exalted  station.  "  A  ruthless  pro 
scription  of  political  opponents,  was  among  the  first  official  acts  of  Geoe- 
ral  Jackson  :  the  executive  patronage  was  made  an  engine  of  party 
warfare ;  and  thus  was  planted  the  root  of  political  depravity,  which  has 
since  sprung  into  such  '  foul  flowering,'  and  overspread  the  nation  with 
its  deadly  shade.  The  power  of  the  president  had  become,  in  congress, 
almost  resistless.  The  people  had  just  emerged  from  one  of  the  warmest 
political  conflicts  in  which  they  ever  were  engaged.  The  victors  now  re 
posed  in  confidence  upon  their  almost  unprecedented  success,  and  rest  from 
the  fatigues  of  the  action.  The  vanquished  peaceably  delivered  up  their 
arms  and  surrendered  themselves  to  the  caprice  of  fortune  with  patriotic 
feelings.  General  W.  H.  Harrison  was  one  of  the  first  victims  to  the 
new  administration." 

Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  to  Jiis  Son. 
My  dear  Rensselaer,  Albany,  Monday,  March  23,  1829. 

With  this  I  write  to  Genl.  Harrison,  his  recall  I  do  most  sincerely 
regret.  I  did  every  thing  in  my  power  to  prevent  it,  and  from  the  kind 
and  friendly  manner  in  which  General  Jackson  treated  me  and  the 
subject,  I  was  really  in  hopes  I  had  succeeded :  He  observed,  "Hike  this, 
I  like  this,  'tis  an  amiable  feeling  we  soldiers  have  for  each  other,  I 
will  think  of  it,  I  must  see  you  to-morrow."  That  night  there  was  a 
consultation,  which  decided  my  friend's  recall,  and  when  I  called  the 
next  day,  the  result  was  made  known  to  me.  My  friends  are  using  every 
exertion  with  Mr.  Moore  and  Van  Buren  for  you,  but  I  cannot  determine 
whether  they  will  be  successful  or  not.  If  they  are  not,  it  may  place 
you  in  an  unpleasant  situation ;  at  this  distance  from  you,  I  cannot  give 
any  advice.  I  must  leave  you  to  your  own  resources  and  to  your  God. 
I  think  my  office  is  safe,  such  at  any  rate  is  the  opinion  at  Washington 
and  here  ]  the  little  recreation  I  have  been  taking  in  my  visit  there,  no 
doubt  has  operated  in  my  favor.  Another  one  of  our  old  citizens  is 
dead  —  Governor  John  Tayler  —  and  is  to  be  buried  this  afternoon  with 
great  pomp.*  *  *  Mr.  Livingston  of  Louisiana  introduced  me  to  Genl.  Jack- 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  471 

son  who  took  my  hand  in  both  of  his  and  observed  he  knew  my  character, 
had  long  wished  to  see  me  and  was  then  happy  the  opportunity  had 
occurred.  Mr.  Livingston  handed  him  a  letter  from  Governor  Lewis,  in 
which  he  spoke  in  his  usual  strong  terms  about  me,  and  among  other 
things  said,  that  I  had  been  Adjutant-General  under  all  the  Governors 
of  the  State,  mentioning  them  by  name.*  *  *  He  observed  to  Mr.  Livingston, 
UI  am  happy  to  hear  fromlny  friend  Lewis,  but  it  was  unnecessary;"  he 
knew  that  I  held  the  Post  Office  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  all  and  that 
they  wished  me  to  retain  it;  and  it  is  certainly  an  extraordinary 
circumstance  that  one  man  should  be  Adjutant  General  during  the 
Administration  of  those  great  men.  He  then  turned  to  me  and  said  : 
"  your  office  is  sacred,  your  Country  owe  you  much,"  and  he  invited  me  to 
call  and  see  him  frequently.  I  availed  myself  of  the  permission  hoping 
to  save  Harrison  for  his  own  sake  and  for  yours,  and  would  have  succeeded 
had  it  depended  solely  upon  him  and  we,  but  there  was  interference. 

We  anxiously  are  looking  for  letters  from  you,  I  hope  we  will  be  gratified 
by  the  next  arrival  of  the  vessel.  As  soon  as  I  hear  further  from  Wash 
ington  I  will  again  write,  at  any  rate  I  shall  write  by  Mr.  Moore  whenever 
he  leaves  the  United  States,  but  when  that  will  be  I  do  not  yet  know,  I 
hope  he  will  deal  honorably  to  all  concerned.  *  *  *  By  this  evening's  mail, 
I  have  received  a  letter  from  the  Hon.  John  McLean  — late  Post  Master 
General  —  informing  me  that  Mr.  Moore  promised  to  continue  you  in  the 
Diplomatic  service  in  Bogota.  This  removes  now  very  much  anxiety  from 
my  mind  on  your  account  in  that  strange  country.  Be  prudent,  be  careful. 
Trusting,  as  I  have  always  done  with  great  pride,  to  your  honor  and  in 
tegrity,  I  must  wait  for  future  developments  to  fully  understand  what 
may  be  the  position  assumed  by  Mr.  Moore  in  regard  to  your  case.  At 
the  time  your  last  welcome  package  of  letters  arrived,  the  girls  were  all 
busily  engaged  in  making  preparations  for  a  dinner  party  (I  had  invited 
a  number  of  gentlemen  to  dine  with  me  that  day)  and  amusing  indeed 
was  it  too  see  all  busy  with  allotted  tasks,  yet  listening  eagerly  to  every 
syllable  read  alternately  by  Richard  and  myself.  On  the  27th  of  last 
month  our  dear  Elizabeth  had  another  little  daughter,  both  are  doing  very 
well.  Mag  writes  you  all  the  news.  To  high  Heaven  I  commit  you  my 
dear  Son,  with  a  Fathers  love  and  regard, 

Col.  R.  Van  Rensselaer,  Bogota,  S.  A.          SOL.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Gen.  John  Armstrong  to  Judge  Spencer. 
My  dear  Judge,  Red  Hook,  N.  Y.,  April  28,  1829. 

I  received  your  favor  of  the  17th,  in  course  of  the  mail,  arid  wrote  im 
mediately  on  the  subject  of  it  to  the  person  you  indicated.  Mr.  E.  Liv 
ingston  returned  yesterday  from  the  South  and  passed  the  day  with  me. 
Having  mentioned  the  business  to  him.  he  assured  me  that  Gen.  Van 
Rensselaer  might  make  himself  perfectly  easy,  and  in  support  of  this 
opinion,  stated  the  following  facts,  viz,  that  while  at  Washington  he  re 
ceived  a  letter  from  Gen.  Lewis  regarding  it,  and  requesting  him  to  take 
an  interest  in  preventing  V.  R's  ejection  and  authorizing  him  to  shew, 
or  to  read,  the  letter  to  the  President.  On  opening  the  subject,  the  Presi 
dent  stopped  him.  saying,  u  I  know  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer's  character  and 
services,  and  a  reccoimnendation  of  him  from  any  one,  is  quite  unneces 
sary."  Edward  adds,  that  no  one  has  a  better  memory,  in  cases  of  this 
kind,  than  Jackson,  and  that  a  promise  once  given  by  him  in  any  form, 
is  never  violated.  The  getters  up  of  petitions  may  therefore  as  well  be 


472  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

quiet,  as  were  there  a  million  of  them,  he  would  fulfil  his  own  engage 
ment.  I  hope  this  temper  will  last  long  enough  to  put  down  the  vile 
practice  we  have  got  into,  of  suffering  a  few  intrigues,  first  to  beguile  the 
Executive,  and  then  virtually  to  usurp  his  authority  in  making  appoint 
ments.  Barry,  I  understand,  has  dismissed  all  suppliants,  in  person  or  by 
agents,  giving  them  to  understand,  that  absentees  only  should  get  appoint 
ments,  this  is  an  approach  to  the  golden  age.  I  suspected  and  feared,  Ed 
ward  goes  to  France.  He  has  not  yet  decided  in  favor,  but  I  predict  his 
acceptance  of  the  office.  Under  the  notice  you  gave  me,  I  cannot  well  be 
surprised  at  seeing  you  here,  but  were  it  otherwise,  I  need  not  say,  that 
no  more  agreeable  surprise  could  await  me.  Cordially  and  in  much  haste 
Your  friend  and  servant,  J.  ARMSTRONG. 

Hon.  Ambrose  Spencer  Esq.,  Albany. 

Charles  A.  Clinton  to  Gen.  Van  Remselaer. 
Dear  General,  New  York,  April  30,  1829. 

I  accidentally  heard  this  morning,  that  you  have  expressed  an  apprehen 
sion  lest  a  successful  attempt  should  be  made,  to  procure  your  removal 
from  the  office  you  now  hold ;  and  that  you  have  stated  that  an  endeavor 
is  making  to  procure  the  appointment  of  another  person.  Is  this  so  or 
not  ?  I  hope  that  there  is  some  mistake  in  it,  and  that,  if  you  have  so 
expressed  yourself,  you  have  been  needlessly  alarmed.  But  are  you  in 
any  danger  ?  If  so,  let  me  know  and  I  will  immediately  write  to  the  Pre 
sident  on  the  subject.  I  cannot  think  for  an  instant  that  General  Jackson 
would  ever  consent  to  remove  you  from  office.  It  would  be  a  terrible  out 
rage  of  good  feeling.  You  ought  to  be  recommended  to  his  favor,  not 
only  by  your  excellent  character  and  distinguished  services,  but  by  your 
warm,  uniform,  honorable  and  manly  friendship  for  my  father.  I  have 
one  word  more,  Dear  General,  on  this  subject.  I  was  told  some  days 
since,  that  I  had  been  named  in  Albany  conversations  as  a  candidate  for 
your  office.  I  did  not  think  that  such  ridiculous  gossip  was  worth  the 
attention  of  either  of  us.  I  felt  vexed  and  angry  when  I  first  heard  it, 
but  on  further  reflection,  I  was  rather  disposed  to  laugh  at  so  ridiculous 
an  invention,  than  to  put  myself  in  a  passion  about  it.  .  I  repeat,  as  I  said 
before,  that  I  cannot  believe  that  your  office  is  in  danger,  but  if  you  are 
of  a  contrary  opinion,  you  must  let  me  know,  and  I  will  adopt  the  most 
decided  measures  in  your  behalf.  As  ever,  your  sincere  friend. 

Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  P.M.,  Albany.  C.  A.  CLINTON. 

Rensselaer  Van  Rensselaer  to  Ms  Father. 
Dear  Father,  Barranquilla,  May  1,  1829. 

Before  my  departure  from  this,  which  is  to  be  to-morrow  I  shall  scrawl 
out  a  few  more  lines  for  you.  After  the  arrival  of  John  Glen  from"  the 
United  States,  his  urgency  with  that  of  his  brother's  that  I  should  wait 
till  he  was  ready  to  go  up  the  river,  induced  me  to  make  up  my  then 
wavering  mind  to  do  so,  notwithstanding  my  anxiety  to  follow  on  after 
my  home  letters.  But  as  a  knowledge  of  the  language  or  good  company 
in  traveling  this  country  is  essential,  I  have  made  a  virtue  of  necessity 
by  accepting  their  kind  invitation  and  now  I  hope  that  on  my  arrival  at 
Bogota  General  Harrison  will  be  ready  to  receive  me  in  his  own  house. 

A  variety  of  circumstances  have  compelled  John  Glen  to  delay  his 
jaunt,  one  of  which  was  waiting  the  arrival  of  over  150  tons  of  goods  from 
Jamaica,  which  he  had  contracted  to  deliver  in  Honda,  those  goods  are 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  473 

now  all  shipped  in  four  boats  ;  the  last  one  starts  to-morrow.  The  owners, 
two  fine  young  men  of  Bogota  are  to  leave  at  the  same  time  in  one  small 
covered  boat ;  Mr.  Glen,  myself  and  Don  Cato  in  another.  At  Mornpo, 
200  miles  above  this,  our  canoes  are  to  be  exchanged  for  a  Champan,  a 
sort  of  scow,  then  the  two  parties  are  to  unite  in  one  mess  for  the  rest  of 
the  rout.  I  anticipate  pleasure  and  information  from  the  society  of  my 
fellow  travelers.  The  names  of  the  two  Colombians  are  Don  Puis  the  5th 
Roxas,  and  Don  Antonio  Libre,  both  very  gentlemanly,  of  the  first  and 
richest  families  in  Bogota.  The  Uncle  of  the  latter  passed  through  this 
place  about  a  month  since  for  the  same  destination,  accompanied  by  a  very 
beautiful,  fair  skinned,  delicate  wife  and  three  young  children.  They 
were  obliged  to  stop  for  a  short  time  at  each  village  on  the  river  in  order 
to  ventilate  the  boat;  and  as  the  tolda  or  covered  part  of  it  is  so  small 
they  were  terribly  cramped  for  room  when  under  headway,  there  was  but 
little  space  in  which  to  stretch  their  limbs ;  they  were  twelve  days  going 
to  Mompox. 

We  unencumbered  bachelors  expect  to  be  in  Plonda  before  June,  and 
in  Bogota  before  you  receive  this.  I  know  your  anxiety  to  hear  often 
from  me,  therefore  if  an  opportunity  of  writing  occurs  on  the  river,  shall 
send  another  letter  as  an  index  of  my  course  and  progress,  endeavoring 
always  to  have  letters  at  Carthagena  for  the  packets.  I  regret  the  irregu 
larity  and  long  intervals  of  time  between  their  departure ;  that  regret  finds 
sympathy  no  doubt  at  home,  for  there  is  nothing  like  frequent  communi 
cations  to  allay  the  pangs  of  absence.  Of  the  two  parties  concerned  in 
the  last  sage  remark,  those  whom  I  love  best  have  no  cause  to  complain 
if  they  have  received  all  my  long  letters  written  in  such  a  desultory  man 
ner;  but  I,  poor  moralizer,  must  defer  the  hope  of  knowing  how  you  all 
are,  in  the  ancient  Dutch  Beaver-town,  till  after  reaching  Bogota.  The 
fear  of  encountering  the  spring  rains  on  the  river,  when  the  flood-gates 
are  opened  "  And  oft  whole  sheets  descend  of  sluicy  rain,"  was  one  cause 
for  consenting  to  remain  so  long;  but  the  rain  is  now  over,  though  they 
have  had  plenty  of  it  up  stream,  as  appears  from  the  rise  of  water ;  we 
however,  had  only  one  slight  shower,  the  first  I  have  seen  since  landing 
in  South  America.  Notwithstanding  the  drought,  this  land  of  perennial 
beauty  yields  every  thing  spontaneously  for  the  wants  of  man.  The  many 
varieties  of  fruits  are  astonishing  —  one  species  succeeds  another  through 
out  the  year;  some  trees  such  as  cocoanuts.  oranges  &c.  are  constantly 
bearing ;  the  fruits  are  generally  luscious  and  very  delicious  but  as  perish 
able  as  the  melon  which  is  constantly  in  the  market;  lettuce  has  been  a 
standing  dish  at  Mr.  Glen's  table  ever  since  my  first  arrival.  The  ther 
mometer  has  not  varied  three  degrees  from  84°  in  the  shade  during  all 
this  time,  but  uniformity  of  the  climate  is  peculiar  to  every  country  within 
the  tropics.  Any  great  difference  in  the  atmosphere  is  attributable  to  the 
peculiar  situation  of  the  country.  Bogota  though  some  half  dozen  degrees 
nearer  the  equator  than  Barranquilla,  is  about  15  or  16  degrees  cooler 
in  consequence  of  its  elevation  being  8,900  feet  above  the  sea,  a  circum 
stance  to  my  liking  as  I  would  prefer  a  little  less  warmth  than  we  have  at 
this  place.  I  find  as  little  difficulty  in  accommodating  myself  to  the  man 
ners  of  the  people,  as  I  did  to  this  warm  climate,  but  am  often  obliged  to 
smother  a  laugh  at  seeing  the  men  embrace  each  other  at  meeting  after 
a  short  separation  ;  the  manners  however,  shall  form  the  subject  of  one 
epistle  when  I  am  better  acquainted  with  the  masses. 

CO 


474  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

Before  leaving  home  I  had  received  an  impression  from  prints,  that  the 
utmost  caution  was  necessary  to  guard  against  the  noxious  and  venomous 
serpents  of  the  country ;  it  is  true  there  are  scorpions,  centipedes,  tarentula 
and  others,  but  their  sting  is  not  much  more  hurtful  than  of  the  bee.  The 
Vampire  too  of  which  we  have  heard  such  dismal  tales,  in  these  localities 
is  a  small  bat ;  it  never  wounds  in  a  vital  part,  but  dextrously  nips  the 
extremity  of  the  sleeper's  fingers  and  toes  to  banquet  on  his  blood.  My 
quondam  fellow  traveler,  Diego  De  Castro,  once  afforded  a  bountiful  supper 
to  one  of  these  iemon  bats,  the  orifice  was  quite  small  and  he  never 
suffered  any  inconvenience  from  his  bounty.  Man,  proud  man  need  never 
fear  the  sting  of  insects  or  the  fangs  of  serpents ;  they  all  fly  on  his  ap 
proach,  even  the  dreaded  tiger  avoids  him.  The  fears  or  ignorance  of 
some  travelers  have  exaggerated  many  things  in  relation  to  this  quarter 
of  the  globe,  which  the  selfish  private  interests  of  resident  foreigners  are 
prone  to  confirm.  For  my  part  I  am  all  anxiety  to  avail  myself  of  every 
opportunity  to  become  au  fait  as  to  the  productions  and  state  of  the 
country,  it  may  hereafter  prove  of  great  utility.  There  is  a  singular  fish 
called  the  rat/a,  found  in  these  waters,  whose  sting  or  bite  is  very  poison 
ous;  several  of  Mr.  Glen's  boatmen  are  now  on  the  sick-list  from  wounds 
inflicted,  by  this  specimen  of  the  finny  tribe,  while  the  men  were  wading 
in  the  water.  If  the  proper  remedy  is  not  applied  immediately,  the  poor 
patient  suffers  for  months  before  he  recovers  from  the  sting.  They  are 
avoided  by  keeping  out  of  the  mud.  In  consequence  of  these  torments  I 
always  go  out  in  a  boat  to  take  my  bath  and  as  a  prudential  measure  even 
then  apply  the  water  from  a  calabash  basin,  and  Cato  ditto.  Indeed  I 
endeavor  to  shun  all  real  danger,  for  I  look  upon  rny  success  in  this  land 
as  a  thing  to  be  desired  by  all  our  family  —  if  I  am  fortunate,  the  anti 
quated  charm  that  binds  our  young  men  like  an  indigenous  plant  to  live 
and  die  on  the  soil  that  rears  them  will  be  broken,  and  a  new  spirit  of 
enterprise  will  induce  many  of  my  Dutch  acquaintances  to  break  away  while 
young,  and  seek  in  other  countries  that  honorable  fortune  which  will  not 
only  give  comfort  to  their  old  age,  but  add  much  to  the  respectability  of 
their  name.  It  would  gratify  me  much  to  awaken  that  feeling  in  the 
youngsters  for  I  still  am  more  and  more  sanguine  of  having  good  grounds 
for  attempting  it;  but  I  must  acquire  more  experience  for  myself  before 
feeling  competent  to  direct  others —  however  I  will  do  my  best  to  elevate 
the  fortunes  of  the  family.  If  I  succeed  in  the  attempt,  the  innate 
satisfaction  will  be  a  sufficient  recompense  for  all  the  anxiety,  trouble  and 
deprivation  that  may  attend  the  undertaking. 

All  foreigners  who  have  resided  here  from  five  to  ten  years  are  rich, 
the  greater  part  of  them  came  with  little  or  no  capital ;  the  profits  on  all 
kinds  of  foreign  goods  are  so  immensely  large  that  riches  must  follow 
prudent  sales.  John  Glen  has  lately  paid  up  the  last  of  a  dead  loss  on  a 
heavy  speculation  in  Brazil  wood  of  $80,000  and  still  is  wealthy,  while  at 
the  same  time  he  is  now  making  money  as  fast  and  surer  than  ever.  The 
freight  of  his  four  boats  will  amount  to  over  $5000,  they  will  be  home 
again  in  ten  weeks;  he  has  four  others  of  the  same  size  going  to  Honda, 
besides  five  or  six  smaller  ones  all  constantly  employed.  His  income 
must  be  immense  and  I  very  much  doubt  whether  he  can  make  up  his 
mind  to  leave  such  profitable  business  to  settle  in  cold  Canada.  He  is 
loved,  feared  and  respected ;  lives  it  is  true  in  bachelor's  style  but  fares 
like  a  nabob.  I  mention  this  simply  as  an  instance  of  what  judicious  en 
terprise  will  effect  in  a  land  where  ignorance  and  improvidence  so  gener- 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  475 

ally  prevails.  Although  I  am  personally  knowing  to  these  facts,  I  do  not 
suffer  the  brilliancy  of  any  money  making  scheme  to  dazzle  me.  It  re- 
quires~time  to  make  me  competent  to  undertake  the  accomplishment  in 
this  strange  clime  ;  it  is  true  that  time  may  bear  away  the  present  oppor 
tunities,  but  I  think  not  at  all  events  till  another  generation. 

I  cannot  of  course  say  if  an  agricultural  occupation  would  answer,  but 
I  am  inclined  to  think  not ;  at  least  in  this  quarter  of  the  country  a  de 
pendence  on  the  articles  of  home  consumption  would  be  a  futile  under 
taking  where  nature  is  so  beautiful;  perhaps  the  raising  of  cotton,  indigo, 
rice  and  sugar  might  answer,  but  I  hope  to  know  more  after  leaving 
General  Harrison.  The  General  is  now  expecting  me,  he  did  not  wish 
to  increase  the  size  of  his  family  while  he  was  a  guest  in  another  gentle 
man's  house,  but  he  said  would  put  himself  to  any  inconvenience  for  the 
sake  of  the  son  of  his  old  friend.  I  think  I  shall  like  him  well. 

Edward  goes  home  again  in  August,  I  may  send  "some  little  nicknacks 
by  him,  he  is  eternally  sighing  for  "  Home,  sweet  home ! "  and  is 
extremely  sorry  at  having  had  too  much  pressing  business  on  hands  to 
permit  his  making  up  a  grand  tiger  hunt  for  my  especial  gratification. 
I  am  sorry  too,  as  the  circumstance  of  having  been  in  at  the  death  of  a 
tiger  would  have  been  a  fine  little  theme  for  prattle  in  days  to  come. 
Poor  Glen  will  miss  my  company  very  much,  we  have  been  almost  con 
stantly  together,  and  /will  often  think  of  both  him  and  his  noble  brother, 
when  far  away.  Don  Cato  (as  Dr.  Van  Rensselaer  calls  him)  is  making 
rapid  progress  in  the  Spanish  language,  I  think  one  year  more  will  give 
him  as  glib  a  tongue  as  any  Castiliau,  he  has  such  a  fine  memory.  Cato 
is  the  prince  of  waiters  here,  I  have  often  witnessed  with  satisfaction  the 
superiority,  he  is  so  fond  of  displaying,  over  Mr.  Glen's  servants  whilst 
attending  at  the  table ;  he  takes  much  pride  in  making  himself  useful. 
I  myself  have  but  little  trouble  in  getting  along  in  ordinary  small  talk. 
It  is  late  but  I  must  tell  you  of  an  incident  which  occurred  to-day,  which 
it  will  be  well  enough  to  note  as  an  instance  of  the  ways  of  the  world, 
and  as  a  record  of  the  merited  punishment  of  an  overbearing  nincompoop. 

At  Carthagena  I  had  casually  been  introduced  to  a  proud  young  Scotch 
man  by  name  of  Saunders,  but  he  then  thought  a  passing  salute  sufficient 
for  a  stranger  ;  however  some  time  afterwards,  he  came  to  Barranquilla  to 
purchase  cotton  and  fustic,  for  a  vessel  loading  at  Savinilla,  which  busi 
ness  detained  him  here  some  time.  Immediately  after  his  arrival,  finding 
the  place  rather  lonely,  he  called  upon  me,  but  I  remembering  his  cava- 
lierness  or  disdainful  manner  at  Carthagena,  treated  him  with  such  a  de 
gree  of  coldness,  that  he  did  not  repeat  the  call,  till  two  days  previous  to 
the  time,  on  which  he  understood  I  intended  starting.  At  this  visit  per 
ceiving  several  bunches  of  choice  cigars  on  my  table,  which  I  had  provided 
for  use  on  the  river,  he  took  up  one  parcel  containing  50,  stating  that  I 
had  more  than  I  required,  and  notwithstanding  my  strenuous  protestations 
contrary,  marched  off  with  my  property,  promising  at  the  same  time  to 
replace  them  the  following  day.  That  day  arrived  and  had  almost  passed 
when  no  cigars  appearing  from  Saunders,  I  directed  Cato,  that  if  he 
happened  to  meet  the  gentleman,  to  give  him  my  compliments  and  ask  for 
them.  Cato  did  meet  him,  near  night  fall,  and  to  the  message  received 
for  answer,  in  presence  of  four  foreigners,  viz,  two  British  sea  captains 
and  two  Americans  that  "  he  should  tell  his  master  from  him  to  go  to 
hell."  Cato  returned  to  me,  and  was  in  the  act  of  delivering  the  message, 
as  I  was  then  standing  in  front  of  Mr.  Glen's  door,  when  Sauudcrs  came 


476  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

riding  by  on  horse  back,  and  supposing  he  had  not  given  his  very  polite 
advice  publicity  enough  to  suit  his  purpose,  repeated  to  me  what  he  had 
told  Cato,  in  the  presence  of  Mr.«Glen's  clerks  and  servants,  several  gentle 
men  were  also  standing  there,  he  then  spurred  on  his  horse  before  I  could 
reply.  He  knew  of  my  intention  to  depart  tomorrow  morning,  and  supposed 
the  difficulty  of  finding  him  to  night,  would  compel  me  to  forego  giving 
him  that  chastisement  he  deserved,  and  thus  he  would  enjoy  the  reputa 
tion  of  having  (without  risk)  insulted  a  Yankee  !  !  But  unfortunately 
for  him,  I  learned  at  dinner  that  he  was  to  attend  a  ball,  in  the  lower  part 
of  the  street.  Our  dinner,  which  we  never  commenced  till  candle  light, 
being  over,  I  took  one  of  the  clerks,  who  had  heard  what  occurred  be 
tween  us,  along  with  me  and  walked  very  leisurely  down  to  the  ball  room 
and  beckoned  Saunders  out  to  the  doors.  He  then  had  the  meanness  to 
declare  he  had  meant  nothing  by  what  he  had  said.  But  when  I  told  him 
he  had  acted  like  a  puppy,  and  that  I  could  expect  no  other  language  than 
an  apology  from  a  puppy,  his  Scotch  imflammable  temper  or  spunk  arose 
and  he  threw  himself  in  a  scientific  pugilistic  attitude,  and  boldly  de 
manded  what  I  meant.  A  slap  with  the  flat  of  my  hand  against  the  chaps 
or  mouth,  gave  him  a  hint  of  my  meaning,  and  brought  the  whole  ball 
room  out  to  see  the  fracas;  among  the  rest  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing 
the  two  British  Captains.  In  the  meantime,  the  wary  Scot  was  preparing 
to  return  the  compliment  when  I  gave  him  one  of  Jim  Sanford's  settlers 
on  the  potatoe  trap,  and  he  reeled  back  in  the  arms  of  one  of  the  alcaldes 
or  justice  of  peace,  who  came  out  with  drawn  swords  at  the  commencement 
of  the  affray,  while  another  alcaldi  made  a  prisoner  of  me.  However, 
Edward  Glen,  who  had  received  some  intimation  of  what  was  going  on, 
happened  to  come  along  and  at  his  opportune  interference  in  my  behalf, 
I  was  immediately  released  and  returned  home,  have  since  heard  nothing 
of  Saunders.  Yours  very  truly, 

Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany,  N.  Y.        R.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

SOUTH  AMERICAN  LETTERS  CONTINUED. 

Rensselaer  Van  Rensselaer  to  Ms  Father. 

Dear  Father,  Mompox,  May  13,  1829. 

In  accordance  with  the  promise  made  in  my  last  from  Barranquilla,  I 
take  advantage  of  the  delay  of  our  boats  at  this  place  to  write  you  again. 
A  person  engaged  in  business  is  neither  master  of  his  own  time  or  motions, 
he  must  be  governed  by  the  exigencies  of  the  moment,  and  those  design 
ing  to  travel  in  company  with  business  men  must  have  the  patience  of 
the  sainted  Job  to  endure  all  the  changes  and  postponements  incident  to 
the  projected  excursions.  My  patience  has  been  pretty  well  tried,  at  all 
events  by  the  unavoidable  delays  of  the  Glens;  every  detention,  after  the 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  477 

hope  of  receiving  letters  from  home  at  BaBranquillahad  vanished,  was  an 
aggravating  addition  to  my  redundant  stock  of  disappointment,  and  if  I 
had  not  been  an  old  hand  at  stowing  away  that  kind  of  luggage  it  might 
have  lumbered  me  up  too  much.  When  however,  I  found  myself  em 
barked  with  Edward  and  Cato  early  on  the  morning  of  the  4th,  after  bid 
ding  adios  to  our  Barranquilla  friends  and  sailing  up  the  great  River 
Magdalena,  much  of  that  cumbersome  luggage  was  pitched  overboard. 
John  Glen  being,  at  the  last  moment  detained  by  more  urgent  business  at 
home  was  a  disappointment  and  my  parting  with  that  noble  minded  man 
was  not  without  a  "  tearful  eye/'  and  now  as  I  am  about  leaving  him,  it 
may  be  proper  to  bestow  a  few  words  to  his  good  name.  He  came  to  this 
country  in  1809  —  some  20  years  since  —  for  a  long  time  he  acted  as  a  clerk, 
in  a  house  at  Carthagena,  after  which  he  removed  to  Barranquilla,  where 
he  opened  a  commission  store,  receiving  for  his  share,  the  pitiful  allowance, 
half  of  five  per  cent.  He  was  in  Caraccas  in  1812  when  that  splendid 
city  was  destroyed  by  an  earthquake,  12,000  were  killed,  and  he  narrowly 
escaped  the  same  fate.  Hearing  the  subterraneous  rumbling  noise  which 
was  followed  by  a  slight  tremor  and  then  a  violent  rocking,  shaking  or 
heaving  of  the  earth,  he  attempted  to  leave  the  house.  He  soon  lay 
crushed  under  a  heavy  door  way  frame  from  which  he  was  extricated  by 
his  black  servant,  but  was  insensible  for  a  long  time  and  only  with  great 
care  was  restored  to  life  and  health.  But  perseverance,  industry  and 
economy  crowned  his  efforts  with  great  success,  and  he  was  blest  with  a 
moderate  share  of  wealth,  and  what  was  more  with  a  good  reputation.  He 
opened  a  correspondence'  with  the  Jamaica  merchants,  and  greater  wealth 
followed  his  increased  business.  But  reverses  occurred,  and  several  times 
he  lost  his  all,  but  never  in  his  greatest  distress  did  his  credit  forsake  him. 
His  island  correspondents  always  had  such  implicitfaith  in  his  honor,  that 
they  never  closed  their  books  against  him,  on  the  contrary  with  every  op 
portunity  they  were  sure  to  forward  him  a  fresh  assortment  of  goods  ;  and 
through  them  he  has  always  been  enabled  to  battle  through  every  reverse. 
It  is  but  lately  that  he  paid  them  the  last  of  dead  losses  —  of  over  $100, 
000,  and  still  he  is  a  rich  man  ;  he  never  had  more  substantial  property. 
Notwithstanding  his  extensive  business,  he  has  been  of  great  service  to 
his  adopted  country,  having  been  personally  engaged  under  Gen.  Montillo 
in  campaigning  against  the  Spaniards  and  royalists.  He  was  at  the  taking 
and  burning  of  the  village  of  the  Cienega,  and  at  the  re-capture  of  Santa- 
Martha  from  the  Spaniards.  During  the  seige  of  Carthagena  when  the 
inhabitants  were  in  the  most  extreme  distress  for  want  of  provisions,  he 
made  a  handsome  fortune,  by  running  into  the  port,  through  the  Spanish 
blockading  squadron,  with  a  vessel  laden  with  flour  and  other  provisions. 
In  one  of  his  many  adventures,  he  was  captured  and  sent  to  Porto  Bello 
(one  of  the  chief  towns  close  to  the  sea  on  the  declivity  of  a  mountain 
which  encloses  the  whole  anchorage,  and  is  also  called  Fine  Harbor)  in 
chains,  where  he  remained  a  long  time.  His  many  services  have  been 
justly  rewarded  by  government,  in  the  exclusive  right  of  export  from  the 
port  of  Savinilla,  which  he  enjoyed  for  some  time.  He  now  owns  some 
six  or  eight  of  the  very  finest  and  largest  transportation  boats  on  the  Mag 
dalena,  and  his  "  boyas"  or  boatmen  enjoy  the  best  reputation  of  any  on 
the  river.  He  employs  about  100  bogas  ;  the  most  of  whom  are  heads  of 
families;  when  he  first  came  here,  they  were  a  wild,  uncivilized  set,  with 
little  or  no  care,  or  consideration  about  them,  scarcely  having  a  hut  to 
shelter  them.  However  by  his  upright  example  and  advice  —  this  worthy 


478  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

scion  of  Quarter  Master  Genl.  John  Glen  (his  grandfather,  of  Revo 
lutionary  renown),  taught  them  to  economize,  -and  now  they  all  have 
good  houses,  dress  well,  while  they,  as  well  as  their  wives  and  children, 
always  look  neat.  Indeed  John  Glen  is  justly  regarded  as  the  patriarch 
of  the  village.  He  is  respected  by  every  body ;  for  my  part,  his  disin 
terested  and  hospitable  conduct  has  so  endeared  him  to  me,  that  I  for  one 
will  not  soon  forget.  Edward  is  the  manager  of  his  brother's  heavy  busi 
ness  and  has  been  the  means  of  throwing  much  information  in  my  way. 
At  their  repeated  solicitations  I  remained  and  could  have  but  little  delicacy 
in  so  doing  for  they  both  made  me  feel  perfectly  at  home.  At  my  request 
he  gave  Cato  plenty  of  work  on  the  plantation,  while  I  would  write  for 
him  or  occasionally  weigh  wood  or  cotton.  Cato  was  really  becoming 
every  day  more  useful,  but  when  there  was  nothing  better  to  do  we  would 
go  out  gunning  j  and  many  is  the  fine  meal  we  have  brought  home  of  ducks, 
turkeys  and  snipes. 

Now  after  this  long  digression  let  us  return.  Our  boat  was  one  of  about 
five  tons  burthen,  her  usual  complement  of  men  was  two  with  the  patron 
or  captain  ;  but  on  this  occasion  we  took  with  us  two  extra  bogaddrs  or 
rowers  who  intend  taking  the  large  boats  which  have  preceded  us  at  Mom- 
pox.  Our  progress  of  course  with  these  extra  hands  was  proportionably 
great.  The  stern  of  our  boat  was  very  nicely  protected  from  sun  and  rain 
by  a  covering  of  palm  leaves  called  a  tdlda,  under  which  we  placed  our 
selves  on  some  boxes  of  merchandise  which  Glen  carried  with  him  on  spec 
ulation.  The  front  part,  comprising  two  thirds  of  the  boat's  length,  was 
boarded  over  for  the  accommodation  of  the  bogas  ;  there  they  worked  to  a 
never  failing  humming  tune  with  their  long  paldncas  or  setting  poles. 
These  palancas  are  made  of  a  smooth,  straight,  light  stick  from  12  to  18 
feet  in  length,  with  a  crotch  or  cross  of  the  lignuin-vitae  wood,  inserted 
in  the  end,  to  prevent  their  sinking  too  deep  in  the  mud.  The  other  end 
is  applied  with  all  the  strength  of  the  owner,  to  his  naked  breast,  when 
running  with  a  quick  short  step  (in  which  when  more  than  one  is  employed 
they  invariably  keep  time)  from  the  bows  towards  the  stern,  propels  the 
boat  along  quite  rapidly.  As  the  channel  of  the  river  is  too  deep  to  admit 
the  palancas  reaching  bottom,  the  boat  is  obliged  to  keep  close  to  the  bank, 
let  it  wind  ever  so  much,  in  order  that  the  bogas  may  avail  themselves  of 
it  as  a  setting  place  for  their  poles.  But-as  they  are  all  compelled  to  work 
on  one  side  of  the  boat,  so  as  not  to  interfere  with  one  another,  they  divide 
themselves  in  two  parties.  The  division  which  has  reached  the  stern, 
withdrawing  their  poles  always  from  the  water,  and  raising  them  high 
enough  to  allow  the  division  who  are  giving  the  boat  headway,  room  to 
pass  under,  and  so  on  alternately.  The  Patron's  station  of  course  is  in 
the  stern. 

At  nine  o'clock  Cato  who  had  been  assigned  to  attend  to  the  duties  of 
the  essential  and  truly  honorable  department  of  Cookery,  gave  word  that 
all  was  completed  and  .breakfast  ready.  The  welcome  news  immediately 
brought  our  boat  to  an  anchor  or  rather  to  a  fast  against  the  bank  and 
the  preparations  for  gormandizing  were  forthwith  made.  Edward's  coffee 
cups,  sugar  bowl,  plates  &c.  were  out  on  deck  in  a  jiffy  :  but  conceive 
my  horror,  when  the  cover  was  removed  from  Cato's  smoking  pot,  to  per 
ceive  the  never-to-be-forgotten  mess  of  San  Cocho.  However  an  outrage 
ous  appetite  conquered  my  antipathy  and  I  made  a  prodigious  fine  meal, 
nor  did  the  sight  of  that  standing  dish  of  our  voyage  afterwards  give  rise 
to  any  scruples  against  eating,  I  found  I  could  do  my  share.  Sometimes 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  479 

in  place  of  coffee,  Cato  gives  us  very  fine  Chocolate  for  our  breakfast. 
The  natives  pound  the  dried  and  roasted  berry  or  seed  of  the  cocoa  tree 
into  a  paste,  which  with  a  sufficient  quantity  of  sugar,  vanilla,  cinnamon 
and  sometimes  a  little  flour  is  then  ready  for  another  process.  The  oil 
of  the  kernel  affords  adhesive  matter  enough  to  keep  the  ingredients  to 
gether;  after  being  thoroughly  mixed,  it  is  kneaded  into  small  balls  or 
cakes  of  a  requisite  size  for  one  cup,  after  which  the  slightest  degree  of 
boiling  renders  it  fit  for  use.  To  have  it  superlatively  fine,  he  would  boil 
the  cakes  in  milk  instead  of  water,  but  that  luxury  is  not  always  to  be 
commanded,  only  occasionally  can  we  procure  milk  at  the  villages  as  the 
calves  are  permitted  to  consume  all  the  milk  of  their  dams. 

One  morning  Edward  went  ashore  at  a  village  to  deliver  a  letter  from 
his  bookkeeper  Diego  De  Castro  to  his  mother  ;  shortly  after  his  return 
on  board,  Mrs.  De  Castro's  servant  appeared  with  a  fine  large  fish,  a 
roasted  fowl,  a  baked  rice  pudding  which  with  some  wine  gave  us  a 
sumptuous  banquet.  The  river  water  was  so  muddy  as  to  be  unpalatable 
without  a  little  alum  to  clarify  it,  owing  to  the  loose  nature  of  the  soil 
through  which  the  river  flows  causing  the  banks  constantly  to  cave  in, 
also  is  frequently  dangerous  for  the  passing  boats.  Near  one  of  the  vil 
lages  a  spot  was  pointed  out  to  me  as  having  once  been  an  Indian  burying 
place ;  the  rapid  current  had  washed  away  the  bank,  uncovering  and 
displaying  to  view  the  many  mouldering  bones,  with  cooking  utensils  and 
war  implements.  These  are  being  gradually  loosened  from  the  place  in 
which  they  had  rested  many  ages  in  peace,  but  now  through  the  changes 
of  time  tumbling  into  the  turbulent  Magdalena  and  hurried  off'  to  the  wide 
ocean. 

It  is  the  fashion  among  travelers  in  this  country  to  sleep  under  their  toldas 
whether  in  or  far  from  villages  or  huts.  These  bars  are  made  of  a  gauze- 
like  material  in  the  shape  of  a  tent,  the  length  and  breadth  to  suit  the 
owner,  about  five  or  six  feet  high ;  it  is  fastened  up  by  means  of  a  cord 
attached  to  the  upper  part  of  the  boat  between  two  stakes.  There  stretched 
out  at  length  on  his  mat,  the  balmy  air  soon  lulls  his  senses  into  forgetful- 
ness  }  then  the  maddened  trumpet,  of  that  blood-thirsty  foe  of  his  comfort— 
the  musquito —  sounds  without  like  the  strain  of  aerial  music  to  the  ear  of 
the  dreaming  and  secure  sleeper.  But  if  he  is  aroused  by  the  midnight 
shower  (as  happened  to  us  in  one  of  the  five  nights  we  encamped  out  in 
coming  up  the  river)  against  which  the  open  texture  of  his  toldo  is  no 
protection,  the  blanket  then  thrown  over  the  tent  protects  him  over  head, 
but  not  from  the  running  water  below.  Let  the  ducking,  however  reach  him 
as  it  may,  the  effect  here  is  nothing,  five  minutes  of  the  morning  sun  dries  his 
clothes  and  the  rain  storm  is  forgotten.  To  encamp  out  in  the  changeable 
climate  of  my  native  land,  would  be  to  me  in  the  strong  and  healthy  state 
I  now  enjoy  an  acceptable  incident  for  its  novelty,  though  prudence  might 
assign  a  house  as  a  more  healthful  dormitory.  Here  however,  the  con 
fined  air  of  a  house  could  almost  render  every  effort  to  sleep  nugatory,  whilst 
the  refreshing  night  breeze,  stealing  through  the  minute  meshes  of  the 
mosquito  bars,  cools  after  a  sultry  day  the  oppressive  heat  of  the  body  and 
makes  the  spirit  forget  in  healthy  slumber  all  its  real  or  imaginary  ills. 
We  were  glad  whenever  the  sea  breeze  overtook  us  for  then  the  toilsome 
palancas  were  dropped  and  the  sail  spread  to  the  "favoring  gale,"  which 
gave  us  an  opportunity  of  crawling  out  from  our  lurking  hole  to  see  the 
country.  But  on  "what  side  soever  I  turn  my  eyes  I  beheld"  nothing 
but  a  verdant  level  country,  the  dark  woods,  the  turbid  stream  moving 


480  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

smoothly  beneath  us;  occasionally  a  rosa  would  peep  out  from  the  sombre 
forest  like  a  sunbeam  from  the  stormy  sky,  but  they  like  angel  visits  were 
"few  and  far  between/'  it  was  a  wearisome  monotony.  \\7e  stopped  one 
night  at  a  village  on  the  East  side  of  the  river  at  a  Roza,  it  was  dark 
when  we  landed,  and  a  large  flock  of  yelping  curs  gave  notice  of  our  ap 
proach,  but  we  made  good  our  resting  place  in  spite  of  their  teeth.  The 
unceasing  din  of  the  myriads  musquitoes  which  kept  the  air  alive  made  us 
anxious  to  escape  their  sting  accordingly  we  pitched  our  tents  between 
the  dog  kennel  and  hogsty  on  one  side  and  a  hen  roost  on  the  other,  with 
out  even  noticing  our  dangerous  quarters.  In  the  course  of  the  night  a 
most  intolerable  itching,  gave  us  notice  that  the  uninvited  prying  flea,  had 
got  through  under  our  mats;  whilst  the  messengers  from  the  hen-roost 
had  got  through  in  every  direction  and  were  making  free,  not  only  with  our 
bed  but  with  our  blood.  However  a  good  bath  in  the  morning  and  a 
frequent  repetition  soon  relieved  us  of  the  annoyance  ;  and  we  were  more 
select  in  our  lodgings  for  the  future  as  you  may  suppose. 

Punta  Gorda  was  a  neat  village  in  view;  it,  as  its  name  indicates,  is  a 
fine  rich  point  without  a  great  many  houses.  Penon  Bajo  comes  next  in 
order,  it  is  a  fine  large  place  delightfully  and  romantically  situated  on  a 
nice  clean  plain  ;  from  it  is  shipped  a  great  quantity  of  fustic  (a  species  of 
wood  used  in  dyeing  yellow).  Glen  has  an  agent  here  to  procure  that 
article  for  him.  The  name  it  bears,  is  applied  by  the  bogas  to  all  convex 
angles  at  the  turns  in  the  river,  or  to  any  point  jutting  out  in  the  stream  ; 
these  points  or  penons  the  poor  fellows  have  much  labor  and  difficulty  in 
doubling;  for  the  current  running  at  the  rate  of  three  or  four  miles  an 
hour,  comes  sweeping  along  with  such  force  and  being  so  suddenly  im 
peded,  forms  a  raging  remolino  or  whirlpool  against  which  it  is  so  hard  to 
contend  to  pass  and  through  which,  nothing  but  the  most  consummate  skill 
and  united  efforts  on  part  of  the  Bogaddrs  would  succeed.  If  the  bow  is 
by  accident  kept  too  far  out,  or  if  the  boat  has  not  enough  headway,  she 
is  struck  by  the  vortex  and  carried  out  in  the  stream,  when  the  paddles 
must  be  resorted  to,  that  the  shore  may  be  gained  where  the  same  trouble 
still  awaits  you.  The  bogas  would  always'make  use  of  a  tow  rope  if  the 
nature  of  the  bank  would  admit  it,  but  that  is  seldom  practicable,  as  the 
bank  by  the  constant  friction  of  the  water  is  continually  undermining. 
They  likewise  are  generally  too  high,  perpendicular  and  so  covered  with 
vines  and  briers  that  a  landing  cannot  be  effected.  These  boatmen,  how 
ever,  are  so  skillful  that  they  never  lose  their  course  unless  a  pole  breaks, 
or  a  sunken  snag  drives  the  boat  from  the  shore. 

Occasionally  we  stopped  at  the  Sugar  rosas  for  the  newly  expressed 
juice  of  the  sugar  cane.  I  found  the  banks  of  the  river  were  gradually 
increasing  in  height  as  we  advanced,  and  whenever  we  landed  had  reason 
to  admire  the  apparent  fertility  of  the  soil,  it  as  yet,  all  appeared  to  be  of 
an  alluvial  nature ;  the  trees  were  very  large  in  the  branches  of  which 
sported  many  a  drove  of  playful  Monkeys.  Don  Cato  was  particularly 
pleased  with  the  antic  tricks  of  the  various  species,  along  the  banks  of  the 
river,  their  long  tails  wound  around  the  branch,  chattering  with  noisy 
mirth,  or  grinning  with  a  hideousness  that  gave  us  a  good  view  of  their 
formidable  teeth.  The  beautiful  Macaws,  belonging  to  the  parrot  family, 
came  in  for  a  full  share  of  our  admiration,  with  their  most  brilliant  colors  ; 
but  Cato  particularly  admired  the  rich  and  easily  worked  Button-tree  lands, 
of  which  such  extensive  tracts  yet  wild,  are  at  the  disposal  of  any  energetic 
fearless  squatter  who  might  choose  any  portion  of  them  and  make  his  own, 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  481 

by  possession  —  an  indisputable  title.  We  had  a  glimpse  of  the  four  last 
of  a  drove  of  wild  hogs  that  were  scampering  off,  over  a  low  piece  of  Sa 
vanna;  the  boatmen  culled  us  too  late  to  see  all.  These  hogs  are  found 
in  great  numbers  on  the  Magdalena,  they  are  about  the  size  of  our  "  grass 
breeds"  at  home,  though  not  so  plump.  Their  legs  are  longer,  more  deli 
cate  and  better  adapted  for  running ;  their  color  is  grey,  their  hair  or 
bristles  coarse  and  not  very  thick  set.  I  had  seen  a  captured  wild  hog, 
but  never  met  them  in  a  disorderly  drove  till  now. 

I  cannot  say  of  this  country  as  a  traveler  did  of  the  Floridas,  "  that 
there  are  forty  bushels  of  frogs  to  the  acre  and  alligators  enough  in  the 
waters  to  fence  them  in,"  but  this  being  the  season  for  the  breeding  of 
the  alligator  or  American  crocodile  we  passed  a  great  many  of  them.  I 
might  say  that  they  are  as  plenty  as  flies  in  the  dog-days,  and  marrow 
enough  in  the  musquitoes  bones,  hovering  over  their  heads  to  fatten  them. 
This  might  be  thought  by  the  uninformed,  an  exaggeration,  and  possibly 
bring  into  disrepute  the  hitherto  indisputable  veracity  of  all  travelers'  manu 
scripts,  yet  I  must  say  the  numbers  of  alligators  are  unlimited.  The  old 
ones  are  from  twelve  to  nineteen  feet  long,  yet  very  timid,  they  always 
slide  from  the  sunny  bank  into  the  water,  at  the  sight  of  a  boat  before  we 
could  get  to  them.  We  passed  many  a  brood  of  young  ones  (not  long  from 
the  shell,  being  from  six  to  twelve  inches  long ;)  it  was  amusing  to  see 
them  huddling  close  against  the  sand  bank  when  they  heard  us  coming, 
and  then  to  follow  one  another  like  a  flock  of  young  ducks  into  the  water 
at  our  near  approach.  Pedraza  or  the  rocky  is  the  only  and  first  place  a 
stone  is  to  be  met  with,  of  any  size  soever  since  the  commencement  of  our 
voyage.  On  the  west  side  of  the  river  nearly  opposite  Pedraza,  stand  the 
two  villages  of  old  and  new  Barrencas,  through  this  place  runs  the  direct 
road  from  Oarthagena  to  Bogota. 

Early  next  morning  we  reached  La  Travasea,  a  high  rocky  bluff,  the 
.perpendicular  sides  of  which  displayed  strata  of  stone  of  many  different 
hues  and  kinds ;  the  torrent  at  its  base  is  so  powerful  that  no  boats  can 
pass,  and  of  course  all  arriving  here  are  obliged  to  cross  over  to  the  op 
posite  side  of  the  river  ;  which  circumstance  gives  the  place  its  name,  viz. 
the  ferry.  After  this  we  came  to  an  extensive  bed  of  genuine  Qyster-s^e^s, 
(alas  for  the  admiring  eyes  of  the  epicure,  the  luscious  fat  morsel  was  not 
there)  only  shells,  which  lay  imbedded  in  a  bank  of  twenty-five  or  thirty 
feet  height,  about  ten  feet  above  the  level  of  the  water.  When  they  were 
deposited  there,  and  how  long  since  their  native  salt  element  receded  over 
one  hundred  miles  from  them  is  beyond,  at  least  my  conjecture.  We  pur 
chased  some  of  the  finest  oranges  I  ever  tasted,  for  a  real,  a  Spanish  coin 
in  value  12£  cts.  per  hundred,  with  our  other  supplies  at  Teneriffe  which 
stands  on  a  rolling  piece  of  ground  on  the  east  side, in  the  province  of  Santa 
Martha.  "During  the  revolution  it  was,  for  a  long  time,  the  strong  hold 
of  the  Royalist  party  in  this  quarter,  but  eventually  was  taken,  plundered 
and  burnt  by  the  Patriots  in  1813.  The  walls  yet  standing  prove  it  to 
have  once  been  a  rich  and  flourishing  place,  but  the  torch  has  so  prostrated 
it,  that  it  never  has  and  perhaps  will  not  for  a  long  time  to  come,  recover 
its  pristine  prosperity. 

A  few  Indian  hovels  alone  have  risen  from  the  ashes  of  the  once  proud 
Teneriffe.  The  walls  of  the  Cathedral  remain  standing  entire;  from  their 
extent  and  specimens  of  .stucco  work  &c.  still  remaining  inside,  it  un 
doubtedly  must  have  been  a  most  splendid  edifice;  the  fa§ade  is  designed 

61 


482  LEGACY  or  HISTOEICAL  GLEANINGS. 

with  more  taste  than  any  other  building  of  the  kind  that  I  have  seen  in  the 
country.  Curiosity  induced  me  to  examine  very  particularly  the  construc 
tion  of  the  niches,  in  which  the  blessed  images  had  formerly  stood  in  their 
pomp  to  receive  the  vows  of  the  devotees.  I  observed  an  open  communi 
cation  or  channel,  leading  from  under" the  spot  that  must  have  been  covered 
by  the  pedestal  of  the  image,  through  the  wall  to  another  apartment,  a 
sort  of  speaking  trumpet,  by  which  the  zealous  priest  has  perhaps  on  some 
special  occasions  put  words  in  the  mouth  of  the  saints,  which  no  doubt  did 
much  to  edify  or  console  the  wounded  spirit  of  the  devout  parishioner, 
and  as  a  sequence  aid  the  cause  of  Christianity.  The  monastery  or  nun 
nery  and  private  buildings  have  not  been  able  so  effectually  to  resist  the 
force  of  the  conflagration  and  of  time,  their  scattered  fragments  mark  the 
ground  in  every  direction. 

The  Indian  inhabitants  realize  something  from  sale  of  the  crotches  of 
of  the  lignum-vitae  tree  to  the  bogadors;  they  always  keep  a  large  quantity 
on  hand,  and  all  boats  passing  by,  stop  to  replace  those  lost  from  their 
vessels  by  a  new  supply.  The  only  cultivated  patches  we  notice  are  in 
the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  little  villages  ;  the  intervals  between  them 
are  the  great  Savannas  which  are  covered  with  a  long  coarse  grass  re 
sembling  cornstalks  in  height  and  appearance,  they  are  entirely  destitute 
of  trees  yet  their  rich  and  verdant  clothing  relieves  the  monotony  of  the 
scene ;  they  are  never  visited  except  by  the  innumerable  wild  game  that 
flock  to  these  sunny  plains  for  nutriment.  I  had  a  wild  goose  chase  on 
one  of  these  Savannas  which  I  never  wanted  to  repeat.  In  passing  one 
of  them,  we  saw  a  very  large  flock  of  great  birds  about  the  size  of  a  com 
mon  goose,  sitting  on  some  trees,  on  the  further  side,  about  a  furlong  (£ 
of  a  mile)  off,  and  as  our  provisions  were  getting  rather  low  it  was  deter 
mined  that  I  should  laud  to  get  a  shot  at  them,  accordingly  I  started  to 
secure  some  game  for  our  dinner.  I  found  much  difficulty  in  making  my 
way  through  the  luxuriant  grass,  which  in  its  growth  had  fallen,  by  its 
own  weight  creating  an  endless  mat  of  great  thickness  on  the  ground,  and 
then  again  rising  to  the  height  of  six  or  eight  feet,  making  an  almost  im 
passible  barrier  to  pedestrians.  I  succeeded,  however,  in  passing  through 
to  the  woo4s,  but  as  I  advanced  this  flock  of  birds,  containing  at  least 
one  thousand,  flew  from  tree  to  tree  leading  me  a  great  distance  from  my 
place  of  entrance  and  at  length  by  their  all  flying  off  in  a  body  I  lost  my 
shot.  That  was  not  all,  for  I  found  I  had  lost  myself,  however,  by  taking 
an  observation  of  the  sun,  I  again  found  my  way  back  to  the  river  but 
far  from  the  boat,  which  I  could  not  see  on  account  of  the  height  of  the 
reeds ;  and  there  I  stood  completely  exhausted  with  the  perspiration  roll 
ing  off  me  in  rivulets  from  my  exertions,  while  the  raging  hot  meridian 
sun  poured  forth  his  burning  rays  on  my  unsheltered,  trembling  frame, 
with  the  most  unrelenting  rigor.  No  boat  was  in  sight  and  I  had  ample 
time  for  reflection  on  the  unpleasantness  of  my  situation,  but  at  length 
the  bogas  heard  my  hail,  and  I  had  the  pleasure  of  hearing  their  re- 
spouse  ;  shortly  alter  to  my  great  delight  the  boat  came  along  from  below, 
but  we  had  no  fat  goose  for  dinner.  The  next  morning  we  landed  at  a 
rosa  and  I  shot  two  small  turkeys  with  which  Cato  made  a  fine  soup, 
they  proved  a  timely  supply  as  our  meats  were  all  consumed.  We  ran  by 
St.  Fernando  with  other  places  and  at  night  were  hailed  by  the  guard  in 
the  outskirts  of  Mompox  with  "  Quien  viva  "  (who  lives)  ;  our  patron 
answered  "  Colouibianos,"  when  we  were  ordered  ashore  and  detained  ac 
cording  to  custom  till  morning. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  483 

We  saw  twenty-four  towns  and  villages  from  the  river,  between  Barran- 
quilla  and  Mompox,  they  are  from  two  to  ten  leagues  apart ;  the  land  is 
extremely  fertile,  and  well  timbered  except  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  those 
towns,  where  a  few  of  the  industrious  ones  have  plantations  to  supply  their 
more  indolent  fellow  beings  with  bananas,  yams,  juca  and  other  esculents. 
The  black  cattle,  the  principle  source  of  wealth  range  through  the  woods 
and  savannas,  where  nature  supplies  them  with  neverfailing  and  abundant 
crops  of  grass  resembling  cornstalks.  The  owners  take  no  other  trouble  with 
them,  than  to  make  a  general  collection  once  a  year,  for  the  purpose  of  marking 
the  calves  and  securing  such  as  they  intend  for  slaughtering  or  market; 
but  notwithstanding  the  uninterrupted  growth,  early  maturity  and 
consequently  little  trouble  of  rearing  cattle,  the  price  is  as  high  as  at 
home.  Flour  is  prepared  about  one  hundred  miles  above  this,  but  for 
want  of  good  mills,  is  black  though  sweet.  The  United  States  flour 
always  has  the  preference  in  market,  but  the  scarcity  is  so  great  here 
and  on  the  sea  coast  that  it  readily  brings  $45  per  barrel  now,  it  is 
never  less  here  than  $16.  These  facts  I  can  assure  you,  do  not  tend  in 
the  least  to  destroy  my  fondest  hopes  j  time  and  experience  will  show 
me  their  reality  or  falsity. 

Edward  took  the  place  of  his  brother  as  far  as  this,  whence  he 
returned  home  in  a  few  days,  whilst  I  for  the  convenience  of  plenty  of 
room  and  a  large  deck  for  promenada,  am  tomorrow  to  shift  my  baggage 
and  cooking  establishment  aboard  one  of  the  large  boats  which  are  now 
here,  and  which  in  my  last  I  spoke  of  as  having  left  previous  to  us. 
I  shall  go  with  the  large  vessel  as  far  as  Nare  —  about  400  miles  —  the 
remaining  200  miles,  (to  Honda)  of  the  river  being  full  of  rapids,  I 
shall  for  the  sake  of  expedition  and  to  avoid  too  much  tediousness,  take  a 
very  small  boat  and  push  on  with  all  speed.  My  provisions,  letters  and 
every  thing  that  is  required  is  being  prepared,  and  all  will  be  ready  before 
the  boats  are  dispatched,  which  is  a  bothersome  job  from  the  variety  of 
obstructions  thrown  in  the  way  of  commerce  by  the  Laws  of  the  Country  ; 
it  requires  a  long  time  among  these  dilatory  officials  to  procure  passports 
&c.  Don  Antonio  Libre  joins  his  uncle,  aunt  and  family  here,  I  of  course 
did  not  wish  to  attach  myself  to  his  party  when  I  heard  of  that  arrange 
ment,  but  will  probably  be  in  Bogota  a  month  before  them.  I  have  an 
itinerary  attached  to  my  journal  of  the  places  through  and  by  which  I 
passed  —  but  an  enumeration  of  these  Spanish  and  Indian  names,  cannot 
be  at  all  interesting  to  the  reader,  I  therefore  leave  the  journal  to  tell  you 
at  some  future  day  of  all  the  cities,  villages  or  hamlets,  its  writer  may  see, 
as  also  many  other  minor  things  that  escape  my  mind  when  scribbling  off 
my  unpremeditated  letters.  The  guard  who  put  a  veto  on  our  landing  at 
night,  is  one  of  the  appendages  of  the  Custom  House  stationed  here  to 
prevent  smuggling.  It  being  nine  oclock  we  found  the  three  boats'  (dis 
patched  by  Glen  from  Barranquilla  with  merchandize)  decks  were  covered 
with  the  toldos  of  the  bogas,  each  man  having  one,  and  by  the  light  of  a 
brilliant  moon  they  looked  most  elegantly.  The  following  morning  we 
all  were  permitted  to  depart,  and  entered  the  City  about  the  same  time, 
a  large  company ;  the  bogas  of  all  the  boats  to  make  a  great  display,  sing 
ing  and  stamping  most  lustily.  The  great  arrival  brought  all  the  citizens 
out  to  view  the  sight.  Edward  landed  immediately  after  touching  at  the 
Custom  House  dock,  and  in  a  short  time  returned  with  Mr.  Ilichard  11. 
Nicholson  who  kindly  invited  us  to  land  and  make  his  house  our  quarters 
during  our  stay  which  invitation  was  thankfully  accepted.  My  trunks 


484  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

after  passing  the  superficial  examination  of  the  Guarda  Mayor  were 
carried  to  our  new  abode,  we  soon  followed  aud  heartily  partook  of  a 
breakfast  which  was  awaiting  us.  This  being  finished  we  called  upon 
the  Governor  several  times,  but  not  finding  him  in  we  left  our  passports 
while  Edward  went  about  his  business  and  I  to  see  the  town. 

Mompox  stands  on  an  island,  forming  a  province  by  itself;  it  does  not 
contain  much  breadth,  having  only  three  omfour  streets,  but  its  length  is 
between  two  and  three  miles.  The  length  lies  on  the  river,  and  has  all 
been  protected  by  a  substantial  brick  wall,  well  cemented,  of  Spanish 
erection  from  the  encroachments  of  the  current.  This,  however,  is  suf 
fered  by  the  Colombians  to  decay ;  many  parts  of  it  having,  for  want  of  a 
little  precaution,  been  undermined  and  now  lies  in  huge  masses  in  the 
stream ;  while  the  bank  it  formerly  supported  is  by  piece-meal  following, 
and  the  houses  standing  on  it  must  eventually  pursue  the  same  course. 
The  part  of  the  wall  still  remaining  is  a  monument  of  Spanish  enterprize 
and  munificence ;  it  is  a  great  ornament  as  well  as  useful  to  the  place.  It, 
with  the  strong  fortifications  of  Carthagena  and  other  public  works  give 
sufficient  evidence,  that  if  their  sway  was  a  severe  one,  they  did  not  send 
all  the  revenues  of  the  country  to  Spain,  but  appropriated  a  part  to  the 
permanent  improvement  of  this  land,  which  is  more  than  the  natives  can 
boast  of.  There  are  from  8  to  12000  inhabitants,  the  houses  generally 
built  of  stone  with  tile  roofs.  I  think  it  the  warmest  place  in  Colombia. 

I  have  been  advised  since  I  commenced  this  letter,  by  persons  who  have 
experience  on  the  river,  to  give  up  the  idea  of  going  in  the  large  boat  as 
her  motions  must  necessarily  be  so  slow  against  the  numerous  rapids,  that 
it  will  be  thrice  the  time  in  performing  the  journey  that  a  small  one 
would ;  also,  by  so  long  an  exposure  to  the  extreme  heat  the  effect 
would  be  to  destroy  my  appetite  and  perhaps  sicken  me.  As  I  have  no 
very  particular  desire  for  any  sort  of  arrangement  like  that,  at  present,  I 
have  followed  the  well  meaning  advice  and  contracted  with  a  Don  Rod- 
rignea  for  a  boat  which  is  to  leave  to  morrow  and  land  me  in  Honda  in 
eighteen  days.  There  is  no  doubt  then  that  I  will,  long  before  you  receive 
this,  be  with  your  old  friend,  who  by  the  way,  is  at  housekeeping  with 
borrowed  furniture,  his  own  not  having  yet  arrived  when  my  informant 
left  him. 

Edward  succeeded  in  getting  his  boats  on  the  return  track  three  days 
after  his  arrival,  and  I  was  to  have  followed  the  next  day  ;  but  when  the 
boat  in  which  I  was  to  have  embarked,  came  up  and  all  my  goods  and 
chattels  aboard,  it  was  discovered  that  the  old  rascally  patron  had  con 
cealed,  with  his  tatters,  a  hole  in  the  stern,  through  which  the  water  oozed 
so  fast  after  the  boat  felt  the  extra  weight,  that  we  would  have  sunk  in  ten 
minutes  if  we  had  proceeded.  We  of  course  refused  this  and  demanded 
another  boat,  it  was  two  days  before  the  other  made  its  appearance.  To 
show  how  punctilious  these  officers  of  Government  are,  particularly  when 
they  imagine  the  least  tittle  of  their  own  dignity  is  at  stake,  I'll  note  a  little 
circumstance  that  took  place  here  in  relation  to  myself.  I  had  scarcely  re 
housed  my  luggage  from  the  leaky  boat,  on  the  15th,  when  Nicholson 
came  and  told  me  that  the  Governor  had  sent  for  me.  I  immediately 
dressed  myself  and  accompanied  Nicholson,  Edward  and  the  messenger. 
On  the  way  I  was  given  to  understand  by  my  friends  that  I  was  in  effect 
a  prisoner,  though  His  Excellency  had  gone  to  work  in  his  most  polite 
manner  to  arrest  me,  by  dispatching  as  messenger  the  Guarda- May  or 
with  a  broad  sivord  instead  of  a  common  guard ;  however  you  may  suppose 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  485 

I  did  not  feel  in  a  very  amiable  humor  when  informed  of  this  contre-temps. 
I  hurried  on  to  the  official  room  where  Nicholson  gave  me  an  introduction, 
on  which  the  Governor  told  Nicholson  that  he  was  surprised  he,  who  so 
well  knew  the  regulations  in  those  matters,  had  not  called  with  his  guest 
to  pay  the  customary  visit  due  from  all  strangers,  and  that  he  had  exposed 
himself  and  Mr.  Van  R.  to  the  penalty  of  the  neglect,  in  not  reporting  me 
within  48  hours  after  my  arrival  ($8  apiece).  I  replied  by  saying  in 
English,  which  language  he  well  understood,  that  I  for  my  part,  was 
equally  surprised  at  being  made  a  prisoner  on  that  ground,  as  I  had  made 
three  unsuccessful  attempts  to  obtain  an  interview  with  him.  With  which 
fact  I  had  presumed  him  to  have  been  acquainted  through  his  secretaries, 
particularly  after  receiving  through  Mr.  Glen  this  passport  handing  him 
the  paper.  His  Excellency  was  quite  confused  when  he  saw  his  own  sig 
nature  (F.  Aldercrutz)  appended  to  it.  After  a  little  hesitation  he  as 
sured  me  that  it  was  all  a  mistake,  that  I  had  not  been  a  prisoner,  that  he 
had  merely  sent  for  me,  without  knowing  who  I  was,  upon  being  told  that 
an  Englishman,  whom  he  had  not  seen,  was  about  leaving  Mompox  to  go 
up  the  river  that  morning.  Upon  Nicholson  (who  by  the  way  was  happy 
to  get  rid  so  easily  of  the  fiue)  telling  the  Governor  that  I  felt  so  indignant 
at  the  treatment,  that  I  would  probably  make  a  representation  of  the  case 
to  the  U.  States  Minister,  he  turned  round  and  assured  me  that  he  had 
great  respect  for  my  country  and  felt  friendly  towards  my  countrymen  and 
hoped  I  did  not  feel  hurt  at  the  detention,  repeating  his  regret  at  the  mis 
take.  This  Governor  is  a  Swede,  elevated,  as  all  the  principal  officers  here 
are,  for  his  military  services,  to  his  present  situation,  he  is  very  strict  in 
exacting  all  the  rules  of  etiquette  from  strangers,  but  on  the  whole  is  a 
fine  fellow.  I  came  off  quite  pleased  with  him.  I  must  close  as  I  am  to 
dine  with  Glen  at  a  Mr.  Traverse  formerly  of  Baltimore. 

My  love  to  all.     Yours  truly,  HENS.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Gen.  Sol.  Van  Reusselaer,  Albany. 

Governor  Van  Ness  to  General  Van  Rensselaer. 
My  Dear  Sir,  Washington  City  May  14, 1829. 

I  have  the  satisfaction  to  inform  you  that 'you  are  perfectly  safe.  What 
I  write  I  know.  But  I  must  however,  request  that  you  will  consider  this 
letter,  for  the  present,  most  sacredly  confidential.  Do  not  even  mention 
or  expose  my  name  to  your  friends  Genl.  Van  Rensselaer  and  Mr.  Westerlo, 
as  they  are  both,  and  long  have  been  unfriendly  to  me,  and  would  injure 
me  whenever  it  should  be  in  their  power.  I  shall  see  you  in  a  few  days, 
when  I  will  give  you  particulars.  Yours  cordially, 

The  Honble.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  P.  M.  Albany.        C.  P.  VAN  NESS. 

Governor  Cornelius  P.  Van  Ness  was  at  this  time  appointed  by  Presi 
dent  Jackson  minister  plenipotentiary  and  envoy  extraordinary  to  Spain. 

Hon.  Edward  Livingston,  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
My  Dear  Sir.  New  York,  May  18,  1829. 

Your  letter  reached  me  in  the  back  parts  of  Pennsylvania  some  con 
siderable  time  after  its  date,  and  I  did  not  answer  it  until  I  should  have 
in  some  effectual  manner  complied  with  the  request  it  contained.  This  I 
did  not  do  by  writing  to  the  P.  M.  Genl.  with  whpm  I  had  no  personal 
acquaintance,  but  by  an  interview  with  the  President  himself  in  a  short 
visit  from  which  I  have  just  returned.  And  I  am  Authorized  to  assure 
you,  that  no  circumstance  (I  have  used  his  own  expressions)  but  improper 


486  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

conduct  which  he  well  knows  cannot  exist  in  your  case,  and  which  he  has 
never  heard  charged,  would  induce  him  to  deprive  you  of  the  office.  He 
spoke  in  the  highest  terms  of  your  Character  and  Services,  and  desired 
me  to  say,  that  you  might  be  perfectly  easy  on  the  subject.  I  am  happy 
Sir,  in  being  able  to  give  you  so  satisfactory  an  account  of  the  Commission 
with  which  you  honored  me,  as  well  as  the  opportunity  it  affords  me  of 
assuring  you  of  my  high  Esteem  and  respect,  being  with  great  regard 

Your  most  obedt.  Sevt.  EDW.  LIVINGSTON. 

Genl.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  P.  M.  Albany. 

The  Citizens  of  Albany  to  the  Post  Master  General. 
Sir,  Albany  May  20th,  1829. 

The  undersigned  Citizens  of  Albany,  have  heard  with  surprise  and  re 
gret,  that  repeated  efforts  have  been  made,  to  produce  the  removal  of 
General  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  from  the  Office  of  Post  Master  of  this 
City. 

The  gallant  and  patriotic  services  of  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer  are  so  inti 
mately  blended  with  the  history  of  his  Country,  that  it  becomes  unneces 
sary  for  us  to  state  the  strong  claims  that  he  has  on  public  gratitude.  A 
Soldier  who  has  borne  forward  our  national  Eagle  triumphantly  in  two 
wars,  ought  not,  and  we  are  confident  will  not,  be  sacrificed  by  a  generous 
government  without  strong  arid  good  cause. 

Since  General  Van  Rensselaer  has  held  the  appointment  of  Post  Master, 
the  duties  of  the  office  have  been  discharged  with  ability,  and  with  a  con 
stant  regard  to  the  public  convenience.  We  are  confident,  that  if  all  our 
fellow  Citizens  could  express  their  opinions,  a  great  majority  embracing 
the  intelligence,  character  and  wealth  of  the  City,  would  unite  with  us  in 
this  just  testimonial. 

It  has  however  been  urged  as  an  objection  to  General  Van  Rensselaer, 
that  he  was  an  opponent  of  the  present  administration,  and  that  party 
policy  therefore  requires  his  removal.  This  ungenerous  and  false  allega 
tion  has  chiefly  induced  the  undersigned  to  make  this  communication. 
They  well  know,  that  during  the  last  Presidential  election,  General  Van 
Rensselaer  accorded  with  them  in  sentiments,  and  was  friendly  to  the  elec 
tion  of  our  present  distinguished  Chief  Magistrate. 

He  felt  and  expressed  to  his  friends,  the  delicacy  of  his  situation  as 
Post  Master,  and  may  have  been  restrained  by  a  sense  of  duty,  from  suf 
fering  any  imputations  to  attach  to  him  as  a  public  officer  (clothed  with 
peculiar  and  delicate  powers)  by  embarking  as  a  zealous  partizan  in  the 
controversy.  On  all  proper  occasions  his  sentiments  and  preference  were 
frankly  and  freely  avowed. 

Very  respectfully  your  Obedient  Servants, 

JOHN  TOWNSEND,  ISAIAH  TOWNSEND, 

JOSEPH  ALEXANDER      G.  Y.  LANSING, 
EBENEZAR  BALDWIN,     J.  L.  VIELE, 
HERMAN  V.  HART,        SIMEON  DE  WITT, 
WILLIAM  JAMES,  N.  F.  BECK, 

ABRA.  G.  LANSING,       JOHN  R.  BLEECKER, 
PETER  GANSEVOORT,      FRANCIS  BLOODGOOD, 
R.  V.  DE  WITT,  PHILIP  S.  PARKER. 

The  undersigned  has  seen  the  above  communication  and  would  have 
cheerfully  signed  it,  had  he  not  been  restrained  by  the  circumstance  that 


LEGACY  or  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  487 

lie  is  a  resident  of  another  County.  He  most  fully  accords  in  the  senti 
ments  and  views  of  the  signers  and  bears  his  cheerful  testimony  to  the 
truth  of  the  facts  therein  stated.  PIERRE  VAN  CORTLANDT. 

To  the  Hon.  William  F.  Barry,  Post  Master  General  &c.,  Washington. 

Gen.  Van  Cortlandt  to  Gen.  Van  Rcnsselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  New  York,  June  25,  1829. 

Mr.  Moore  the  Embassador  to  South  America  arrived  here  yesterday, 
he  sails  from  this  port  in  a  few  days.  I  think  it  would  be  well  for  you  to 
come  down  immediately  if  you  wish  to  see  him  before  his  departure.  Pie 
has  put  up  at  Mrs.  Southards  in  Broad  Way,  just  below  Grace  Church. 

Yours  truly. 

PIERRE  VAN  CORTLANDT. 
Solomon  Van  llensselaer  Esqr,  P.  M.  Albany. 

Gen.  Van  llensselaer  to  Jiis  Wife. 
Dear  Harriot,  New  York  June  29, 1829. 

I  have  not  seen  enough  of  Moore  to  judge  of  him.  I  will  know  more  of  him 
before  I  leave  this,  but  he  appears  to  be  frank  and  candid.  I  could  not 
expect  that  he  would  have  said  more  than  he  did,  nor  would  I  have  done 
and  said  as  much  about  a  Stranger.  He  mentioned  that  Dr.  Davis,  Major 
Davis  and  Gen.  Van  Cortlandt  were  my  warm  friends,  and  that  he  had 
heard  enough  about  myself  at  Washington.  That  Van  Buren  and  his 
friends  might  as  well  keep  themselves  quiet  for  they  could  do  nothing  against 
ine,  that  Van  Buren  was  trying  to  make  a  party  of  his  own,  but  it  would 
not  do,  that  he  was  perfectly  understood.  Swarthowdt  the  Collector  of  this 
port,  told  rue,  that  Van  Buren  had  opposed  his  appointment,  and  that  he 
had  heard,  that  they,  Van  Buren  &  co  —  opposed  me  also.  He  has  written 
on  to  know  the  facts  and  if  any  thing  is  necessary  to  be  done,  he  will  pro 
cure  for  me  an  overwhelming  petition  from  this  city.  This  can  easily  be 
done,  Genls.  Colden,  Bogardus,  Morton,  Oakley,  Hoffman,  Jones,  Hones, 
the  Clinton  family  and  others  will  go  all  lengths.  Kiss  all  for  me. 

Yours  affectionately  and  Sincerely. 

Mrs.  Sol.  Van  llensselaer,  Albany,  N.  Y.      SOL.  VAN'RENSSELAER. 

Rensselaer  Van  Renssdaer  to  Ms  Father. 
Dear  Father,  Bogota  July  12,  1829. 

Ifinish*ed  no  5  at  Mompox  sooner  than  I  intended  in  order  to  make  one 
at  a  Yankee  dinner  party,  which  I  can  assure  you  is  a  rare  thing  in  that 
part  of  the  world  ;  there  were  five  of  us  together  and  a  season  of  great 
enjoyment.  We  had  the  condescension  to  consider  Edward  Glen  a 
Yankee  pro.  temporc,  which  made  us  all  birds  of  a  feather,  and  enabled 
us  to  enjoy,  with  greater  relish,  the  ham,  codfish  and  mince  pie  importa 
tions  from  the  United  States.  .  Our  good  host  Mr.  Traverse  kindly  offered 
me  any  books  I  might  choose  to  amuse  myself  with  in  going  up  the  river. 
I  soon  selected  about  a  score  —  Scotts,  Coopers,  Ficldings  and  Irving's 
works  —  which  he  sent  to  my  lodgings,  the  reperusal  of  them  I  found 
very  pleasant.  After  a  delay  at  Morupox,  from  May  llth,  I  got  under 
weigh  in  reality  on  the  17th,  and  was  quite  satisfied  with  fair  promises 
of  a  speedy  trip.  It  would  have  been  quite  laughable  to  a- disinterested 
person,  understanding  our  individual  feelings  to  have  witnessed  the  part 
ing  between  Edward  and  myself;  but  to  have  felt  the  herculean  grasp  of  our 
hands,  and  to  have  contrasted  that  with  the  stoical  indifference  with  which 


488  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

our  adieus  were  pronounced ;  he  would,  no  doubt  have  given  us  due  credit 
for  our  philosophy.  The  scene  recalled  a  similar  one  to  mind,  that  oc 
curred  between  a  gallant  old  friend  at  home  and  myself,  but  never  mind, 
let  those  who  enjoy  a  laugh  at  such  heart  trials,  grin  like  monkeys  :  I 
always  recover  my  humor  in  admiring  their  wisdom  or  folly,  as  it  may  be. 
My  boat,  for  the  sake  of  expedition,  was  one  of  the  smallest  used  on  the 
river  by  travelers;  it  was  manned  by  the  patron  and  two  bogaddrs,  just 
large  enough  to  accommodate  us  all,  and  nothing  to  spare. 

To  give  you  an  idea  of  the  progress  of  large  boats,  I  will  mention  that 
I  passed  about  half  way  between  Mompox  and  Honda  621  miles  apart, 
three  champans  with  merchandise  having  a  collective  crew  of  sixty  men, 
which  had  cleared  two  months  previous  from  the  former  place.  Their 
dilatoriness  is  owing  to  the  uncommonly  late  rising  of  the  river.  Each 
man  receives  his  $14  per  trip  ;  their  work  is  so  very  laborious  that  they 
are  allowed  the  privilege  of  recruiting  their  enervated  bodies  by  remain 
ing  a  certain  number  of  day  sat  specified  places.  My  patron  and  bogadors, 
all  Indians,  had  made  this  trip  so  often,  and  knowing  now  all  the  stopping 
sites  as  well  as  stage  horses,  I  had  the  utmost  difficulty  to  prevent  their 
visiting  the  old  haunts.  Still,  however,  in  spite  of  all  my  efforts,  they 
did  manage  to  stop  three  different  times  by  falling  desperately  sick,  but 
that  sickness  always  left  them  by  the  next  morning,  when  they  would  go 
on  again  with  new  vigor  for  a  few  more  days.  We  had  passed,  two  days 
after  leaving  Penon,  the  three  boats  of  the  Glens  on  the  same  destination  with 
us,  in  one  of  which  I  had  expected  to  have  continued  my  journey. 
Many  of  the  crew  who  had  so  frequently  seen  me  during  my  stay  in 
Barranquilla,  expressed  pleasure  at  our  meeting  and  regret  at  parting 
with  a  friend  of  their  employer's  house.  I  left  them  after  finding  that 
all  was  going  on  well;  they  looked  really  so  sorrowful,  that  I  could  not 
but  pity  and  sympathize  with  them.  Some  of  the  number,  though  of  a 
"  lowly  condition "  were  genuine  worthy  fellows,  who  had  for  years, 
many  years  been  truly  faithful  to  their  masters.  Edward  had  stood  as 
Compadre  or  protector  at  his  marriage.  I  was,  however,  thankful  not  to 
hav^-been  so  long  detained  even  with  the  advantages  of  more  space  in 
these  larger  boats. 

The  palm  leaf  toldo  —  impenetrable  to  heat  or  rain,  was  scarcely  high 
enough  to  admit  of  my  sitting  upright,  but  then  my  baggage  was  so 
arranged  that  I  could  recline  back  upon  it  partly  in  a  sitting,  partly  in  a 
lying  posture  or  extended  full  length  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat^  with  my 
mat  underneath  engaged  in  reading  or  writing  or  my  Spanish  studies. 
As  the  boga  in  front  (assisted  ever  and  anon  by  Cato),  required  all  the 
space  between  my  toldo  and  the  prow,  equipped  with  his  light  pole,  rounded 
slightly,  resting  against  his  naked  breast  as  with  the  old  boatmen  of  the 
Mississippi,  engaged  in  propelling  the  vessel,  and  as  the  cooking  utensils, 
bpga's  baggage,  &c.,  lumbered  up  all  the  vacancy  in  the  stern  —  I  of  course 
^s  obliged  to  remain  constantly  housed  while  under  headway.  This 
wm  ^d  have  been  a  matter  of  choice,  in  the  heat  of  the  day,  when  the 
theH  lometer  ranges  over  100°,  but  the  confinement  was  quite  irksome  in 
the  fine  mornings  and  evenings.  At  the  commencement  I  found  the 
moveme-nt  of  the  little  champdn  very  uncomfortable;  its  diminutive  size, 
so  essential  to  speed,  was  against  its  stability  ;  every  motion  of  the  boat 
men  wouldjmake  her  roll  so  much,  that  it  was  long  before  I  could  accustom 
myself  to  the  motion.  It  was  a  day  or  so  too,  before  I  could  abstract  my 
attention  from  the  stamping,  jarring  footsteps  so  immediately  overhead, 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  489 

on  top  of  the  toldo  ;  this  together  with  the  constant,  unvaried  chant,  at 
first  an  intolerable  nuisance,  soon  became  unnoticed,  habit  is  every  thing, 
and  could  receive  as  much  pleasure  in  the  perusal  of  an  entertaining  book 
as  ever,  for  you  know  my  disposition  is  generally  happy  in  accommodat 
ing  itself  to  every  situation  and  inconvenience.  The  first  night  we  only 
succeeded  in  reaching  the  romantic  little  Indian  hamlet  of  Minchiqueo, 
two  leagues  from  Mompox  in  the  same  province.  I  directed  my  "  Snow 
Ball  "  (as  Uncle  Peter  calls  Cato)  to  take  my  bedding,  &c.,  ashore  and 
I  rejoiced  in  an  opportunity  once  more  of  perambulating  after  my  close 
confinement  in  the  small  boat. 

The  gloomy,  wild,  impenetrable  forest,  inclosing  on  the  three  sides  the 
little  plot  of  ten  or  fifteen  acres  of  cleared  ground  on  which  the  hamlet 
stands,  gives  undisturbed  shelter  to  the  hordes  of  large  red  monkeys, 
whose  growl,  at  this  hour,  so  much  resembling  the  distant  roar  of  lions  ; 
together  with  the  occasional  peculiar  cry  of  the  hoarse  noted  macaws,  as 
flitting  overhead  in  pairs  and  exposing  to  view,  in  the  last  rays  of  the 
dipping  sun,  the  gaudiness  of  their  dress  they  wend  to  their  nightly  re 
treat,  were  the  only  interruptions  to  the  serenity  of  the  scene.  I  had 
often  admired  the  beauty  of  this  bird,  but  here  was  a  new  variety  ;  many 
a  pair  with  deep  scarlet  plumage  passed  over  among  the  green,  blue  and 
parti-colored  ones.  I  had  never  before  seen  this  species  and  was  "  smitten 
at  first  sight,"  a  thing  Memory  says  is  no  novelty  to  a  susceptive  youth 
as  myself.  It  is  the  invariable  habit  of  the  yuaycamdyo  to  take  this  twi 
light  flight,  as  is  the  case  with  all  birds  of  the  genus,  belonging  to  the 
parrot  family,  from  this  the  chief  of  the  tribe  down  to  the  twittering 
little  paroquet  and  they  tend  not  a  little  to  enhance  the  beauty  of  the  de 
lightful  evenings  of  this  tropical  climate.  These  birds  have  their  nests 
in  high  hollow  trees  and  subsist  on  the  grains  and  luscious  fruits.  Upon 
returning  from  my  walk,  I  found  Cato  had  spread  my  mat  under  a  cluster 
of  Orange  trees,  with  the  tolda  hanging  over  it,  lashed  to  the  trunks  of 
two  others  of  the  same  kind.  I  of  course  applauded  his  taste  in  selecting 
so  fragrant  a  spot;  for  the  trees  though  loaded  with  fruit  in  every  stage, 
had  still  plenty  of  aromatic  blossoms  left  to  fill  the  air  with  "  balmy 
sweets,"  and  I  anticipated  the  delectable  sleep  I  subsequently  enjoyed  in 
so  odoriferous  a  resting  place.  The  orange  is  not  the  only  fruit  flourish 
ing  here,  for  in  the  intervals  between  the  scattering  huts,  sported  in  all 
its  pride  and  lofty  grandeur  the  Cocoa  tree,  whose  long  feathery  leaves 
wave  so  gracefully  to  the  gentle  evening  breeze,  and  whose  clusters  of 
fruit,  so  grateful  to  the  taste,  interspersed  amongst  those  leaves,  protected 
from  the  sun  and  rains  by  this  natural  umbrella,  ever  afford  such  a  temp 
tation  to  the  hungry  or  thirsty  gormandizer.  There  is  another  fruit  here, 
now  in  full  maturity,  is  of  a  very  perishable  nature,  inclosed  in  a  rusty 
coat,  having  two  black  seeds :  it  is  about  the  size  of  a  common  blue  pluin, 
very  mellow  and  of  an  exquisite  flavor,  its  name  was  given  but  has  escaped 
me.  The  Bananas  abound  in  the  most  thrifty  style,  which  together  wiv 
limes,  succulent  lemons,  pine-apples  and  other  tropical  fruits  contributr  x» 
form  the  best  collection  I  had  heretofore  met  with  at  any  one  place  in  *.he 
country.  The  pine-apple  appears  to  grow  best  in  the  shade,  I  found  it 
sheltered  under  the  broad  leaves  of  the  banana  plant ;  each  apple  is  nour 
ished  by  itself,  at  the  end  of  a  solitary  stem,  rising  from  the  centre  of  a 
tuft  of  long  dagger  like  shaped  grass ;  the  blade  is  very  thick  and  strong, 
pointed  with  a  thorn. 

62 


490  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

The  next  morning  we  were  under  headway  before  daylight,  and  the 
bogas  having  taken  to  their  task  with  too  much  zeal,  began  to  lay  in  their 
work  towards  the  afternoon,  and  about  4  oclock  came  to  a  stop  opposite  a 
lonely  hut.  They  soon  commenced  washing  out  the  boat,  securing  their 
palancas  along  side,  &c.,  their  last  duties  at  the  close  of  a  day's  work.  I, 
however,  very  soon  broke  in  upon  these,  to  them  pleasant  duties,  by  order 
ing  them  to  go  on  still  further;  but  they  did  not  like  this  interference  of 
mine,  with  their  avocations,  at  all.  They  told  me  that  there  was  no  other 
house  to  stop  at  for  leagues  ahead,  nothing  but  play $  (the  shore  or  strand) 
to  rest  upon.  To  all  their  murmurings  I  replied  that  I  did  not  want  a 
house  to  sleep  in.  I  had  slept  on  sandbars  before,  and  insisted  upon  their 
moving  on,  which  they  did  very  reluctantly  and  I  as  reluctantly  again 
embarked  having  a  severe  headache  and  feeling  excessively  tired.  But 
I  deemed  it  best  to  initiate  the  bogas  into  my  ways  as  soon  as  possible  and 
to  let  them  see  that  I  would  be  obeyed.  The  rascals  seeing  me  indisposed 
thought  to  punish  me  by  keeping  on  quite  late  now  they  were  again 
started  ;  and  under  a  pretence  of  not  being  able  to  find  a  place,  kept  on 
past  several  playa  (as  Cato  told  me)  till  near  ten  oclock ;  and  then  came 
to,  along  side  of  what  had  erst  been  an  alligators  hatching  pla"e  in  a  sand 
bank.  The  empty  and  curled  up  egg-shells  of  this  reptile,  which  were 
strewed  about  in  such  quantities,  indicated  this  to  have  really  been  the 
site  chosen,  by  the  female,  for  depositing  her  eggs  in  the  sand  and  trusting 
to  the  sun's  hot  rays  to  hatch  out  her  young  ones.  By  this  time  my 
fatigue  and  malady  had  increased  so  much  that  I  did  not  feel  very  par 
ticular  as  to  my  place  of  lodging.  Cato  very  quickly  had  the  shells  brushed 
away  from  a  smooth  spot  and  the  tolda's  in  order  for  nestling  under,  and 
I  as  quickly  crawled  in  while  the  lower  edges  of  the  musquito-bars  were 
carefully  tucked  under  my  mat.  I  had  previously  given  my  black  snoio- 
l>all  directions  to  call  me  when  the  moon,  now  in  its  last  quarter,  was  in 
a  line  with  the  top  of  a  tree  which  I  designated ;  and  also  how  to  act,  in 
case  that  any  of  the  cayman  or  alligators  should  pay  any  of  us  a  visit,  in 
the  night,  with  the  intention  of  making  a  meal  of  either  of  us;  a  thing 
which  the  negro  apprehended  more  than  anything  else  on  the  river. 

I  soon  fell  soundly  asleep,  but  how  long  I  had  been  in  that  state,  I  cannot 
tell,  I  only  know  that  when  fairly  awake  I  found  myself  sitting  upright,  under 
the  toldo  which  was  visibly  and  violently  agitated  by  some  external  agency ; 
my  pistols  were  in  one  hand  and  sword  in  the  other.  The  movement  of  my 
toldo  must,  undoubtedly,  have  aroused  me,  and  instinct  caused  me  to  seize 
my  arms,  for  I  distinctly  recollect  that  surprise,  at  finding  myself  in  this 
warlike  attitude,  was  the  first  unmingled  emotion  of  my  waking  sense. 
Then  like  a  flash  of  lightning  the  idea  of  a  cayman's  visit  came  across  my 
mind  and  simultaneously  I  saw,  by  the  light  of  the  moon  just  rising  over 
the  top  of  the  trees,  through  the  thin  fabric  of  my  toldo,  a  dark  object 
crawling  or  moving  and  stoutly  shaking  the  dark  side  of  Cato's  toldo,  one 
cord  of  which  being  fastened  to  the  same  stake  with  my  own  communicated 
all  its  motion  to  both.  My  idea  that  a  cayman  had  come  for  a  feast  was 
now  fully  confirmed  by  this  dark  looking  busy  apparition,  I  cocked  my 
pistols  but  the  distance  and  a  knowledge  of  the  cayman's  toughness  of  hide 
determined  me  to  change  my  plan  of  operations.  I  thought  it  the  better 
plan  to  throw  myself  between  the  toldos  and  the  river,  then  to  attack  the 
depredator  in  his  retreat ;  for  you  know  if  I  had  commenced  bombarding 
the  enemy  at  too  long  a  distance,  when  he  was  so  well  protected,  it  would 
have  been  more  than  probable  that  the  firing  would  have  been  without 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  491 

effect  on  such  a  foe,  then  I  should  have  not  only  lost  my  ammunition  but 
peradventure  my  negro  too.  I  was  out  of  the  tolda  as  quick  as  thought, 
but  wishing  to  ascertain,  before  commencing  the  attack,  after  gaining  my 
position,  where  Cato  was,  I  called  out  to  him.  When,  will  you  believe  it 
instead  of  coming  to  me  carrying  his  head  under  his  arm,  or  his  leg  on 
his  shoulder,  he  appeared  without  any  mark  of  a  conflict  with  an  alligator 
and  answered  "  Sir"  as  boldly  and  as  plainly  as  I  had  ever  heard  him 
speak  that  word.  A  thought  then  struck  me,  but  I  was  not  yet  sure  and 
I  soon  asked  "  what  the  devil  he  was  doing  there  ?"  He  answered  that 
u  the  musquitoes  Tiad  got  under  his  toldo  and  that  he  had  been  shaking 
them  out/'  which  convinced  me  that  he  had  been  the  dark  object  under 
the  dark  side  of  the  toldo.  I  went  to  bed  again  somewhat  relieved  aud 
ere  long  fast  asleep  but  was  once  more  awakened  by  the  sonorous  voice  of 
Cato  now  calling  out  to  the  bogas  "vayaiuonos  muchachones,"  "let  us  go 
away  boys,"  and  the  moon  being  at  the  point  designated,  we  were  soon 
voyagers  along  the  winding  banks  of  the  river. 

At  Penon,  an  Indian  village  at  which  we  staid  over  night,  the  toldo  was 
pitched  under  the  trees  in  one  of  the  main  streets.  During  this  operation 
we  had  plenty  of  spectators  who  came  to  offer  to  so  rare  a  customer  as  a 
bianco  or  white  man  their  bollo  —  Indian  meal  boiled  in  plantain  leaves  — 
but  I  purchased  earthen  pots  for  cookery  to  make  my  stock  of  kitchen 
furniture  complete.  The  crew  were  by  their  bargain  obliged  to  procure 
their  own  provisions  and  of  course  they  had  a  larder  of  their  own.  On 
the  sixth  day  after  leaving  Mornpox,  in  which  we  had  passed  nine  Indian 
hamlets,  we  reached  the  rather  large  village  of  Morales,  early  in  the  after 
noon.  This  place  is  beautifully  decorated  by  a  row  of  thrifty  cocoanut 
trees  on  the  river's  bank,  from  one  extremity  of  the  vill  to  the  other,  and 
is  one  of  the  regular  stopping  places  for  the  hard  working  bogas  who  man 
the  large  boats,  they  require  a  rest  of  one  or  two  days.  In  my  light  vessel 
this  repose  was  not  at  all  required  for  the  bogas,  but  one  of  them  landed 
here  on  pretence  .of  business,  and  did  not  make  his  appearance  till  the  next 
morning,  for  fear  I  would  compel  them  to  go  on  still  further ;  but  I  did 
not  feel  at  all  vexed,  for  the  change  was  as  pleasant  to  me  as  to  them. 

The  boatmen  are  always  paid  in  advance  for  their  jobs,  which  makes 
them  heedless  of  the  time  they  consume  in  performing  them ;  owing  to 
this  many  of  the  large  boats  are  three  months  in  accomplishing  the 
voyage,  when  two  should  answer.  Nothing  seems  to  excite  the  ambition 
of  these  improvident  creatures.  In  the  course  of  my  rambles,  that  after 
noon,  I  came  acupss  two  foreigners,  passengers  in  one  of  the  seven 
champans  lying  before  this  place;  they  were  three  weeks  from  Monipox 
and  both  bound  for  the  salt  mines  near  Bogota.  One  was  a  Cornish 
miner,  the  other  a  Frenchman  but  he  spoke  better  English  than  the 
Britain.  They  have  been  here  detained  two  'days  beypnd  the  allotted 
time  for  resting,  in  consequence  of  a  row,  among  the  crews  of  the  different 
boats,  in  which  one  of  their  bogas  was  completely  disabled  and  their 
patron  so  badly  wounded  by  machetes  that  they  could  not  go  on.  The 
cause  of  quarrel  was  some  trivial  thing,  which  will  cause  some  of  these 
fellows  to  draw  their  knives-and  set  them  at  cutting  and  slashing  each 
other  as  if  they  were  chopping  up  pumpkins  for  a  stall  fed  ox.  Nor  do 
they  require  the  usual  stimulants  of  our  home  bullies  —  rum,  to  set  them 
at  loggerheads,  for  they  scarcely  ever  get  drunk ;  indeed  abstinence  from 
strong  liquors  is  here  a  universal  virtue  —  necessity  rather  —  for  the 
climate  is  against  the  longevity  of  a  hard  drinker.  Our  Cornish  miner, 


492  LEGACY  OF  HISTOKICAL  GLEANINGS. 

one  of  your  little  fellows  only  one  inch  taller  than  myself,  fsix  feet  four 
inches  high)  and  proportionately  built,  had  been  most  terribly  annoyed  by 
the  mosquitoes  ]  his  arms  and  legs,  from  the  elbow  and  knee  down  to  the 
nails  of  fingers  and  toes  were  nearly  one  continued  sore,  nor  was  his  face 
or  neck  in  a  much  better  plight.  I  asked  him  "why  he*had  not  provided 
himself  with  a  toldo."  "  Why  dang  it  zur,  I  had  un  till  the  dom  bogas 
stold  it  o'rue  of  a  night  when  I  was  sleepin."  "You  are  a  sound 
sleeper/'  says  I.  Izz  zur,  I  duz  sleep  sound,  but  when  I  wakt  with  their 
pullin  it  fra'  under  me  and  chassed  them,  I  tumblet  down,  and  they  run 
in  the  booshes  wi  the  toldo,  an  thats  the  last  o'  it." 

Our  crew  having  assembled  at  the  boat,  quite  early,  we  again  started 
and  on  the  fourth  day  after  that  came  to,  in  the  evening,  at  San  Pablo 
where  we  remained  next  day  to  wash  our  clothes,  buy  provisions  and  to 
humor  the  bogas  —  who  wished  me  to  allow  them  one  day  for  rest  at  this 
stopping  place,  and  then  they  would  go  on  to  Honda  without  applying  for 
the  same  favor  again.  Leaving  Cato  and  the  bc£as  cleansing  their  travel 
ing  clothes,  I  started  with  my  gun  on  my  shoulder,  machete  by  my  side, 
and  compass  in  my  hand  to  follow,  in  search  of  game  and  variety,  a  little 
path  leading  into  the  forest,  which  here  as  at  all  other  Indian  villages 
approximates  so  near  and  encloses  with  its  almost  impenetrable  wilds  those 
tiny  spots  of  human  cultivation  and  habitation.  A  walk  of  a  mile  along 
this  path  brought  me  to  a  cleared  site  of  some  thirty  acres,  formerly  a 
plantation,  but  now  the  free  grazing  ground  of  jackasses,  goats  and  cows. 
The  heat  of  the  sun  in  this  close,  unsheltered  place,  compelled  me  to  add 
somewhat  to  the  speed  of  my  loitering  gait  in  crossing  over  to  gain  one 
of  the  many  sylvan  tracks  on  the  other  side,  where  I  re-assumed  my  lei 
surely  movements.  While  stretching  my  neck,  in  vain,  and  straining  my 
eyes  to  get  a  sight  of  the  "  pavo  "  (turkeys  and  wood-grouse)  which  at  times 
resort  here,  could  see  or  hear  nothing  save  macaws,  parrots,  and  monkeys. 
I  had  so  frequently  observed  these*  interesting  things  that  it  seemed  but 
dull  sport.  Whilst  quenching  my  thirst  at  a  "crystal  stream"  I  was 
suddenly  startled  by  a  rustling  in  the  underbrush  at  hand,  and  directly 
after  had  an  indistinct  glimpse  of  some  animal  running  along,  which, 
from  its  color,  I  supposed  to  be  a  deer.  Snatching  up  my  arms  I  followed 
the  road  he  took  which  led  me,  in  a  very  short  time,  to  a  little  open  vale, 
at  the  foot  of  a  murmuring  cascade.  As  soon  as  I  broke  into  it  from  the 
woods,  my  ears  were  saluted  by  a  stunning,  shrill,  unearthly  shriek  as 
piercing  and  uproarious  a  tumult  as  if  all  Bedlam  had  joined  in  a  full 
chorus  !  Jupiter  Ammon  !  !  I  nearly  fainted,  my*  modesty  received 
such  an  electrical  shock  !  !  !  My  surprise  may  easily  be  imagined  when 
I  discovered  in  the  little  pool  below  the  cascade  some  five  or  six  tawny 
females  up  to  their  waist  in  water  engaged  in  washing  their  soiled  clothes. 
Among  the  pack  of  dogs,  that  also  greeted  my  appearance  and  joined  in 
concert  to  the  female  yell,  was  one  whose  dun  color  had  led  me,  in  the 
passing  glance,  to  mistake  him  for  a  deer.  I  quickly  beat  a  retreat  and 
left  the  Naiads  wallowing  in  their  limpid  fountain  and  pursued  my  course 
boativard,  where  I.  arrived  with  a  stomach  full  of  emptiness  and  legs  full 
of  weariness,  without  having  shed  any  blood  in  my  ramble  except  that  of 
a  pretty  green  snake  which  perished  by  decapitation.  Quite  satisfied  with 
the  exercise  I  had  taken,  the  rest  of  the  day  was  spent  by  ine  in  reading 
and  fishing. 

This  last  amusement  had  been  resorted  to  in  coming  up  the  river  only 
when  the  nature  of  the  ground,  at  the  resting  or  eating  places,  precluded 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  493 

the  possibility  of  walking.  Many  such  had  turned  up,  and  then  we  always 
endeavored  to  forget  the  deprivation  from  exercise,  in  the  pleasures  of  the 
ever  successful  angling  rod.  We  never  made  use  of  our  hook  and  line 
without  procuring  at  least  a  dish  for  ourselves,  and  very  frequently  we 
also  hauled  in  enough  for  the  bogas.  The  only  kinds  that  took  our  bait 
were  of  the  catfish  tribe ;  of  the  two  species  that  we  caught,  one  greatly 
resembles  those  of  the  Hudson  river  •  the  other  differs  from  it  in  the  flat 
ness  of  its  head  and  in  the  construction  of  its  beard,  which  grows  the 
length  of  the  fishes'  body  and  from  the  circumstance  is  called  bdrba  by 
the  boatmen.  Both  kinds  are  very  plentiful,  fat  and  in  flavor  excel  any 
thing  of  the  fish  kind  I  ever  tasted  ;  they  are  justly  considered  the  best 
in  the  river.  Some  of  them  attain  an  enormous  size,  the  largest  one  I 
ever  saw  was  two  feet  and  a  half  long;  but  have  no  doubt  they  are  fre 
quently  as  large,  if  not  larger,  than  those  of  the  Mississippi  or  the  Lakes  ; 
their  fat  is  like  that  of  mutton  to  the  eye  :  the  Indians  boil  without  skin 
ning  them.  There  is  nothing  particularly  interesting  on  the  lower  part 
of  this  river,  it  has  a  sameness  that  tires  the  traveler  —  a  trip  from  one 
village  to  another  gives  a  fair  idea  of  the  whole  route.  The  village  houses 
are  all  made  of  reeds  and  thatched  with  palmetto  leaves ;  no  floors ;  plenty 
of  children  and  barking  curs ;  all  looks  dirty  around  them  for  they  are 
poor,  filthy  and  noisy.  The  only  marks  of  tillage  are  found  in  the  imme 
diate  vicinity  of  those  vills,  the  rest,  extending  as  far  as  the  vision  can 
trace,  is  a  wild  luxuriant  wilderness.  There  is  seldom  any  high  back 
scenery  to  relieve  the  eye;  the  lofty  mountain  peaks  do  not  approach  the 
river  till  near  Honda,  at  which  place,  the  base  of  the  vast  eminence,  is  in 
places  laved  by  the  diminished  Magdalena,  while  the  summit  rises  hun 
dreds  of  feet  above  you,  clothed  with  flowers,  shrubs  and  all  the  brilliant 
trees  of  this  wild  region.  Often  when  our  boat  was  at  anchor,  while  the 
ceremony  of  cooking  was  going  on  both  morning  and  evening,  have  I 
wandered  over  the  flats  that  spread  out  from  the  bottom  of  those  hills  to 
admire  the  richness  of  the  soil,  the  perpetual  verdure  of  the  forests,  the 
beauty  of  the  birds  or  the  general  stillness  and  sublimity  of  the  scene,  to 
find  myself  chanting  —  when  awakened  from  a  rcvery  —  in  my  most  dulcet 
notes  those  expressive  words  of  Moore,  "  How  great  indeed  had  been  our 
bliss,  If  Heav'n  had  but  assign'd  us,  To  live  and  die  in  scenes  like  this, 
With  some  we've  left  behind  us."  But  it  is  impossible  to  impress  on 
paper  the  strong  emotions  so  frequently  experienced  during  my  travels  in 
this  beautiful  country,  so  I  will  leave  these  romantic  sports  for  the  present. 
My  gun'afforded  me  not  only  plenty  of  sport,  but  was  an  indispensable 
implement  in  our  very  long  passage.  I  had  provided  more  than  enough 
yams,  tea,  coffee  &c.,  still  my  store  of  salt  meat  as  also  that  of  the  bogadors 
was  only  calculated  for  a  trip  of  eighteen  or  twenty  days,  and  we  soon 
found  the  necessity  of  husbanding  it  as  much  as  possible.  The  Indian 
hamlets  affording  nothing  but  fruits,  rarely  eggs,  and  never  meats  of  any 
kind,  it  was  indeed  fortunate  a  remedy  was  ever  at  hand  in  my  trusty 
fusil.  It  was  not  an  uncommon  thing  for  us  to  have  three  or  four  wild 
turkeys,  ducks  or  any  other  large  unknown  birds  on  hand  at  one  time,  so 
you  may  well  suppose  then,  that  our  fare  was  none  of  the  worst.  My 
bogas  always  had  their  share  of  the  fine  game  when  I  had  a  larger  supply 
than  I  could  preserve  from  decay,  but  when,  as  it  sometimes  happened,  I 
had  but  a  single  bird  for  my  own  use  they  would  apply  to  me  for  a  gdrza 
or  crane.  These  could  always  be  obtained  as  the  river  abounds  with  them, 
they  are  quite  fat  and  are  eaten  by  the  bogas  with  much  gusto ;  but  I 


494  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

never  could  overcome  my  prejudice  enough  to  taste  them  but  once  and 
then  found  them  quite  an  agreeable  addition  to  the  impoverished  con 
tents  and  meagre  supply  of  our  "  ollas  "  or  earthern  cooking  pots.  We 
also  often  made  a  short  stop  to  allow  the  men  an  opportunity  of  gathering 
turtle's  eggs,  of  which  they  found  in  some  places  large  quantities. 

The  turkeys,  like  all  other  forest  birds  here,  are  tough  but  very  sweet 
meat;  the  ducks  assimilate  much  to  our  canvasbacks  but  in  size  and  flavor 
are  superior.  The  unknown  bird  is  shaped  like  our  woodcock,  but  tbe 
body  is  larger  than  a  goose ;  when  the  skin  is  stripped  off  it  appeares  like 
a  solid  lump  of  fat  but  are  good  eating  and  very  tender  ;  they  fly  in  im 
mense  flocks  feeding  on  the  sand  bars.  On  the  3rd  of  June  I  secured 
among  my  little  crew  an  exalted  reputation  for  myself  as  one  of  the  med 
ical  s'avans.  In  attempting  to  double  one  of  the  "penons"  or  points 
against  which  the  current  sets  with  so  much  force  as  to  make  it  very 
difficult,  the  boat  being  driven  back  as  frequently  occurs  at  those  places 
with  such  velocity  against  the  perpendicular  bank,  that  the  Patron  was 
obliged  to  fend  off  with  both  hands  to  prevent  our  going  to  pieces.  In 
doing  which  one  of  his  hands  was  stung  by  a  snake  or  some  other  reptile. 
The  subtile  poison  caused  the  wound  in  a  short  time  to  become  very  pain 
ful,  as  indicated  by  his  piteous  groans  and  pallid  hue,  likewise  so  much 
swollen  that  he  became  greatly  alarmed  and  stopped  the  boat.  I  could 
not  discover  where  the  fangs  had  entered,  and  was  astonished  to  see  his 
hand  increase  in  size  so  rapidly ;  however  I  took  the  poor  fellow  under 
my  protecting  wing-;  and  whilst  I  was  engaged  in  applying  a  ligature  below 
the  elbow,  above  the  swelling,  Cato  was,  with  all  the  dispatch  of  one  who  saw 
the  necessity,  amalgamating  the  only  ingredients  I  possessed,  in  which  I 
had  any  confidence,  or  hope  of  proving  a  beneficial  unction  in  this  forlorn 
case.  A  cataplasm  of  sugar,  salt  and  turpentine  soap  was  soon  well 
daubed  on  with  unsparing  hand,  and  then  to  obviate  the  necessity  of  re 
maining  in  the  wild,  cheerless  spot  at  which  we  then  were,  I  made  him 
crawl  under  the  part  of  the  toldo  appropriated  to  Cato,  that  he  might 
grunt  there  at  his  leisure,  whilst  a  boga  took  his  place  and  Cato  the  pa 
lanca  of  the  latter.  Shortly  after  applying  the  soft  poultice  the  invalid 
fancied  the  pain  was  eased,  in  fact  the  next  day,  on  removing  the  band 
ages,  the  swelling  had  all  disappeared.  That  accident  was  nearly  the  cause 
of  proving  a  much  greater  one. 

Cato  after  giving  up  his  berth  under  the  tolda  to  the  sick  man  had 
mounted  the  quarter  deck  with  the  palanca  or  pole  in  order  to  keep  the 
boat  moving  that  day.  The  little  negro  did  great  credit  to  his  new  avo 
cation,  and  as  long  as  he  had  "  plain  sailing"  before  him  all  went  well, 
the  little  bark  perhaps  had  never  glided  so  swiftly  through  the  waters  as 
she  did  when  propelled  by  him.  But  after  an  hour  or  two,  in  attempting 
to  double  a  difficult  "  pendn  "  where  not  only  skill  but  great  force  was  re 
quisite  for  its  accomplishment,  the  faithful  negro  who  never  was  back 
ward  in  any  emergency  was  determined  in  this  case  to  prove  himself,  at 
least,  equal  to  the  natives  in  their  proper  element.  But  alas  !  the  vanity 
of  ambition  !  In  order  to  give  a  powerful  heave,  in  pressing  his  pole 
against  the  limb  of  a  tree  diagonally  overhead,  it  broke  and  down  he  plumped 
into  the  water  with  its  rapid  current  where  a  fifteen  foot  palanca  could 
find  no  bottom.  It  occurred  at  the  turn  where  it  would  be  difficult  for  a 
veteran  swimmer  to  reach  the  trees  or  pendulous  vines  from  the  banks, 
over  the  vortex  of  violently  whirling  water  where  there  are  no  soundings,  for 
the  stream  comes  rushing  along  with  such  force  and  then  being  so  sud- 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  495 

denly  impeded  by  these  large  rocks  as  to  form  a  raging  whirlpool.  This 
portentous  accident  would  have  proved  fatal  to  the  "  land  lubber,"  (as  he 
knew  not  the  art  of  swimming,  and  the  stream  that  was  in  the  act  of  bear 
ing  him  away  made  such  a  stunning  noise,  together  with  uninterrupted 
laboring  cry  of  the  bogas,  and  extra  motion  of  the  boat  were  such  common 
things,  at  these  pendns,  as  by  this  time  not  often  to  attract  rny  notice,)  but 
for  the  providential  circumstance  of  my  being  at  the  mouth  of  the  toldo 
waiting  for  a  shot  at  a  crimson  spoon  bill  duck,  which  I  had  a  few  mo 
ments  before  seen  to  alight  on  a  point  above  us.  While  stretching  out 
my  neck  to  ascertain  the  precise  situation  of  the  bird,  I  observed  the  dan 
gerous  predicament  of  my  darkey.  Hastily  throwing  my  gun  aside,  I 
forcibly  snatched  the  palanca  from  the  hand  of  the  forward  bdga,  who 
with  the  air  of  one  petrified,  was  instinctively  clinging  to  the  vines  in  the 
bank,  to  prevent  the  boat  going  back.  However  I  quickly  broke  his  hold, 
he  began  to  swear  and  refused  me  his  pole,  but  that  was  no  time  for  cere 
mony  and  at  my  threat  of  throwing  him  overboard,  he  only  replied  "what 
a  man  "  arid  after  I  had,  as  related,  taken  the  pole  by  force,  he  squatted 
down  in  the  bows  of  the  boat  and  looked  as  vacant  as  if  nothing  was  going 
on,  both  of  the  bogas  were  too  much  stupified  to  lend  their  aid.  One  stout 
heave  on  the  pole,  aided  by  the  rapids,  brought  me  near  enough  to  the 
receding  but  manfully  struggling  negro  to  extend  him  one  end  of  it  and 
he  was  soon  hauled  aboard  —  while  the  cayman  was  cheated  of  his  meal. 
Then  the  paddles  brought  the  boat  along  side  the  bank  and  we  proceeded 
as  usual  on  our  route. 

I  had  seen  "  Snowball"  splashing  about  in  the  waters  of  our  own  lonnie 
Hudson  some  years  since,  he  then  was  rescued  from  drowning  through 
my  instrumentality,  and  in  spite  of  my  intense  anxiety  at  this  time,  I 
could  not  but  remark,  nor  refrain  from  smiling  (when  the  danger  was 
past)  at  his  ludicrous  appearance  at  both  times.  His  eyes  were  distended, 
and  ever  and  anon,  a  spout  issued  from  his  mouth  like  that  from  the  nos 
trils  of  a  whale.  To  my  cheering  and  earnest  cry  of  "  paddle  away  my 
brave  boy,"  he  answered  with  a  language  something  between  a  grunt  and 
a  groan  ;  but  when  I  finally  dragged  him  in  the  boat,  he  went  to  work 
again  as  if  he  had  not  been  in  the  least  jeopardy,  or  without  betraying 
any  signs  of  agitation  at  the  adventure,  simply  remarking  that  "It  was 
well  for  him  there  were  no  caymans  just  then  in  waiting."  "  Cayman" 
is  the  Spanish  of  Alligator,  in  which  the  whole  length  of  the  river  abounds. 
We  had  heard  some  report  in  Barranquilla  of  an  Englishman  having  lost 
a  son  by  them  on  this  stream,  which  was  true  as  I  subsequently  discovered. 

The  day  following  these  nearly  tragical  events,  we  reached  the  little 
town  of  San.  Bartolemo,  and  tarried  one  day;  by  this  time  the  Patrdn 
was  fast  recovering  we  went  on  our  way  without  any  more  trouble.  Cato 
working  id  the  cool  parts  of  the  day  as  he  had  previously  and  taking  to 
the  house  when  the  heat  was  too  intense.  We  again  came  across  the 
large  kind  of  birds  after  which  I  r^ad  a  "wild  goose  chase"  on  the 
savannas  below  Moinpox.  I  found  them  very  shy,  and  made  several  vain 
attempts  before  I  got  a  shot  at  them  the  first  time,  and  then  was  com 
pelled  to  fire  at  such  a  distance,  that  I  only  succeeded  in  crippling  one 
out  of  an  enormous  flock,  in  such  a  manner  that  it  fell  into  the  water 
about  100  yards  from  the  shore,  where  it  immediately  was  drawn  under, 
by  one  of  the  greedy  caymans,  which  had  crawled  from  the  sunny  sand 
bank  at  my  approach.  However  these  futile  eiforts  made  me  better  ac 
quainted  with  their  "  manners  and  customs,"  and  afterwards  procured  as 


496  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

many  as  I  pleased,  killing  seven,  one  day,  with  the  two  barrels.  They  are 
larger  than  our  goose,  with  a  dark  fleshy  head  and  neck,  plumage  white, 
shaped  exactly  like  our  woodcock,  and  the  only  bird  I  have  met  with  in 
this  country  which  can  be  called  really  fat,  they  are  tolerably  good  eating. 

We  now  occasionally  were  favored  with  a  distant  view  of  the  Andes 
which  was  an  agreeable  relief  to  the  eye  so  long  accustomed  to  the  un 
varying  sight  of  the  luxuriancy  of  the  plains  in  the  level  country,  but  as 
we  approached  nearer,  in  our  progress,  towards  those  mountains  we  were 
the  oftener  disturbed  from  our  sleep  by  tremendous  showers  of  rain.  The 
bdgas  were  frequently  wet  to  the  skin,  I  therefore  willingly  allowed  a 
stoppage  in  the  middle  of  an  afternoon  at  the  little  village  of  Nare.  This 
place  like  all  other  villages  here,  stands  on  a  spot  of  cleared  ground  barely 
large  enough  to  contain  the  huts,  with  a  cheerless  forest  on  three  sides 
and  the  river  in  front.  Not  many  hundred  yards  north  of  it,  the  very 
considerable  stream  of  the  Rio  Nare  comes  sweeping  down  from  the  mount 
ains  in  the  Province  of  Antioquia  to  pay  its  tribute  to  the  Magdalena.  I 
here  laid  in  a  stock  of  pine  apples,  plums,  sugar  and  chocolate,  and  after 
leaving  it  we  more  frequently  came  across  the  Cocoa  tree,  from  the  berry 
of  which  we  concoct  our  delicious  chocolate.  These  trees  are  cultivated 
in  regular  rows  and  much  care  is  bestowed  upon  them;  nothing  is  suffered 
to  grow  under  them  (except  the  shade  loving  pine  apple)  they  are  kept  well 
trimmed  and  never  grow  very  large.  The  rough  pods  in  which  the 
berries  are  incased  are  a  little  in  appearance  like  the  fruit  of  the  Calabosa 
which  grows  out  of  the  trunk  of  the  tree  from  the  ground  up,  at  irregular 
intervals  and  has  a  singular  appearance.  The  cultivation  of  the  fruit  is 
a  very  profitable  business  and  many  extensive  plantations  are  to  be  met 
on  the  upper  part  of  the  river.  The  most  prosperous  one  of  great  extent 
is  at  the  u  Hacienda"  (estate)  de  Palencaiio  where  I  enjoyed  a  delightful 
stroll  on  the  evening  of  June  14th  after  the  excessive  heat  of  the  day 
among  the  cocoas,  bananas,  and  sugar  patches;  being  afterwards  kindly 
entertained  with  a  cup  of  chocolate  and  some  "  dulces  "  —  preserves  —  by 
the  owner,  a  majestic  hoary  headed  negro  and  his  fat  but  cleanly  spouse. 
Their  mud  covered  reed  house  is  tastefully  flanked  on  each  side  with  four 
or  five  uniform  huts  for  their  slaves,  while  everything  about  them  is  a 
model  of  neatness. 

The  night  after  this  a  heavy  shower  so  completely  drenched  the  clothes 
of  the  bdgas  that  I  resolved  the  next  morning  to  take  advantage  of  the 
interval  lost  in  drying  them  and  in  the  preparations  for  breakfasttto  ascend 
a  hill  at  the  foot  of  which  we  were  lying.  These  showers  surprised  us 
only  at  night  as  the  sun  is  here  too  powerful  to  permit  the  clouds  to  collect 
in  the  day.  I  took  my  machete  in  hand  but  it  was  only  with  the  greatest 
difficulty  I  succeeded  in  cutting  my  way  through  the  wild  banana,  matted 
vines,  briers  and  luxuriant  plants  until  I  came  to  a  precipitous  rock  which 
crowned  the  summit.  After  a  short  search  at  the  foot  of  the  precipice  I 
found  a  place  where  the  ascent  \jas  practicable  for  an  active  body  with 
good  nerves.  I  made  the  attempt  arid  with  the  aid  of  a  friendly  tree  suc 
ceeded  in  attaining  half  the  height  of  the  steep;  the  other  ten  feet  was 
surmounted  a  la  mode  of  a  chimney-sweep  through  a  narrow  fissure  of  the 
rock  when  all  my  fatigue  was  forgotten  in  the  magnificence  of  the  prospect 
and  the  refreshing  coolness  of  the  breeze.  From  the  little  rocky  table  the 
termination  of  this  height,  which  perhaps  had  never  before  sustained  a 
man,  I  jerked  many  a  pebble  into  the  muddy  water  of  the  rapid  river 
which,  in  its  winding  course  rolling  from  amidst  the  hills,  forms,  in  its 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  497 

nearer  approach,  a  peninsular  the  exact  model  of  the  scene  from  Mt. 
Holyoke  on  a  more  diminutive  scale.  The  Magdalena  forms  its  oxbow,  at 
the  foot  of  my  hill,  and  then  winds  off  watering,  in  its  direction  of  moving, 
the  richly  coated  savannas  so  beautifully  dressed  in  verdure  till  it  is  lost 
in  the  distance.  The  resemblance  to  my  favorite  scene  at  home,  was  so 
striking  that  I  forgot  the  toil  and  blisters  —  a  consequent  of  accomplishing 
the  ascent  —  and  for  a  few  agreeable  moments  imagination  carried  me  to 
the  society  of  a  happy  few  on  that  bonny  hill  of  Massachusetts.  The 
delusion  was  soon  put  to  flight  by  a  "  still  small  voice"  from  the  pigmy 
form  of  Cato  down  on  the  beach  3  or  400  feet  below.  As  the  tone  came 
up  along  the  mountain's  side  it  seemed  like  distant  thunder;  though  his 
words  could  not  be  understood,  the  sound  in  reverberating  along  the  craggy 
rocks  seemed  to  have  acquired  a  tenfold  force  ere  it  reached  me.  The 
cause  of  this  untimely  summons  was  easily  guessed  and  I  left  the  dizzy 
height  to  partake  of  the  breakfast  prepared  by  Cato. 

Our  bogas  had  so  much  difficulty  to  day  —  June  15  —  in  working  against 
a  current  running  at  the  rate  of  seven  miles  per  hour  that  they  threw  aside 
their  palancas  in  despair  of  getting  around  a  peiion  at  5  P.  M.  about  one 
league  from  their  final  destination.  This  early  stoppage  I  took  advantage 
of  to  ascend  to  the  top  of  another  hill  in  company  wjth  Cato.  This  was 
not  so  arduous  a  task  as  the  one  I  had  accomplished  in  the  morning  although 
it  was  twice  the  height  of  the  other  for  our  course  was  not  obstructed  by 
vines  and  briers.  After  passing  through  the  woods  which  cover  the  narrow 
flats  lying  between  the  river  and  the  foot  of  the  mountain,  we  found  an 
open  but  very  steep  road.  This  hill  like  many  others  seen  latterly,  was 
completely  devoid  of  trees,  though  thickly  coated  in  a  short  growth  of  grass. 
From  the  summit  the  view  was  extensive  and  beautiful :  on  one  side  was 
seen  the  river  rolling  along  through  a  fruitful  valley  with  an  occasional 
hut,  or  herd  of  cattle  indicating  that  man  was  there  to  mar  the  quietude 
of  the  peaceful  spot.  On  the  other  side  was  displayed  to  our  gaze  the 
wildest  and  most  picturesque  succession  of  peaked  hills  rising  one  over  the 
other  that  I  ever  beheld,  I  was  perfectly  fascinated  with  the  novelty  of  the 
scene.  After  gazing  awhile  we  set  to  rolling  stones  down  the  steep  de 
clivity  and  in  places  of  craggy  sides,  then  stand  to  see  them  bound  along 
in  their  furious  career,  and  listen  to  hear  their  thundering  noise  as  it  rose 
over  the  stillness  of  the  evening,  from  their  coming  in  contact  with  other 
stones,  till  they  were  broken  in  fragments  by  the  percussion  from  their 
precipitous  descent,  or  lost  in  the  distance  to  the  sight  and  ear.  This  idle 
pastime  was  at  length  brought  to  a  close,  at  our  hearing  music  from  the 
tail  of  a  rattlesnake  which  lay  hid  under  a  massive  stone  against  which 
we  had  both  concentrated  our  strength  to  dislodge  from  its  bed  to  send 
down  the  declivity.  "  A  word  to  the  wise"  is,  or  ought  to  be  enough,  so 
we  left  the  wrathful  snake  in  undisputed  possession  of  its  stone  and  shortly 
after  started  off  in  direction  of  the  beacon  fire,  which  was  blazing  by  the 
side  of  our  little  biirgo  where  we  arrived  long  after  dark.  The  next  day 
June  16  we  landed  at  8  oclock  A.  M.  opposite  the  jBodeya  (storehouses) 
de  Honda,  and  immediately  walked  up  a  distance  of  one  league  to  the  city 
to  deliver  my  letters  of  introduction,  from  the  Glens,  to  Seilor  Martin 
Avendano,  who  formerly  was  a  clerk  in  their  house.  On  presenting  the 
letters  at  the  door  1  was  immediately  invited  in,  where  I  found  the  whole 
family  at  breakfast ;  mine  was  ushered  in,  after  they  had  finished,  in  hand 
some  style.  Before  1  had  finished,  a  fine  looking  young  man  of  about  30 

63 


498  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

or  35  years,  whom  I  had  observed  eating,  at  the  general's  table,  in  his 
shirt  sleeves,  put  on  a  red  military  jacket  and  cap,  then  with  a  profound 
military  salute,  took  his  departure.  Thinks  I,  there  goes  a  drum-major  as 
proud  of  his  livery  as  a  peacock  of  his  tail  and  then  dismissed  all  thought 
of  him. 

Having  understood  that  Senor  A  —  had  letters  from  General  Harrison 
to  me,  who  had  as  previously  requested  addressed  to  his  care,  went  with 
him  after  finishing  my  meal,  to  his  store  and  found  two.     The  General 
expressed  his  pleasure  at  my  having  a  servant  with  me,  and  stated  that  in 
stead  of  an  encumbrance,  he  would  be  an  acquisition  to  him,  as  the  servants 
here  are  so  incompetent,  and  after   giving  me  some  directions  about  his 
furniture,  which  by  this  time  had  all  gone  on  ;  he  closed  by  informing  me, 
who  to  draw  on  for  money  in  case  I  wanted  it ;  that,  however,  was  not  nec 
essary,  but  it  all  goes  to  show   the  man.     After  reading  my   letters,   Sr 
Avendano  suggested  going  to  the  Governor's  office  to  show  my  passport, 
and  take  out  a  new  one  at  once,  as  I  wished  to  move  on  early  the  following 
morning ;  accordingly  we  went,  and  who  did  the  Governor  prove  to  be, 
but  my  polite  drum-major.     I  was  greatly  surprised  but  my  equanimity 
soon  returned  and  Governor  Posada  was  so  favorably  impressed  by  my 
powers  of  affability  that  nothing  could  equal  his  civility.     He  sent  out  his 
own  servant  to  procure  the  mules  for  me  to  proceed  on  with ;  gave  me  a 
hammock  to  sleep  in  that  night ;  and  afterwards  when  we  found  none 
other  was  to  be  had  in  Honda,  he  offered  me  the  use  of  his  own  English 
saddle,  without  which  my  journey  would  not  only  nave  been  unpleasant 
but  extremely  hazardous.     I  found  Honda  excessively  warm,  but  in  spite 
of  the  heat  I  rambled  through  every  part  of  the  earthquake  battered  place, 
to  view  the  ruins  of  churches,  convents  and  dwellings  prostrated  by  the 
earth's  commotions.     After  my  stroll  about  town  we  returned  home  to 
dinner  where  I  found  Cato  and  the  baggage  by  the  Governor's  orders. 
Cato  remained  with  the  luggage  at  Senor  Avendano's  and  1  went  to  the 
Governor's  that  night.     The  only  thing  that  occurred  at  Honda,  to  mar  my 
enjoyment,  was  the  first  flying  report  of  General  Harrison's  removal.     The 
news  was  not  so  very  shocking,  as  the  possibility  of  such  a  thing  had  pre 
viously  occurred  to  my  mind  \  but  my  greatest  anxiety  was  —  that  your 
new  Hickory  broom  might  peradventure  sweep  too  clean  at  your  office. 
On  the  17th  June  upon  crossing  the  river,  after  breakfast,  at  eight  o'clock, 
I  found  the  Governor's  servant  with  mine  awaiting  my  coming.     The  bag 
gage  was  soon  lashed  on  the  backs  of  the  mules,  when  Cato  and  myself 
mounted  ours  ;  and  followed  by  our  cheering  pe<5n  (muleteer)  Honda  was 
quickly  left  behind  us. 

This  road  has  the  reputation  of  being  one  of  the  worst  in  South  Ame 
rica.  We  passed  on  the  brink  of  many  a  giddy  precipice,  and  up  eleva 
tions  which  owing  to  their  perpendicularity  appeared  to  our  unpracticed 
eyes  insurmountable,  but  these  places  are  passed  and  repassed  with  .but 
little  difficulty,  through  a  zig-zag  road.  This  has  by  the  power  of  the 
mountain  floods  and  constant  travel,  been  worn  down  below  the  general 
level  of  the  surrounding  ground,  and  now  resembles  a  farmer's  ditch  more 
than  a  grand  turnpike  to  a  large  and  rich  Capital.  Our  wearisome  head 
way  was  made  up  such  a  road  for  several  hours,  now  and  then  a  short 
level,  or  a  descent  would  occur  by  way  of  variety.  The  description  we 
had  received  of  this  road,  from  our  English  acquaintances,  had  made  us 
expect  many  an  adventure  in  the  shape  of  broken  bones  and  tumbles;  but 
the  agreeable  change  from  our  boat  life  with  the  quickly  acquired  confi- 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  499 

dence  in  the  sure-footed  ness  of  our  patient  mules,  dispelled  every  appre 
hension  of  that  sort  and  left  the  mind  at  ease  to  enjoy  the  ever  varying 
scenery.  A  slip  which  Cato  unintentionally  made  over  the  neck  of  his 
beast,  did  not  in  the  least  tend  to  destroy  our  enjoyment,  only  made  us 
more  cautious  in  sitting  firmly  on  our  saddles  while  crossing  bad  places. 
At  length  we  attained  the  elevation  as  designated  orf  an  old  Spanish  monu 
ment  by  the  side  of  860  toesa  (fathoms)  from  which  the  view  was  magni 
ficent,  a  wild  and  most  extensive  spectacle.  In  the  centre  of  the  scene 
the  River  Magdalena  like  a  silver  thread  was  seen  winding  along  for  many 
miles  on  its  seaward  course  and  from  it,  the  mountains  rose  to  a  towering 
height  one  above  another,  in  every  direction  as  far  as  the  vision  could 
detect  them  ;  and  in  the  distance  became  so  blended  with  the  clouds,  as 
to  be  scarcely  distinguishable.  Even  the  spot  on  which  we  stood,  though 
far  above  the  ribbon  like  stream  appeared  when  the  nearer  ranges  were 
overlooked,  and  when  the  eye  rested  on  the  remote  mountain  tops,  like 
the  lowest  spot  athwart  the  vale.  I  never  in  my  life  so  forcibly  realized 
the  insignificance  of  man  as  I  did  at  that  moment.  Notwithstanding 
fatigue,  our  time  passed  away  most  pleasantly  and  about  5  o'clock  p.  M. 
Guaduas  in  the  bosom  of  its  delightful  valley  opened  to  our  view  and  at 
8  o'clock  we  had  made  the  descent. 

After  delivering  my  letters  of  introduction  from  Governor  Posada  and 
Senor  Avendaiio  to  Colonel  Acosta  I  was  soon  put  in  very  comfortable 
quarters  for  the  night.  At  Guadua,  which  is  about  eight  leagues  from 
Honda,  I  met  Col.  Campbell  the  British  Charge  d'  Affaires  to  this  Country, 
and  Mr.  Miranda  —  a  son  of  the  unfortunate  Patriotic  General  killed  by 
the  Spaniards,  of  the  same  name.  They  both  confirmed  the  rumor  of 
General  Harrison's  removal  "by  President  Jackson,  but  that  he  had  not  as 
yet  been  officially  informed  of  the  event ;  I  was  gratified  to  learn  from 
them,  that  he  would  not  probably  leave  the  country  yet,  for  some  months. 
I  was  extremely  well  pleased  with  both  gentlemen,  particularly  with  the 
urbanity  and  true  gentility  of  Col.  Campbell.  They  had  been  traveling 
for  health  and  amusement;  at  this  time  had  been  several  days  in  this 
charming  village  when  I  arrived,  and  having  understood  from  Col.  Acosta 
that  there  was  an  "  Ingles  caballero  "  or  an  English  cavalier  at  his  man 
sion  who  spoke  the  Spanish  imperfectly  they  at  once  called  on  and  break 
fasted  with  me.  I  gleaned  many  items  of  intelligence.  The  President 
of  Colombia  is  still  in  Peru. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

SOUTH  AMERICAN  LETTERS  CONTINUED. 

Humor  with  her  thousand  tongues  is  very  busy,  though  of  course  there 
is  no  sure  dependence  to  be  placed  upon  her  ;  she  says  that,  the  war  is 
soon  to  be  renewed,  and  when  peace  is  firmly  established  that  the  great 
Republican  Bolivar  is  to  assume  the  royal  purple  ;  that  plan  is  quite  openly 
talked  of  and  doubted  by  none  ! 

A  short  time  since  word  was  received  of  the  total  destruction,  by  fire, 
'of  the  best  frigate  in  the  Peruvian  navy;  this  unlucky  accident  gives  the 


500  LEGACY  OF  HISTOEICAL  GLEANINGS. 

President  a  decided  advantage,  and  most  probably  will  be  the  means  of 
his  effecting  a  speedy  settlement  with  his  foes  in  that  quarter.  A  new 
tariff  has  lately  been  issued  also  by  General  Bolivar  from  Quito,  which 
imposes  an  additional  duty  at  once,  of  $5  per  bbl.  jon  flour,  it  was  $3  be 
fore  ]  this  unwise  act  will  make  the  importation  of  that  article  from  the 
United  States  out  of  the  question.  Indeed  the  effect  of  the  new  tariff 
appears  to  be  directed  chiefly  against  the  productions  of  the  United  States, 
and  is  widely  considered  a  further  proof  of  the  President's  ill  will  towards 
our  republicanism.  However  let  him  run,  only  "  give  a  rogue  rope 
enough  and  he'll  hang  himself."  The  first  glimpse  I  had  of  this  beauti 
ful  Gauduas  valley  was  from  a  height  of  5160  feet,  as  indicated  by  the 
true  Spanish  measure  stones,  it  then  appeared  as  if  I  could  easily  jerk  a 
stone  upon  it,  but  it  had,  notwithstanding,  taken  us  five  long  hours  before 
we  made  our  entrance  in  it.  The  valley  in  which  the  village  stands  is 
surrounded  by  mountains  equally  as  high  as  the  one  over  which  we  passed, 
and  a  more  romantic,  lovely,  secluded  spot  never  was  warmed  by  the  sun. 
If  the  inhabitants  of  the  vicinity  had  only  a  tenth  part  of  the  Yankee 
enterprise,  they  might  soon  command  the  productions  of  every  climate, 
but  as  it  now  is,  they  only  have  such  products  as  grow  almost  spontane 
ously. 

I  took  one  of  Col.  Campbell's  many  useful  hints,  by  dispatching  on  my 
baggage  early  next  morning,  after  mj  muleteer  had  received  directions 
from  the  two  colonels  where  to  stop  with  me.  Having  been  informed  by 
Col.  Campbell  that  Gen.  Harrison  had  been  anxiously  expecting  me  since 
he  had  heard  from  home,  I  finished  my  meal  with  my  hospitable  enter 
tainer  and  his  guests;  then  taking  leave  of  them,  jogged  on  after  my 
other  three  mules,  which  looked  at  the  height  they  had  by  this  time  at 
tained,  like  so  many  mice  beating  up  the  side  of  a  haystack.  I  followed 
up  the  steep  mountain  but  it  was  near  one  o'clock  ere  I  found  them  and 
lost  sight  of  Gauduas.  We  met  with  the  same  kind  of  scenery  and  rough 
roads  though  generally  better  than  on  the  previous  day,  though  some  of 
the  passes  were  very  bad,  and  the  precipices  dangerous  causing  giddiness, 
but  the  mules  are  so  perfectly  sure-footed  and  accustomed  to  the  way  that 
you  acquire  more  confidence  while  passing  the  most  gloomy  looking  pre 
cipice  on  their  backs  than  you  would  if  depending  upon  your  own  legs. 
"We  consumed  nearly  the  whole  of  that  day  in  crossing  over  the  mountain 
of  Alto  de  Trigo,  or  height  of  wheat,  though  we  saw  none  of  that  grain 
on  our  road.  On  reaching  the  summit  of  the  mount  we  had  a  charming 
view  of  the  village  and  valley  of  Velleta  and  passed  through  at  5  P.  M., 
sleeping  about  one  and  a  half  leagues  beyond  at  a  hovel  called  Alto  de 
Gaseno  820  totsa  higher  than  the  village.  The  Bogota  or  Funza  river, 
waters  the  valley,  adding  much  to  its  beauty,  but  still  not  equal  to  the 
picturesque  valley  of  Gauduas.  Villeta  is  3498  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  sea  j  from  this  place  you  ascend  with  little  or  no  interruption  until 
you  have  obtained  the  altitude  of  the  plain  of  Bogota  which  is  8220  feet 
above  the  sea.  The  change  of  atmosphere  on  this  table-land  was  so  great, 
that  my  blanket,  coats  and  other  wrappers  could  scarcely  keep  me  from 
shivering.  I  suffered  much  from  cold  all  that  night,  perhaps  if  our  house 
could  have  afforded  any  edibles,  I  might  not  have  felt  it  so  sensibly,  but 
I  found  not  only  that  day  but  also  the  succeeding  one,  that  a  long  ride 
over  a  rough  mountainous  road  with  an  empty  bread  basket  is  not  a  non 
conductor  of  cold. 

My  hammock  was  slung  for  the  night  in  a  room,  around  which  twenty 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  501 

noisy  and  filthy  muleteers  were  huddled  together  like  so  many  swine. 
Alter  an  uncomfortable  night,  in  which  our  light  slumbers  were  frequently 
disturbed  by  the  arrival  of  the  clamorous  mule  drivers  with  their  braying 
animals,  of  which  there  were  next  morning  about  one  hundred,  we 
were  happy  when  the  day  dawned,  as  it  enabled  us  to  proceed  on  our 
route.  After  four  hours  ride,  we  were  fortunate  enough  to  procure  three 
dishes  of  weak  soup  —  being  a  compound  of  potatoes,  cabbage,  beans  and 
the  leg  of  a  fowl  —  it  was  the  first  time  we  had  broken  our  fast  since 
leaving  Gauduas  and  we  were  destined  to  have  this  suffice  tifl  after  reach 
ing  Bogota.  This  mess  put  us  in  a  better  condition  to  resume  our  journey 
and  I  —  as  was  my  constant  practice  —  led  the  van  in  order  that  I  might 
alight  occasionally,  on  spots  where  the  view  was  particularly  fine,  to  gaze 
on  the  rugged  little  world  around  me.  From  the  lofty  height  of  our  road, 
in  some  places  you  look  down  upon  this  range  of  the  Andes  and  see  mount 
ain  piled  on  mountain  with  their  rocky  and  difficult  passes;  then  as  far 
as  the  eye  can  reach  on  all  sides  you  still  see  other  ranges  whose  lofty 
eminences  mingling  with  the  clouds,  are  much  higher  than  the  pinnacle 
upon  which  you  stand.  Nothing  can  equal  the  wild  grandeur  of  the 
country  through  which  we  travel  on  this  route.  To  look  back  you  can 
hardly  realize  having  traversed  over  so  rough  a  district;  to  gaze  ahead 
you  think  it  an  impossibility  to  surmount  the  barriers  before  you,  but 
still  a  road  has  been  formed  even  here,  over  which  delicate  ladies  occa 
sionally  travel  and  in  perfect  safety. 

I  met  a  young  Virginian  accompanied  by  his  Lieutenant  Guard  of  Col 
ombian  troops,  passing  each  other  in  the  most  dreary  part  of  the  road.  I 
should  not  have  known  him  for  a  Countryman  on  account  of  his  formid 
able  mustache,  but  he  joyfully  recognized  me  as  "  a  paisiino."  He  hailed 
me  and  asked  if  I  was  a  foreigner,  with  a  variety  of  other  questions  j  stat 
ing  by  way  of  apology  for  his  inquisitiveness,  th%t  he  was  looking  out  for 
a  young  gentleman,  by  name  Van  Hensselaer,  to  whom  he  was  instructed 
to  deliver  a  letter  from  General  Harrison.  When  I  told  him  /was  of  that 
name,  and  called  upon  him  for  the  letter,  he  dropped  his  Spanish  tongue 
and  in  his  own  native  lingo  told  me  his  name  was  CWrJfrom  Virginia,  he  was 
now  a  bearer  of  letters  to  Col.  Acosta  from  Gen.  Harrison  respecting  me, 
the  General  having  a  few  days  previous  heard  of  my  coming,  requesting 
him  to  pay  me  a  little  attention  in  case  he  should  see  me  on  my  way  up. 
While  my  baggage  was  coming  up,  and  his  with  some  of  his  stragglers 
were  on  their  way  down,  we  stopped  in  a  little  hut  at  hand  on  that  lonely 
wild  of  the  Andes  to  talk  of  home,  sweet  home  !  He  knew  many  of  my 
acquaintances  and  it  was  an  agreeable  incident  to  meet  this  tall  mustachcd, 
sociable  and  intelligent  countryman  who  was  well  acquainted  with,  and  had 
so  lately  as  two  days  previous  parted  from  Gen.  Harrison.  Carr  being 
out  merely  on  some  Government  business  to  be  absent  a  few  days,  we 
expressed  a  hope  of  meeting  each  other  at  no  distant  period  in  Bogota 
which  is  his  permanent  station.  However  we  left  each  other  —  on  the 
arrival  of  our  respective  baggage,  from  different  directions  —  and  pursued 
our  different  destinations  —  he  for  Guaduas  —  myself  for  Bogota. 

For  the  last  24  hours  we  met  with  many  evidences  of  enterprize  in 
this  rough  region,  in  the  line  of  agriculture;  whenever  the  uneveuness  of 
the  surface  admits  of  it,  a  hut  is  erected,  in  many  places  even  on  the 
peaks  of  the  steep  mountains  and  around  it  is  seen  the  various  productions 
of  the  industrious  proprietor  growing  amidst  the  lofty  trees  of  the  forest 
in  the  greatest  luxuriance.  We  met  to  with  many  familiar  growths  of 


502  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

our  own  country  such  as  corn,  onions,  cabbages,  potatoes,  beans  all  in  a 
fine  state  of  cultivation,  and  this  morning  to,  for  the  first  time  in  this 
country  saw  roses.  In  the  afternoon  I  was  much  elated  at  the  sight  of  a 
beautiful  little  field  of  wheat,  about  the  same  state  of  maturity  as  at  home 
at  this  season ;  which  with  a  flock  of  sheep,  geese,  &c.  gave  the  place 
such  a  comfortable  look  that  I  began  to  feel  myself  in  a  civilized  country. 
Indeed  for  a  time  I  fancied  myself  among  the  backwoodsmen  at  home. 
I  find  the  people  are  enterprising,  but  they  do  not  know  how  to  direct 
their  labors.  They  have  the  most  miserable  apologies  for  agricultural 
implements,  of  course  though  they  may  work  hard,  they  cannot  execute 
very  much.  To  give  you  an  idea  of  what  can  be  done  by  a  good  farmer, 
I  will  mention,  that  the  soil  with  the  imperfect  tillage  it  now  receives, 
produces  two  crops  of  wheat,  and  three  of  barley.  Both  grains  command 
in  market  from  two  and  a  half  to  five  dollars  per  English  bushel.  Hor 
ticulture  is  still  less  understood,  though  it  receives  better  encouragement 
than  agriculture.  You  would  be  astonished  to  see  the  poverty  of  the 
Market  in  this  climate  where  all  the  productions  might  with  little  care  be 
raised.  Vegetables  command  a  very  high  price,  and  though  of  a  good 
quality  are  often  out  of  season  when  offered  for  sale.  Peas  and  potatoes 
when  nearly  dead  ripe  are  then  brought  to  market. 

Many  of  our  most  common  vegetables  were  never  known  here,  till  intro 
duced  by  Gen.  Harrison.  When  a  dinner  is  given  by  any  of  the  Diplo 
matic  Corps,  he  is  always  called  upon  for  his  vegetables :  his  celery,  tur 
nips,  radishes,  salads,  &c.,  are  the  finest  I  ever  beheld,  and  he  says,  they 
grow  faster  and  are  more  easily  cultivated  than  at  home.  Indeed,  now  as 
the  General  is  recalled,  I  feel  that  if  I  had  one  or  two  more  hands  with 
Cato,  I  would  really  like  the  idea  of  trying  the  experiment  of  making  a 
fortune  on  fifty  acres,  in  my  favorite  way.  There  is  much  for  and  against 
the  plan,  I  will  give  it  more  reflection  before  I  decide.  But  to  return 
from  my  long  digression,  shortly  after  passing  this  comparative  level 
where  things  were  flourishing,  the  steepness  and  difficulty  of  the  mountain 
passes,  convinced  me,  I  was  not  on  a  road  worked  by  the  hands  of  Yankees. 
However  this  last  ascent  was  not  of  long  continuance  and  to  our  great  re 
lief  my  mulish  cavalcade  soon  reached  the  height  skirting  the  great  plain 
of  Bogota,  where  the  rarefaction  of  air  became  so  great,  that  I  was  taken 
with  a  very  severe  headache,  while  at  the  same  time  the  guide  and  Cato 
were  bleeding  in  concert  at  the  nose.  From  this  elevation  the  descent 
was  gradual  for  better  than  half  a  league,  when  we  came  to  the  plain  and 
shortly  after  to  the  village  of  Facitatiba,  through  which  we  passed  and 
lodged  that  night  (after  having  had  a  dim  view  of  the  Capital  afar  off),  at  a 
dirty  hovel  a  league  and  a  half  beyond  it. 

Before  reaching  our  inn  for  the  night  we  passed  several  cavalcades, 
composed  of  riders  of  both  sexes,  whose  large  wide  loose  Roanas  or  sort 
of  cloaks,  gave  a  very  fanciful  appearance.  These  roanas  are  nothing 
more  than  an  oblong  piece  of  cloth  with  a  hole  in  the  centre  for  the  passage 
of  the  head ;  and  when  of  a  gaudy  color,  as  many  of  them  are,  fluttering 
about  around  its  owner  on  a  swift  horse,  bring  to  mind  the  often  described 
dress  of  the  gay  Cavalier  of  old  Spain.  These  parties  were  coming  at  full 
speed  from  the  Capital  where  they  had  been  to  join  in  the  festivals  of 
Corpus  Christi.  The  meeting  of  so  many  white  faces,  after  all  the  tawny 
skins  I  had  for  so  long  time  been  gazing  at,  together  with  their  dashing 
style  of  dress  and  movement  was  quite  acceptable  to  me.  Another  cold 
shivering  night  was  spent  in  the  same  manner  as  the  last,  in  similar  com- 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  503 

pany  and  on  an  empty  stomach,  but  my  headache  was  expelled.  Leaving 
Cato  to  bring  up  the  rear  with  the  baggage  1  proceeded  on  alone  to  ac 
complish  the  remaining  six  leagues.  For  miles  around  an  almost  dead 
level  is  seen,  and  its  monotony  only  broken  by  a  solitary  hut  unless  it  is 
by  the  broken  summits  of  the  distant  hills  surrounding  it.  A  few  orna 
mental  trees  around  dwellings  meet  the  eye  with  immense  herds  of  cattle. 
Pledges  or  fences  would  greatly  improve  the  appearance  of  this  country, 
but  none  are  visible  ;  the  divisions  between  fields  and  estates  are  ditches. 
The  ditches  are  of  a  peculiar  construction,  and  calculated  only  for  this 
climate  and  soil.  They  are  generally  about  five  feet  deep,  divided  into 
two  apartments;  one  of  which  comprising  nearly  half  of  the  whole  is  plain 
like  those  at  home  ;  the  other  half  is  a  continuation  of  square  holes  running 
parallel  to  the  other.  The  earthen  partitions  of  which  serves  to  stop  the 
cattle  or  sheep,  which  may  have  entered  the  first  grand  division  ;  as  they 
when  there,  have  no  room  to  make  a  leap  over  the  second  barrier.  This 
is  a  rough  plan  of  them  |  '  '  '  '  '  '  '  '  '  '  '  '  m  The  dirt  of  these 
ditches  is  always  thrown  up  on  the  road  and  forms  an  embankment  on  each 
side  which  gives  the  road  a  concave  form;  an  admirable  invention  for  the 
retention  of  rain  water  and  undoubtedly  must  be  the  cause  of  bad  roads 
in  the  rainy  season.  However  when  I  left  the  passes  on  the  mountain 
side,  I  left  all  the  mud  behind  me;  here  I  encountered  no  mud  —  but 
dust  in  great  abundance. 

At  11  o'clock  A.M.  I  found  myself  in  Bogota  the  Capital  of  Colombia 
at  the  Huerto  de  Jayme  (Garden  of  James)  the  residence  of  Gen.  Wm. 
H.  Harrison  —  Minister  Plenipotentiary  and  Envoy  Extraordinary  from 
the  United  States  of  America.  My  reception  here  was  by  Carter 
Basset  Harrison  the  General's  son,  an  Attache  to  the  Legation ;  shortly 
after  his  Father  <and  Mr.  Tayloe,  the  Secretary,  made  their  appearance 
from  a  visit  in  the  City  and  greeted  my  arrival  with  such  cordiality  that 
I  immediately  felt  at  home.  A  little  before  dinner  Cato  with  the  baggage 
and  my  jolly,  whistling,  shouting  muleteer  came  along,  and  all  my  things 
were  soon  placed  in  the  little  room  I  now  occupy,  it  had  long  since  been 
in  a  state  of  preparation  for  me.  Although  I  had  been  now  almost  six 
months  in  the  country,  I  had  not  received  any  letters,  written  at  home  sub 
sequent  to  my  leaving  the  U.  S.  until  my  reaching  Bogota.  Here  I  was 
handed  the  first  package  dated  about  five  months  back,  but  notwithstand 
ing  their  old  age,  the  perusal  gave  me  much  pleasure,  and  the  hope  of 
soon  getting  later  ones,  together  with  the  kindness  and  urbanity  of  the 
new  acquaintances  with  whom  I  was  now  associated,  made  me  quite  as 
well  contented  with  my  new  situation  as  I  could  have  anticipated.  I  was 
soon  introduced  by  the  General  and  the  rest  of  the  family  to  the  Diplo 
matic,  Military  and  Civilians  in  the  Capital  worth  knowing.  Among 
whom  were  M.  De  Bresson,  Commissioner  of  France — Col.  Campbell, 
Charge  D' Affairs  of  H.  B.  Majesty  —  Col.  Torrens  do.  of  Mexico — Mr. 
Henderson  H.  B.  M's  Consul  General  —  M.  Martinez  ditto  of  France 
&c.  &c. 

It  was  the  day  after  my  arrival,  on  June  18th  that  General  Harrison 
took  me  round  to  see  the  Diplomatic  Corps  of  the  different  nations.  Among 
the  first  to  whom  he  introduced  me  was  Monsieur  De  Bresson,  whom  you 
must  kuow  as  son-in-law  of  Judge  Thompson  ;  he  was  quite  friendly  and 
entertaining  withal  as  Albany  and  my  friends  was  the  theme  of  our  con 
versation. 

The  Duke  of  Montibello  who  is  with  him  joined  in  our  conversation  as 


504  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

he  also  was  quite  familiar  with  Albany,  having  been  there  only  last  year. 
The  British  Consul  General  is  also  a  very  estimable  gentleman,  his  family 
is  composed  of  his  wife  and  three  beautiful,  accomplished  grown  up  daugh 
ters  and  three  smaller  ones.  One  daughter  was  born  on  one  of  the  pldyas 
or  sand-bars  of  the  river  Magdalena  five  years  since,  at  which  time  he  had 
a  son,  a  fine  lad  of  fourteen  years,  seized  and  carried  off  by  an  alligator ; 
it  was  the  sad  work  of  an  instant  and  no  help  could  be  given.  With  this 
family,  the  Duke,  and  M.  De  Bresson,  G-en.  Harrison  is  very  intimate, 
indeed  he  is  on  excellent  terms  with  all  the  Foreigners. 

The  courteous  Charge  d' Affaires  of  England  Colonel  Campbell  has  re 
turned  from  his  trip  some  days  since,  he  also  forms  one  in  the  General's 
private  circle.  My  reception  by  General  Harrison  was  truly  kind,  it  ap 
pears  to  as  if  the  same  feelings  that  move  him  were  extending  to  his 
whole  household.  Mr.  Tayloe  is  a  very  fine  man  of  about  thirty-two  years, 
a  brother  to  the  husband  of  Julia  Dickenson  (your  friend's  daughter)  and 
to  the  unhappy  young  Kinderhooker.  He  greeted  my  arrival  with  as 
much  cordiality  as  he  could  a  brother ;  as  also  did  Carter,  the  General's 
son.  They  live  in  one  of  the  finest  houses  in  Bogota,  there  is  more  room 
in  it  than  he  requires.  The  garden  contains  more  than  an  acre  of 
ground,  well  stocked  with  Yankee  sauce,  in  which  he  takes  much  delight, 
and  devotes  a  great  deal  of  attention  to  it.  I  need  not  describe  your  old 
friend  to  you  who  know  him  so  well,  his  army  habits  have  given  a  blunt- 
ness  of  bearing  and  such  a  thorough  knowledge  of  human  nature,  that 
independent  of  his  high  office,  his  company  would  be  courted  by  all  as  a 
great  acquisition.  Of  all  the  city  belles,  Consul  General  Henderson's  three 
daughters  —  Misses  Margaret,  Mary  Packer  and  Fanny  —  carry  off  the  palm. 

I  regreted  to  learn  there  is  a  coolness,  if  not  something  worse,  between 
Consul  Henderson  and  Col.  Campbell  which  occurred  before  my  arrival  in 
the  city.  It  appears  that  there  then  resided  here,  a  very  beautiful  woman 
called  Mrs.  Inglis,  her  reputation  was  none  of  the  best,  but  her  powers  of 
fascination  were  so  great,  as  to  insnare  the  hearts  of  almost  every  foreigner 
of  the  place.  Col.  Campbell's  among  the  rest;  they  became  affianced,  the 
wedding  day  was  fixed,  dresses  prepared,  and  guests  invited.  Henderson 
had  been  called  upon  by  the  Colonel,  and  had  consented  that  his  eldest 
daughter  should  officiate  as  bridesmaid  on  the  occasion ;  this  match  how 
ever  was  broken  off.  Not  a  long  time  after,  the  Colonel  again  requested 
the  attendance  of  Miss  Henderson  at  the  nuptials  of  Mrs.  Inglis  and  Mr. 
Greenop,  but  her  father  refused  alleging  the  dubious  character  of  the  bride 
as  his  apology.  He  stated  that  when  he  consented  to  her  acting  as  such 
before,  it  was  to  the  contemplated  bride  of  the  Representative  of  his  sov 
ereign,  but  that  now  as  this  woman  was  to  marry  a  man  of  whom  he  knew 
nothing,  and  whose  character  perhaps  could  not  elevate  that  of  his  intend 
ed,  he  did  not  feel  himself  authorized,  and  could  not  as  a  father  consent. 
The  Colonel  went  off  apparently  satisfied  but  very  shortly  after  the  wed 
ding,  the  objections,  which  Henderson  had  given  him  in  confidence,  to  his 
daughter's  serving  as  bridesmaid,  became  public,  and  Henderson  was  near 
receiving  a  challenge  from  Greenop,  but  the  Colonel  interposed  and  the 
matter  rested,  without  another  instance  of  the  fallacy  of  the  code  of  honor. 
It  is  indeed  a  relic  of  barbarous  exercises  which  I  for  one  do  not  desire  to 
see  in  use.  Henderson's  refusal,  however,  was  never  forgiven  and  every 
opportunity  was  clandestinely  taken  to  injure  him.  On  one  occasion 
when  the  British  government  required  a  statistical  return,  in  which  it.was 
necessary  to  have  the  clear  opinion  of  the  different  merchants,  Campbell 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  505 

advised  Henderson  to  call  a  meeting.  lie  did  so,  but  some  of  the  mer 
chants,  not  wishing  to  expose  their  invoices  or  circumstances  to  others, 
refused  to  attend,  but  offered  to  give  all  the  information  they  possessed 
privately.  This  Was  told  to  the  Colonel  Campbell  and  he  declared  him 
self  satisfied ;  but  in  his  very  next  dispatch  home,  he  "  regretted "  that 
Mr.  Henderson  had  not  acted  with  sufficient  efficiency  in  the  matter,  to 
come  at  the  information  which  was  required.  This  was  done  at  the  very 
time,  when  Henderson  was  pursuing  the  only  course  to  get  at  it  correctly  : 
by  writing  the  different  merchants. 

When  that  dispatch  was  sent  to  England  —  Campbell  clapped  his  hands 
together  and  swore,  that  if  it  did-  not  ruin  Henderson,  he  would  never 
write  another.  In  due  course  of  time  Henderson  did  receive  a  severe 
reprimand  from  his  government  in  consequence  of  the  Colonel's  represent 
ation,  and  when  he  immediately  after  it,  charged  the  Col.  with  unfairness 
and  duplicity  in  making  his  report;  he  received  for  an  answer  an  absolute 
denial  of  the  charge.  However  when  the  Colonel's  original  dispatches 
were  referred  to,  the  falsehood  of  his  denial  was  manifest  and  much  con 
trition  was  expressed  by  the  Colonel.  The  whole  line  of  Campbell's 
conduct  towards  Henderson  after  Mrs.  Inglis's  last  marriage  goes  to  prove 
his  inimical  feelings.  He  once  had  the  absurdity  to  send  a  number  of 
charges  against  Henderson  to  his  government;  after  they  were  gone,  he 

gave  H a  list  of  them,  requiring  at  the  same  time  a  refutation.  When 

Henderson  sent  him  word,  that  it  was  more  easy  to  make  charges,  than  to 
bring  proofs,  and  that  he  was  ready  and  capable  of  refuting  any  charge  he 
might  undertake  to  prove.  Col.  C.  became  alarmed  at  the  responsibility 
he  had  so  unwittingly  undertaken,  and  dispatched  Mr.  Wall,  one  of  his 
Attaches  off  to  Carthagena  to  intercept  the  communication  —  which  was 
done,  and  that  affair  dropped. 

I  attended  two  formal  dinners  given  to  all  the  Diplomacy  in  Bogota, 
one  of  which,  at  the  French  Commissioners  was  particularly  grand.  The 
General  now  discovered  some  symptoms  of  the  fever  and  ague  displaying 
themselves  in  my  corpus  (of  which  nearly  all  new  comers  must  partake 
in  a  greater  or  less  degree.  I  am  now  convinced  the  fever  attacked  me 
the  moment  I  reached  the  altitude  of  this  plain  by  those  shivering  ap 
proaches).  The  General  with  the  most  fatherly  care  took  me,  at  once,  in 
his  own  immediate  charge ;  after  dieting  me  for  about  a  week  on  cathartics 
and  emetics  at  last  pronounced  me  convalescent,  but  charged  me,  under 
the  penalty  of  a  relapse,  to  let  all  fruit  alone  for  some  time.  His  directions 
were  faithfully  obeyed  and  now  I  am  better  than  ever. 

The  splendid  rout  of  General  Harrison  on  July  4th  exceeded  every 
thing  of  the  kind  that  ever  took  place  in  Bogota.  We  had  about  fifty 
ladies  comprising  all  the  beauty  of  the  metropolis,  which  en  passant,  is  far 
from  being  eclipsed  even  when  contrasted  with  our  home  belles.  We 
also  had  about  one  hundred  gentlemen,  representatives  of  all  nations. 
The  Corps  diplomatique  and  Government  officers  were  all  in  Court  costume. 
The  National  Band,  which  had  practiced  for  the  occasion,  cheered  us  with 
Hail  Columbia  and  Washington's  March  in  fine  style.  The  dancing  com 
menced  before  4  o'clock  :  at  5  o'clock  dinner  was  announced  and  the 
tables  were  filled  three  successive  times  while  the  utmost  hilarity  and 
good  feeling  pervaded  throughout  the  whole  entertainment.  Many  ex 
cellent  toasts  were  given,  and  when  the  guests  had  all  been  feasted  to 
sufficiency,  and  the  eating  and  drinking  over,  we  adjourned  to  the  drawing 
room. 

04 


506  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

The  large  parlor,  which  was  appropriately  and  tastefully  decorated  with 
the  Stars  and  Stripes,  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  Bust  of  Washing 
ton,  &c.,  soon  resounded  to  the  inspiriting  music,  accompanied  by  the 
shuffling  of  the  "  light  fantastic  toe/'  which  was  kept  up  with  great  ani 
mation  till  midnight,  when  the  Guests  retired  to  their  respective  homes, 
delighted  with  Yankee  hospitality  and  the  urbanity  of  the  Host.  Among 
the  toasts  many  were  given  in  favor  of  Liberty ;  but  many  ambiguous 
ones  were  likewise  given,  by  the  officers  of  Government  and  their  friends, 
which  might  have  surprised  me  a  little,  if  I  had  not  understood  previously, 
that  a  change  in  the  form  of  Government  had  been  in  the  contemplation 
of  many"  of  the  President's  adherents  from  motives  of  interestedness.  But 
none  of  their  wishes  over  the  wine  glass,  were  so  broadly  given,  as  to 
create  one  angry  feeling. 

My  letters  though  always  addressed  to  you,  are  intended  for  the  whole 
family  and  I  hope  my  request  of  forming  a  general  combination  to  produce 
a  family  letter  for  the  absent  one  each   month  will  succeed  and  be  con 
tinued.     It  depends  much  upon  General  Harrison,  whether  I  see  you  soon 
or  not,  as  old  Hickory's  removals  will  cause  a  change,  or  at  least  a  speedy 
formation  of  permanent  plans.     I  have  not  as  yet  made  any  excursions  in 
the  neighborhood,  but  a  party  is  now  forming,  of  which  I  am  to  be  one, 
for  a  grand  visit  to  all  of  the  many  curiosities,  after  that  I  will  write  again. 
In  the  meantime  with  love  to  all,  Addios,  jSenor. 
Su  mas  humilde  servidor 

HENSSELAEB  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Gen.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany,  N.  Y. 

Gen.  Van  Cortlandt  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  Sir,  Peekskill  July  13,  1829. 

By  the  last  mail  I  received  a  letter  from  my  friend  Dr.  Davis  whom 
you  saw  at  Albany,  and  he  writes  to  me  from  the  City  of  Washington 
dated  the  6th  Instant  :  "  Tell  Genl.  Solomon  Van  Rensselaer  he  has 
nothing  to  fear."  When  I  see  you  I  will  tell  you  more.  But  my  present 
Advice  is,  to  take  no  Notice  in  your  behaviour  of  any  thing  that  has  taken 
place,  to  any  one,  and  let  your  friends  be  prudent  and  say  nothing. 

Yours  Assuredly         PIERRE  VAN  CORTLANDT. 

Genl.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer  Albany,  N.  Y. 

Dr.  Dams  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
Dear  General,  Washington  City,  16  July  1829. 

After  I  left  Albany  I  saw  Maj.  Moore  in  N.  York,  and  spoke  to 
him  in  behalf  of  your  son  now  at  Bogota.  He  told  me  if  he  appointed 
a  private  Secretary,  he  should  have  to  pay  him  out  of  his  own  Salary; 
that  he  should  have  no  use  for  one  and  therefore  should  not  appoint  one. 
I  have  also  seen  Maj.  Barry  since  my  arrival  here,  upon  the  subject  we 
conversed  while  at  Albany.  I  think  Sir,  you  need  apprehend  no 
danger  of  being  removed.  If  you  are  removed,  there  must  be  a  change 
in  the  sentiments  of  the  President  and  the  Post  Master  General  in  rela 
tion  to  you.  After  I  conversed  with  you  at  Albany,  I  was  informed  of 
new  attempts  to  remove  you  from  office.  I  immediately  informed  our 
mutual  friend  Genl.  Van  Cortlandt  of  it  and  advised  him  to  write  to  the 
President  in  your  behalf,  he  did  so  —  and  I  have  no  doubt  it  had  great 
weight.  Be  so  good  as  to  let  me  hear  from  you,  write  to  me  to  my  resi 
dence  in  Hartford  Kentucky,  for  I  shall  be  happy  to  hear  from  you. 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  507 

Present  me  kindly    to  Genl.    Stephen  Van    Rensselaer.   With  very  great 
esteem  and  friedship  Sincerely  your  friend 

WILLIAM  M.  DAVIS. 
Gen.  Sol,  Van  Rensselaer,  Post  Master  Albany. 

Rensselaer  Van  Rensselaer  to  his  Father. 
Dear  Father,  Bogota,  August  20,  1829. 

My  last  letter  was  signed,  sealed  and  delivered  on  the  12th  ult.  to  Gen 
eral  Harrison,  by  him  to  be  forwarded  to  Carthagena  with  his  own  dispatches. 
What  with  writing,  riding,  walking,  receiving  and  returning  visits,  my  time 
is  now  fully  and  of  course  pleasantly  occupied.  The  thing  I  regretted  was, 
that  so  little  leisure  was  obtained  for  studying  the  Spanish  language ;  my 
necessary  intercourse  with  those  speaking  my  mother  tongue  did  not  facili 
tate  or  assist  me  in  that  desideratum.  However  when  I  seized  every  op 
portunity  to  extend  my  knowledge  not  only  in  the  language  of  the  black- 
eyed  beauties  of  the  Colombian  Metropolis,  but  also  their  ways,  manners 
and  customs  I  found  a  much  better  gloss  spread  over  the  surface  of  life. 
The  first  thing  after  being  seated  in  a  house,  4s  the  oifer  of  a  lighted  cigar, 
which  as  well  as  with  every  article  then  offered  to  a  stranger  by  a  Colom 
bian,  must  never  be  refused  under  the  penalty  of  losing  caste,  or  lowering 
the  standard  of  your  character  for  gentility.  Upon  leaving  the  house,  it 
with  all  the  contents  of  the  mansion,  is  declared  by  the  owner,  "at  the 
guest's  entire  disposition"  !  The  sincerity  of  these  declarations  may  be 
estimated  as  they  deserve,  when  it  is  known  that  they  are  invariably  made 
to  every  one ;  indeed  this  offer  is  an  epitome  of  the  Colombian  character  — 
polite  but  insincere.  The  young  ladies  are  blest  with  but  a  small  share  of 
conversational  powers  ;  their  one  uniform  topic  is,  the  merits  of  the  latest 
party,  dance,  frolic,  bull-fight  or  horse-race.  They  are  never  suffered  to 
converse  with  the  other  sex,  unless  in  the  presence  of  the  mother,  aunt, 
or  some  other  equally  trust-worthy  duenna  whose  charms  are  on  the  wane  j 
and  whose  recollection  of  her  own  intrigues  in  early  life  are  still  vividly 
awake.  With  one  of  these  custodial  friends  the  youthful  beauties  attend 
the  early  Mass,  pay  ceremonious  visits,  go  to  the  bull-fight,  mingle  in  the 
favorite  waltz  and  with  them  receive  their  company.  Their  dress  is  very 
extravagant,  and  the  fashion  of  their  prevailing  costume  gives  the  wearer 
a  bewitching  look,  particulary  when  walking  out  with  their  broad-brim, 
semispherical  crowned  beaver  hats,  poised  on  the  back  part  of  the' head  by 
the  large  and  fancifully  worked  shell  comb,  over  which  last  the  light  shawl 
is  thrown  to  protect  the  face  from  the  sun,  without  hiding  the  view.  On 
occasions  of  traveling  or  wishing  to  remain  incog,  a  hand  or  handkerchief 
is  used  to  hide  under  the  folds  of  the  shawl  every  thing  but  their  brilliant 
eyes. 

Sunday  is  the  only  day  in  the  week  when  the  ladies  are  certainly  at 
home  ;  then  they  are  decked  in  their  best  habiliments  for  the  reception  of 
company;  the  evening  is  always  devoted  to  the  dance.  Indeed  Sunday  is 
the  grand  gala  day  for  amusements  of  every  description  \  then  as  on  Fes 
tivals  the  stores  are  closed  except  retail  liquor  shops.  The  great  body  of 
the  people,  as  a  general  thing,  are  very  ignorant  and  rigid  Roman  Catho 
lics.  After  the  morning  Mass  the  entire  population  engage  in  the  sports 
of  the  time  in  which  even  the  priesthood  join  :  some  to  the  billiard-room, 
others  to  the  cock-pit,  bull-fight  or  whatever  diversion  is  on  the  tapis.  The 
passion  for  gambling  appears  to  be  almost  universal,  and  is  encouraged  by 
both  Government  and  Church.  Upon  occasions  of  great  rejoicings  for  any 


508  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

public  incident,  tables  are  spread  by  Government  in  the  great  square  of 
the  city,  where  all  classes  and  sexes  are  seen  promiscuously  engaged  in 
betting  —  the  wealthy  with  their  Onza  or  ounce,  the  poor  with  their 
quartillo  or  cent.  On  the  anniversary  of  the  patron  Saint,  of  any  of  the 
villages,  town  or  parish,  the  same  scene  occurs  under  the  patronage  of  the 
Church  as  I  witnessed  in  the  case  of  the  feast  of  St.  Jago.  When  in  the 
plaza  appertaining  to  the  church  and  convent  of  that  Saint,  the  clergy 
erected  large  tents  for  the  gaming  tables ;  also  booths  where  refreshments 
of  all  kinds  were  to  be  procured.  My  astonishment,  at  seeing  some  of  the 
*'  black  coats  ;;  so  prone  to  imitate  servilely  the  notorious  blac7c-leys,  was 
not  a  little  increased  upon  learning  the  fact  of  their  giving  such  facilities 
for  gambling,  and  that  the  rents,  derived  from  the  temporary  sheds  de 
voted  to  such  vile  purposes,  were  all  appropriated  to  the  Church  !  !  With 
such  encouragement  to  vice,  can  we  even  wonder  at  the  immorality  of  this 
people  ?  There  was  found  no  great  philanthropist  to  stand  up  boldly  and 
deprecate  this  important  national  sin  ;  all  were  powerless  to  resist  the 
overpowering  influence  of  stern  masters,  under  whose  iron  heel  they  have, 
and  still  do,  struggle  in  their, oppressive  servitude.  These  church  feasts 
last  eight  days  and  nights,  during  which  period  these  tents  are  the  fash 
ionable  lounges  for  the  loiterers  of  the  city  ;  some  go  to  play,  others  to 
see  what  is  going  on  •  among  the  latter  class  will  be  found  all  the  beauty 
of  the  place  with  their  pretty  faces  muffled,  and  only  the  jetty  sparklers 
visible. 

A  party,  composed  of  Gen.  Harrison  and  Suite,  M.  De  Bresson,  Duke 
de  Moutibello  and  Count  Zliskies  —  an  expelled  Polander  —  having  for 
some  time  been  formed  to  visit  the  natural  bridge  of  Pandi,  and  the  time 
appointed  for  starting  having  been  often  postponed  owing  to  the  non- 
attendance  of  some  one  of  the  party,  it  was  finally  resolved  that  July  loth 
should  be  the  day  to  leave,  for  all  who  then  could  go,  the  rest  to  follow  on  as 
soon  after  as  practicable.  Accordingly  Count  Zliskie,  Mr.  Tayloe  and 
servant,  Carter  Harrison  and  myself  composed  the  cavalcade  which  set  out 
early  in  the  morning,  of  that  day,  from  Bogota  for  the  village  of  Fusuga- 
zuga.  The  first  part  of  our  ride  was  pleasant  enough,  but  after  we  left 
the  great  plain  of  Bogota,  and  ascended  to  near  the  apex  of  the  ridge  that 
encircles  it,  twenty-five  miles  from  the  City  and  1500  feet  above  its 
level,  or  9720  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  with  the  range  of  hills 
rising  one  above  the  other,  and  its  aspect  of  unrivalled  sublimity,  we 
found  a  great  change.  Our  coats  and  cloaks  were  put  in  requisition  to 
guard  against  the  humid,  chilly  effect  of  the  clouds  that  encountered  us 
here  in  mid-day  like  a  dense  fog.  Our  descent  towards  the  valley  had 
scarcely  commenced,  when  those  clouds,  which  we  had  noticed  as  travel 
ing  in  the  same  direction  with  ourselves,  condensed  over  our  heads,  while 
descending  the  steepest  part  of  the  declivity,  and  showered  down  such  a 
quantity  of  rain  that  we  all  were  completely  drenched. 

This  part  of  our  trip  was  not  very  enjoyable,  for  as  we  could  find  no 
shelter,  we  were  exposed  to  the  soaking  shower  between  two  and  three 
hours  j  the  sultry  heat  of  the  narrow  passes  and  the  intolerable  badness 
of  the  road  added  to  our  discomfort.  In  very  many  places  the  large  stones 
that  line  the  tortuous  and  extremely  abrupt  path,  have  been  laid  up  one 
over  another  after  the  manner  of  the  steps  of  a  staircase,  from  one  to  the 
other  of  which  the  horses  are  obliged  to  jump.  One  false  step  would 
insure  the  rider  a  hearty  but  undesirable  thump,  against  some  of  the  craggy 
projections,  in  the  sides  of  those  rugged  and  difficult  places  of  entrance 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  509 

and  exit.  However  our  nags  were  such  sure  footed  animals —  with  their 
short,  quick  step  ;  stumbling,  leaping,  and  keen  looking  with  an  instinctive 
hesitation  in  dangerous  proximities  —  that  no  such  accident  occurred  to 
either  one  of  our  party  ;  we  all  came  hopping  down  from  stone  to  stone, 
like  so  many  frogs,  one  after  another  in  perfect  safety.  This  kind  of 
traveling  was  a  sort  of  amusement  to  us,  experienced  as  we  were  on  the 
other  similar  roads  of  Colombia;  but  I  doubt  not,  an  attempt  to  pass  such 
public  ways  in  the  United  States  would  be  considered  the  height  of 
temerity,  yet  we  enjoyed  it  notwithstanding  the  risk  to  a  poor  rider's 
bones.  We  experienced  however,  real  misery  in  crossing  over  the  badly 
constructed  "corduroy  bridges,"  occasionally  met  with  in  some  of  the  m  ry 
little  glens  ;  the  sticks  being  so  far  apart  that  the  poor  horses  legs  would 
often  slip  down  between  them  over  his  knees  in  mud  :  my  fine  brute 
strained  his  shoulder  so  severely  that  he  did  not  get  over  it  in  a  week. 
The  intervening  hills  prevented  us  from  seeing  the  valley  and  village  of 
Fusugazuga  till  within  a  mile  or  so  of  them. 

We  had  now  fairly  run  away  from  the  rain  ;  when  we  looked  back  we 
could  see  it  pouring  down  apparently  as  fast  as  ever  among  the  "  cloud 
capt  mountains/'  whilst  before  us  the  sun  was  shining  in  all  his  glory 
on  the  beautiful  narrow  valley  decked  in  emerald  robes  of  lively  color. 
We  still  had  to  descend  some  hundreds  of  feet  to  the  village,  but  from 
our  present  stand-point  the  view  was  most  enchanting  with  the  snowy 
peaked  Andes  varied  aspects.  On  either  side  of  the  narrow  plain  the 
different  ridges  of  mountains  rose  as  high  as  the  one  we  were  about  leav 
ing  ;  the  vale  extended  directly  before  us  in  a  southerly  course  as  far  as 
the  eye  could  reach,  while  the  fleeting  clouds  which  capped  the  ridges 
would  occasionally,  by  opening,  afford  a  momentary  glimpse  of  the  outline 
of  the  sparkling  peaks,  and  among  the  many  the  Count  pointed  out  one 
mountain  with  its  two  peaks  as  bearing  an  exact  resemblance  to  a  view  of 
the  "fork  peaked,  fire  puffing  Vesuvius."  This  sight  had  the  effect  of 
making  us  almost  forget  the  exercise  we  had  passed  through  in  our  leap 
ing  course  down  the  stone  stair  cased  mountain  side.  We  passed  on 
rapidly  after  this  down  the  remaining  gradual  descent;  the  road  improved 
as  we  advanced  towards  the  village,  the  first  object  in  this  landscape  was 
the  cluster  of  about  100  straw  thatched  huts  for  which  we  were  bound 
and  we  were  not  sorry  when  we  soon  after  arrived  there,  with  most  raven 
ous  appetites,  the  consequence  of  our  eight  hours  exercise  on  horseback. 
Our  baggage  carriers  had  on  the  previous  day  hired  the  best  house  in 
the  place  ;  the  tawny  landlady  was  preparing  a  meal  for  us,  in  the  de 
tached  kitchen  ;  and  after  a  change  of  garments  we  were  seated  in  the 
front  house  discussing  our  ride.  We  came  to  a  satisfactory  conclusion, 
that  to  the  peel  of  an  onion,  we  were  3000  feet  lower  now,  than  when  ten 
miles  back  in  the  morning  we  were  on  the  highest  part  of  the  road.  Our 
thermometer  too,  which  pointed  at  65°,  told  us  that  we  were  in  a  climate 
10°  warmer  than  that  of  Bogota  ;  but  our  feelings  also  indicated  all  that 
change,  we  did  not  require  an  instrument  to  convince  us  of  that  accepta 
ble  fact;  I  think  we  might  ftave  found  out  the  exact  difference  in  the 
same  way  that  we  measured  the  stair-case  mountain — by  guess.  The 
distance  between  Bogota  and  this  village  is  35  miles.  After  demolishing 
all  the  provisions;  with  which  our  old  landlady  had  so  profusely  decked 
our  ta-<le,  our  hammocks  were  suspended  and  we  soon  fast  asleep. 

In  Uogota  the  cold  is  too  severe  for  the  use  of  a  hammock  by  any 
person  having  a  consideration  for  his  health,  but  here,  the  "  siesta  "  or 


510  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

nap  after  dinner  is  considered  almost  as  great  a  luxury,  in  this  salubrious 
and  delightful  valley,  as  it  is  on  the  sultry  banks  of  the  Magdalena.  At 
all  events  we  found  it  so,  for  after  turning  in,  we  were  not  released  from 
the  chains,  in  which  we  all  were  locked  by  Morpheus,  till  two  hours  after, 
when  the  old  woman  came  to  say  it  was  eight  o'clock  and  our  supper 
ready.  We  observed  many  of  the  tropical  .productions  not  found  on  the 
plain  of  Bogota,  such  as  plantains,  jucre,  sugar-cane,  lizards,  snakes,  &c. 
We  found  also  plenty  of  game  as  turkeys,  quails,  guaohichies,  the  moun 
tain  hen,  a  bird  much  like  our  domestic  fowl  in  everything  but  its  sylvan 
predilections ;  none  of  these  are  to  be  obtained  in  Bogota.  The  turkeys 
of  this  place  are  of  a  darker  color  and  of  a  different  shape  from  those  of 
the  lower  countries,  but  about  the  same  weight  though  not  so  tender. 
We  sent  home  two  mules  loaded  with  game,  after  reserving  sufficient  for 
our  own  use.  A  few  days  after  our  arrival  at  Fusugazuga,  I  found  myself 
attacked  by  that  most  provoking  illness  of  "  all  the  ills  that  human  flesh 
is  heir  to  "  - —  the  Fever  and  Ague.  The  mule  that  went  freighted  'to 
Bogota  with  game,  bore  also  a  note  from  Mr.  Tayloe  to  the  General  re 
questing  a  supply  of  medicine  for  me  as  I  had  strong  chills.  I  was  in 
hopes  of  driving  off  this  unwelcome  visitant,  by  plenty  of  exercise,  and  on 
the  "  shivering  days,"  was  sure  to  be  out  with  my  guide  Pedro,  who  had 
won  in  my  estimation  the  appellation  of  "  Hawk-Eye  "  — -  and  gun,  beat 
ing  through  the  thick  woods  from  morning's  sun  till  dark.  My  specific 
answered  for  the  time  being,  but  when  the  exercise  was  over,  the  fit 
would  return  with  redoubled  force  and  compelled  me  at  last  to  give  up 
gunning  and  take  to  the  blankets. 

In  the  meantime,  hearing  from  the  City,  that  Gen.  Harrison  —  M.  De 
Bresson  —  The  Duke  De  Montebello  and  Gen.  Urdenata — one  of  the 
Secretaries  of  State —  owing  to  a  pressure  of  business  could  not  join  us 
here  for  the  visit  to  the  famed  Natural  Bridge  of  Pandi,  as  had  been  pre 
viously  arranged,  the  rest  of  our  party,  at  my  request  went  on  without 
me,  as  by  this  time  I  did  not  dare  to  attempt  it.  During  the  two  days 
of  their  absence  I  discovered  that  I  had  been  spoiled  by  the  sick  bed  at 
tentions  of  my  home  friends,  and  at  first  was  so  provoked  at  the  compara 
tive  apathy  of  these  stranger  attendants,  that  my  pettishness  would 
sometimes  break  forth,  but  it  had  the  desired  effect  of  setting  the  whole 
household  in  motion  to  supply  my  wants.  Two  days  after  their  return 
from  Pandi,  Messrs,  Tayloe  and  Harrison  went  on  to  Bogota,  leaving  the 
Count  and  Servant  with  me.  The  third  day  brought  back  Mr.  Tayloe 
to  us  loaded  down  with  Quinine,  and  other  medicines  put  up  for  my  use 
by  the  kind  paternal  hand  of  the  General  and  two  home  letters  for  me. 
The  first  contained  the  last  note  of  my  uncle  Kilian  P.  Van  Reusselaer, 
the  other  an  announcement  of  his  death.  These  letters  were  the  second 
batch  received  from  Albany  and  by  them  I  heard  of  Aunt  Maria  M.  V. 
E-'s  marriage  to  Jacob  S.  Glen,  also  of  the  birth  of  Elizabeth's  daughter 
"  Maria  Elizabeth,"  this  makes  my  second  niece.  The  letter  from  my 
good  old  Grandmother  was  a  great  treat  in  this  far  off  land.  The  Gene 
ral's  prescriptions  had  the  desired  effect,  «s  in  one  week  the  fever  had 
disappeared  and  was  succeeded  by  such  a  fine  appetite,  that  after  a  few 
prefatory  rides  in  the  neighborhood,  I  found  myself  sufficiently  strong 
to  set  off  with  a  reliable  guide  for  the  Bridge.  My  pill-box  was  not 
neglected,  for  I  took  the  precautionary  step  of  swallowing  a  requisite 
number  for  a  fortnight  after  to  prevent  another  relapse. 

The  road  to  the  Bridge  was  not  a  rough  one  for  the  country,  but,  as 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  511 

may  be  expected  iu  the  Andes,  runs  over  hill  and  dale;  and  so  rare  a 
variety  is  a  level  spot  in  this  mountainous  region,  that  a  rural  chapel  with 
one  or  two  huts  situated  about  half  way,  on  a  flat  piece  of  ground  of  about 
one  acre's  area,  goes  by  the  name  of  Liana  largo  or  large  plain.  It  cer 
tainly  was  a  very  appropriate  name,  as  it  is  the  largest  and  indeed  the 
only  apology  for  a  plain  on  the  entire  route;  although  from  all  the  various 
heights,  an  immense  extent  of  table-land  is  seen  in  the  distance  and  added 
much  to  the  diversity  of  the  wild  scenery.  The  next  place,  through  which 
we  passed,  lies  against  the  side  of  a  mountain,  a  scattered  set  of  huts,  the 
owners  of  which  raise  many  .fine  cattle.  There  are  six  or  seven  con 
siderable  streams,  on  the  road,  over  which  we  passed  on  flimsy  bridges, 
without  railing  and  quite  narrow  ;  some  are  very  high,  and  we  could  plainly 
see,  and  feel  them  shake  under  us  ;  however  we  arrived  safe  about  5 
oclock  p.  M.,  in  Mercadillo,  a  hamlet  of  about  40  huts.  Before  reaching 
this  we  had  crossed  many  a  hill,  three  of  which  are  very  high  and  steep, 
but  as  the  great  ledges  of  rocks  have  been  avoided,  a  zigzag  path  over 
them  is  followed  instead  of  a  "  stair-case  one/'  My  guide  conducted  me 
to  a  fine,  cleanly  looking  house,  facing  the  church  square;  and  while  the 
dinner  was  being  prepared,  I  took  a  luxurious,  but  much  needed,  swing 
in  my  hammock,  which  had  been  hung  in  the  best  room.  In  the  morning 
at  daybreak  I  found  a  cup  of  chocolate  and  a  cake  in  readiness  for  me  which 
was  soon  disposed  of,  after  which  Calistro  and  myself  walked  off  about  one 
and  a  half  mile  to  Inkononzo  to  see  the  Puinte  or  Bridge  of  Pandi.  It 
seemed  the  longest  half  league  I  ever  knew,  and  thought  the  road  the 
roughest  a  pedestrian  need  wish  to  travel. 

The  latter  part  of  this  walk  is  much  the  worst  as  you  descend,  almost 
perpendicularly  down  some  hundred  feet,  into  a  narrow  and  gloomy  ravine, 
but  I  followed  after  my  nimble  footed  Indian,  and  the  sight  of  this  won 
derful  curiosity  amply  recompensed  me  for  all  my  trouble.  In  the  centre 
of  this  valley  a  fine  large  stream,  in  her  unceasing  course  since  Noah's  flood, 
has  worn  away  earth,  slate  and  rock,  about  .30  feet  wide  and  400  deep  in 
this  dark  and  hideous  looking  chasm;  here  the  river  is  seen  from  above 
dashing  along  with  the  most  irresistible  and  tremendous  noise.  For  many 
miles  on  either  side  of  this  road  to  Inkononzo,  it  cannot  be  crossed;  but 
here  Nature  has  formed  or  rather  left  a  permanent  bridge,  which  with  a  little 
assistance  from  art,  has  been  made  as  safe  to  the  passenger  as  the  solid  road. 
This  natural  bridge  of  Pandi  is  one  immense  solid  slab  of  stone,  40  feet  long 
by  20  wide ;  from  6  to  10  feet  thick ;  over  it  lies  the  artificial  bridge  of 
the  natives,  with  balustrades  for  its  security.  Over  these  balusters  I  hung 
in  mute  admiration,  now  convinced  that  the  verbal  and  written  accounts  of 
its  grandeur  were  not  exaggerated  in  the  least  degree.  It  is  the  impression 
of  many  that  the  great  cleft  through  which  Sunuir  Paz  rolls,  is  the  result 
of  an  earthquake  of  earlier  days;  but  after  a  careful  examination «nd  I  did 
not  stop,  until  I  had  traced  every  spot  ever  before  pressed  by  human  foot  — 
I  was  compelled  to  differ.  Every  indication  went  to  prove,  in  my  estima 
tion,  that  it  had  been  formed  by  the  constant  friction  of  the  water  over 
the  soft  rock,  which  has  sunk  the  bed  of  the  bubbling  stream  so  far  below 
the  general  surface.  Each  new  examination  of  the  place  confirms  my 
opinion  :  the  lower  or  under  side  of  the  huge  slab  or  stone  above  that 
forms  the  upper  bridge,  as  well  as  the  perpendicular  sides  of  the  chasm, 
from  the  edge  of  the  precipices,  down  as  far  as  the  eye  could  distinguish 
appeared  as  if  its  smoothness  had  been  acquired  by  the  action  of  water, 
but  however  it  may  have  been  formed,  it  is  a  terrific  looking  hole.  The 


512  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

stones  which  form  what  is  called  the  lower  bridge,  were  no  doubt  in  times 
long  past,  hurled  from  their  primitive  beds  above  by  some  con.vulsion  of 
the  earth  and  falling  simultaneously  down  this  narrow  fissure,  by  striking 
against  the  sides  have  become  so  firmly  wedged  in,  that  nothing  but  gun 
powder,  or  another  violent  commotion  can  loosen  them.  This  mass  of 
stone  is  about  60  feet  below  the  other,  from  which  the  descent  is  not  very 
difficult  even  for  a  young  lady.  In  the  centre  is  what  is  called  la  ventdna 
the  window,  a  triangular  opening  through  which  you  have  a  fine  view  of 
the  gurgling  stream  below.  And  through  which  I  sent  many  a  weighty 
stone,  then  securely  hanging  over  its  edge  watched  the  progress  of  these 
small  rocks,  bounding  downward  from  one  projection  to  another  and 
shivered  in  still  smaller  pieces  whenever  they  struck,  so  that  when  they 
fell  into  the  water,  they  appeared  like  mere  pebbles.  Their  noise  there 
was  drowned  amidst  the  thundering  echoes  they  had  awakened  above 
them.  This  extensive  crevasse  is  the  resort  not  only  of  the  nocturnal 
birds  that  haunt  in  great  numbers  this  sombrous  retreat,  but  of  a  species 
peculiar  only  to  such  dark  and  secluded  sites.  They  are  of  a  brownish 
color,  shape  and  size  of  our  pigeon  hawks,  when  disturbed  in  their  daily 
slumbers,  by  the  rattling  of  stones,  they  leave  their  solitary  hiding-places  in 
the  gloomy  recess  and  hover  about  in  large  flocks.  The  natives  have  an 
idea  that  these  birds  are  instantly  killed  by  an  exposure  to  the  sun ;  the  no 
tion  originates  in  the  circumstance  of  their  frequently  finding  them  dead 
in  the  road  above.  They  have  no  other  name,  than  the  general  one  of 
Paxarasolitario.  I  have  seen  many  wonderful  works  of  art,  and  formations 
of  Nature's  ever  varying  hand,  but  never  anything  to  equal  this  puente  de 
Pandi,  my  visit  to  this  real  curiosity  was  highly  satisfactory  and  I  thought 
my  trouble  attending  the  excursion  well  repaid.  I  returned  to  the  village 
for  my  breakfast,  and  then  mounted  my  horse  for  Fusugazuga  which  I 
reached  long  after  dark  the  same  evening,  "  faint  and  weary  "  but  ex 
ceedingly  pleased  with  my  trip. 

During  my  absence  Mr.  Tayloe  had  received  a  few  lines  from  General 
Harrison,  that  as  Doctor  Cheyne  had  advised,  and  he  had  no  writing  of 
moment  for  me  to  do,  I  had  better  remain  at  this  place  some  days  longer 
to  recuperate.  Under  those  circumstances  I  had  riot  the  least  objection 
to  linger  in  this  the  most  delightful  and  salubrious  of  all  climates  I  ever 
was  in,  though  scarcely  considered  such  precautions  necessary.  My  late 
jaunt  however  convinced  me  that  I  did  not  possess  my  usual  share  of 
strength  and  vigor,  but  after  chasing  the  game  among  the  wild  mountains 
for  a  few  days  I  entirely  recovered  my  health  and  am  now  as  vigorous  as 
ever.  In  the  meantime  the  days  were  pleasantly  passed  in  riding  about 
and  in  gunning.  We  found  the  common  people  here  quite  as  hospitable 
as  any  in  Colombia;  as  an  instance:  in  one  of  our  hunting  excursions, 
Tayloe,  the  Count  and  myself  were  overtaken  by  a  violent  rain  storm,  and 
while  plodding  along,  on  the  road  we  met  quite  a  pretty  young  girl  who 
invited  us  to  take  shelter  in  her  father's  cabin.  A  fowl  was  killed  for  us, 
and  cooked  in  various  styles  :  one  leg  with  cabbage  and  onions  was 
converted  into  soup  ;  another  was  fried,  the  remainder  with  potatoes  and 
other  vegetables  was  served  up  as  a  stew.  A  plucked  sheep  skin  was  our 
table  cloth,  and  the  cabin  floor  our  table,  around  which  we  gladly  sat  as 
well  as  we  could  to  partake  of  the  feast.  A  solitary  wooden  spoon  was 
the  only  artificial  implement  to  transfer  the  victuals  from  the  dishes  to 
our^uiouths.  But  by  agreement,  which  was  strictly  adhered  to,  as  soon 
as  one  person  of  our  party  had  emptied  it  twice,  it  was  conveyed  to  the 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  513 

next  in  order;  so  it  passed  and  repassed  till  the  soup  had  disappeared. 
We  made  more  expeditious  work  with  the  solid  part  of  the  entertainment, 
fingers  being  substituted  for  knives  and  forks  enabled  us  to  eat  in  concert. 
The  manner  and  readiness  with  which  this  meal  was  offered,  made  it  more 
acceptable  to  us  than  the  more  sumptuous  fare  of  formalized  etiquette. 
Tayloe  and  the  Count  as  well  as  myself  were  highly  diverted  by  our  novel 
repast,  and  after  rewarding  our  kind  host,  promised  as  we  did  to  call  again. 
On  the  second  occasion  each  one  of  us,  without  the  knowledge  of  the  other, 
pulled  out  of  his  game-bag  a  spoon,  knife  and  fork  at  the  commencement 
of  the  dinner. 

With  a  view  of  seeing  all  the  belles  of  Fusugazuga  together,  we  one 
night  gave  a  ball  —  it  cost  us  four  reals,  50cts,  a  piece  or  twelve  reals  in 
toto.  The  ladies  came  at  an  early  hour,  all  looking  very  prim,  and  decked 
out  as  neatly  and  stylish  as  their  simple  means  admitted.  A  white  dress 
below,  covered  in  part  with  a  coarse  blue  woolen  short-gown  girdled 
around  the  waist,  a  striped  straw  hat  on  their  heads,  and  all  supported  by 
pretty  little  naked  feet  was  the  a  la  mode  costume  of  the  lonton.  The  gentle 
men  wore  no  coats,  shirts  and  pantaloons  were  universal,  except  some  of 
the  younger  spectators  who  were  only  encumbered  with  the  shirt,  and 
those  still  younger  dispensed  with  both  articles  being  in  a  state  of  nudity. 
The  band  composed  of  guitar,  tipplers,  rattlers,  reeds  and  the  drums 
merrily  struck  up,  when  each  of  the  beaux  very  gallantly  placed  his  hat 
at  the  feet  of  the  lady  he  desired  as  partner,  then  immediately  backing 
out  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  without  a  word  to  her,  frisked  about  alone, 
until  the  selected  belle  most  condescendingly  implies  her  consent  to  dance 
with  him  by  placing  the  hat  on  his  head  again.  Then  the  waltzing  com 
mences,  with  the  voices  of  the  dancers  joining  in  concert  with  the  players. 
These  people  delight  in  dancing,  and  I  think  would  wear  out  two  set  of 
North  Americans  in  the  exercise.  Between  dances  they  refresh  them 
selves  with  the  choice  nick-nacks  together  with  their  favorite  dishes,  cigars, 
and  country  anise-seed  brandy.  The  frolic  seemed  to  give  general  satisfac 
tion  and  was  kept  up  till  quite  late. 

About  a  week  after  the  receipt  of  the  General's  note,  on  the  morning 
of  August  9th,  having  dispatched  a  load  of  game  and  our  baggage  on  the 
previous  da\,  we  left  this  peaceful  valley  and  its  kind  inhabitants.  Soon 
we  were  again  re-crossing  the  craggy  mountain  and  once  more  overtaken 
by  a  tremendous  shower,  but  under  the  lee  side  of  a  towering  tree,  we 
found  shelter  from  its  greatest  fury,  and  the  after  drizzling  did  not  last 
sufficiently  long  to  wet  our  overcoats. 

This  mountain  appears  to  act  as  a  breaker  to  all  the  clouds  that  gen 
erate  in  the  valley  below  :  the  specific  gravity  of  these  clouds  is  too  great 
to  allow  them  to  soar  through  the  thin  air  above  the  mountain's  top,  but 
driven  by  the  wind  which  at  this  season  comes  constantly  from  the  south, 
they  all  collect  here  and  keep  up  an  almost  continual  shower.  From  May 
to  the  first  of  December  is  the  winter  season,  during  which  time  we  con 
stantly  expect  the  rain  with  thunder  and  tempestuous  weather.  At  the 
summit  of  the  in-ountain  we  again  encountered  the  fog-like  clouds,  arrested 
in  their  course  by  the  towering  tops  and  hiding  from  our  view  the  beauty 
of  the  surrounding  landscape. 

The  Count  Zliskie  has  traveled  this  highway  six  times,  but  never  with 
a  dry  coat.  I  was  unable  to  assign  a  reason  why  a  person  not  accustomed 
to  the  climate,  should  feel  so  uncomfortably  cold  when  the  thermometer 

65 


514  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

stands  at  55°,  which  is  the  mean  temperature  at  Bogota  at  present,  when 
at  home  we  think  such  a  medium  is  "  devoutly  to  be  wished."  But  I  now 
perceive  it  is  all  owing  to  the  extreme  thinness  of  the  air  in  this  elevated 
region.  Flannel  is  an  agreeable  addition  for  comfort  to  my  ordinary 
winter  clothing.  We  reached  home  at  Bogota  "  without  the  loss  of  a  sin 
gle  man,"  or  any  accident,  not  one  adverse  adventure.  The  day  after  my 
return  to  the  Capital  I  had  an  opportunity,  for  the  first  time  of  witnessing 
a  "  Bull-Fight"  or  rather  a  teasing  that  was  got  up  in  honor  of  the  an 
niversary  of  "  St.  Victorina."  You  no  doubt  will  be  surprised  at  the 
idea  of  a  saint's  being  honored  in  this  brutal  way  and  that  too  on  Sunday  ; 
but  here  such  a  parade  is  but  a  common  circumstance.  It  was  preceded 
by  a  grand  Procession,  in  which  about  twenty  images  of  the  most  costly 
description,  some  as  large  as  life,  were  borne  about  on  the  shoulders  of 
men.  The  Host  too  made  its  appearance,  and  when  at  the  several  tem 
porary  shrines  erected  in  the  Square,  a  halt  was  made  for  religious  cere 
monies  and  the  devout  crowd  knelt  in  the  dust.  On  similar  occasions  — 
or  when  the  Host  is  carried  to  administer  the  last  sacrament  to  the  dying  — 
its  approach  is  heralded  by  the  tinkling  of  the  bell  accompanying  it.  At 
which  time  all  foreigners  or  such  as  are  not  sufficiently  zealous  in  their 
respect  to  it,  to  risk  the  soiling  of  their  clothes,  or  the  ill-will  of  the  sect 
to  which  it  appertains  —  always  seek  refuge  in  a  house  till  it  has  passed. 
After  viewing  the  grand  procession  of  St.  Victorino  from  a  balcony  and 
the  images  had  been  all  carried  into  the  Cathedral  our  party  retired  and 
quickly  were  mounted  on  their  horses,  in  order  to  have  a  nearer  and  better 
view  of  the  expected  pageant.  Upon  entering  the  square  our  little  squad 
'being  as  well  mounted  as  any  in  the  gay  and  numerous  cavalcade  already 
assembled  there,  resolved  to  prance  around  under  the  balconies  to  make 
our  chdnza  or  jest  to  such  of  the  belles,  collected  in  them,  as  we  might 
know.  We  had  only  passed  two  sides  and  in  the  act  of  saluting  the 
Hendersons  —  when  the  cry  of  "  El  To'ro,  toro" —  the  bull,  butt,  rose  from 
the  excited  crowd  and  warned  us  of  its  approach  ;  together  with  a  mass 
of  flying  horsemen  from  a  little  street  leading  to  the  square,  at  the  same 
time  told  us  of  the  bull's  vicinity.  Of  course  we  joined  in  full  speed  the 
retreating  host,  and  when  out  of  harm's  way  turned  around  to  gaze  at  the 
animated  spectacle.  This  disorderly  race  among  the  hundreds  of  gayly 
cloaked  horsemen  —  Spanish  cavaliers  —  mounted  on  swift  horses  is  indeed 
a  sight  worth  seeing,  and  the  only  one  in  the  barbarous,  ridiculous,  brutal 
show.  The  bull  came  dashing  along  just  at  our  heels,  but  finding  himself 
disappointed  in  flooring  an  equestrian  and  that  chase  hopeless;  he  would 
ever  and  anon,  suddenly  make  a  bolt  among  a  motley  group  of  pedestrians. 
If  that  group  evaded  his  fury  by  dodging  in  a  friendly  doorway  or  by 
mounting  above  his  reach  on  the  latticed  windows,  he  would  dash  at 
another,  and  still  another,  until  exhausted  by  his  futile  attempts  he  would 
find  a  halt  necessary  for  a  fresh  supply  of  wind. 

The  animal  is  tied  at  one  end  of  a  long  lasso,  or  a  line  made  of  a  raw 
hide  twisted  with  a  noose,  the  other  end  is  held  by  a  man  on  a  fleet  horse 
or  fastened  to  the  pommel  of  the  horseman's  saddle;  another  fellow  with 
an  iron  pointed  goad  follows  after  and  sticks  the  brute  to  make  him  frac 
tious.  While  passing  iu  this  way  through  the  crowded  streets,  the  two 
legged  rash  fools  present  themselves  to  him,  with  nothing  in  their  hands 
but  a  red  rag  or  cloak,  and  when  the  maddened  beast  makes  a  plunge  at 
them,  they  dexterously  leap  on  one  side,  still  holding  the  rag  out  for  the 
bull  to  strike.  While  the  animal  is  resting  the  crowd  by  throwing 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  515 

missiles  of  all  kinds  would  endeavor  to  rouse  him  again  to  action.  Some 
times  he  would  only  notice  these  annoyances  by  a  toss  of  the  head,  but  if 
an  adventurous  torero,  bull-fighter  on  foot,  came  very  near  with  his  teasing 
flag,  one  tremendous  plunge  indicated  his  desire  of  vengeance.  But 
finding  himself  foiled  by  the  agility  of  his  tormentor,  he  would  again 
resume  his  passive  bearing  until  roused  once  more  to  mischief  by  the 
steeled  point  of  the  staff  or  pike  pole.  The  wounds  inflicted  by  the  goad 
would  again  arouse  all  his  latent  anger  causing  horse  and  foot  to  fly  in 
one  mingled  rout  from  his  furious  onslaught.  Accidents  are  very 
common,  but  are  considered  as  trifles  and  the  life  of  the  sport  by  this 
enlightened  people,  yet  it  is  a  dangerous,  cruel  pastime,  more  particularly 
so  to  the  footmen.  In  one  charge  of  the  bull  on  this  occasion  I  saw  at 
least  half  a  dozen  of  them  knocked  down  under  the  feet  of  the  running 
horses,  though  I  do  not  know  that  any  were  seriously  injured.  There 
was  one  occurrence,  that  afternoon,  that  completely  satisfied  my  desire  to 
see  no  more  of  this  amusement.  The  bull  was  standing  in  the  centre  of 
the  square,  covered  with  foam  and  lolling  with  fatigue  — missiles,  flags  nor 
goad  seemed  to  have  any  effect  upon  him ;  he  was  pronounced  "  good  for 
nothing  —  done  over  "  —  the  people  went  around  him  and  before  him  ; 
he  even  allowed  himself  to  be  patted  without  in  the  least  noticing  it.  At 
length  starting  from  his  lethargy,  he  made  a  dart  at  his  nearest  assailants, 
but  the  cry  of  toro,  toro  notified  them  in  time  and  they  escaped  the  danger. 
One  poor  fellow,  however,  some  yards  ahead,  either  deaf  or  so  petrified 
with  fear  as  to  disable  him  from  flying  —  was  overtaken  by  the  raging 
beast  and  thrown  up  in  the  air.  He  fell  without  a  sign  of  life  — when 
the  bull  having  passed  on,  the  unfeeling  mob  gathered  around  with  shouts 
of  laughter  and  mockery  at  his  misfortune.  He  was  picked  up  by  two  or 
three  of  the  more  humane  ones  and  borne  off  with  the  blood  streaming 
from  his  head  and  arm  and  I  neither  saw  nor  heard  more  of  him. 

I  am  happy  to  see  from  your  letters,  my  good  father,  that  your  trip  to 
Washington  was  so  satisfactory  ;  it  is  cheering  to  learn  that <l  Old  Hickory  " 
is  so  favorably  inclined  towards  you.  and  to  hear  of  his  promise  that  you 
shall  be  retained  in  your  office.  The  promise  too  of  Moore,  in  relation  to 
myself,  as  mentioned  in  yours  of  March  23d,  was  not  unacceptable,  but 
there  is  such  a  difference  between  Moore  and  Harrison  !  The  latter  has 
it. in  view  to  leave  his  son  here  with  Dr.  Bresson,  but  is  not  exactly  de 
termined.  I  will  send  my  Journal  by  Gen.  Harrison  which  will  replace 
the  missing  numbers  of  my  letters.  I  suppose  Richard  and  Elizabeth  are 
established  in  their  own  house,  and  so  much  taken  up  in  nurturing  little 
Deb,  and  the  other  stranger  that  I  must  be  satisfied  with  their  brief 
letters.  Love  and  remembrances  to  one  and  all  at  home. 

Sincerely  Yours, 

Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  Albany,  N.  Y.  R.  V.  RENSSELAER. 


516  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

SOUTH  AMERICAN  LETTERS  CONTINUED. 

Van  Rensselaer  to  Jiis  Father. 


Dear  Father,  Bogota,  August  25,  1829. 

The  letter  dated  five  days  since  went  to  Carthagena  and  you  no  doubt 
will  wonder  at  receiving  another  so  soon,  but  I  send  this  by  Mr.  Gooding 
of  Boston  who  leaves  this  for  home.  Your  No.  1  of  May  31st,  came  to 
hand  a  few  days  since,  the  detention  was  caused  by  the  mail's  having 
been  robbed,  below  Mompox  on  its  way  to  Bogota.  The  mail  boat,  having 
a  crew  of  bdgas,  besides  the  patron,  was  attacked  by  another  boat  with 
a  similar  crew  completely  armed.  The  patron  was  killed,  one  man  badly 
wounded,  and  the  other  two  made  their  escape  by  swimming  ashore.  The 
robbers  after  taking  out  the  trifling  amount  of  specie  contained  in  the 
mail  boat,  left  the  correspondence  unmolested  in  some  place  where  it  was 
subsequently  found.  Two  of  the  villainous  scape-graces  have  been  ar 
rested  and  sent  to  Gen.  Montillo  in  Carthagena.  who  ere  this  has  cured 
them  of  their  itching  propensities  for  other  peoples  lives  and  money.  My 
letter  was  among  others  moored  in  the  boat,  against  the  Magdalena's  bank, 
till  some  honest,  true  fellow  came  along,  and  put  it  on  its  right  track  for 
Bogota.  I  am  very  sorry  to  find  out  through  letters  to  the  General  from 
J.  Mac  Pherson  our  Consul  at  Carthagena,  that  no  letters  went  home  in 
the  August  packet  from  that  place  ;  the  latest  you  had  received  from  me, 
previous  to  that  time,  must  have  then  been  written  in  May  at  Barran- 
quilla  and  Mompox.  Knowing  through  them  that  I  was  on  the  river,  I 
fear  that  anxiety  to  hear  of  me  at  the  end  of  my  route,  has  been  too  much 
the  "  order  of  the  day  "  at  home.  The  cause  of  the  delay  in  your  not  re 
ceiving  my  letter  was  this.  The  Government  here  has  passed  a  new  tariff 
law,  the  sure  effect  of  which  will  be  to  cut  off  entirely,  I  fear,  the  valua 
ble  trade  of  the  United  States  ;  the  duty  on  flour  is  eight  dollars  per  bbl., 
other  products  of  that  country  in  proportion.  This  new  tariff  was  to 
have  gone  into  operation  on  the  1st  of  July,  but  the  time  was  extended 
four  months,  at  the  representation  of  Gen.  Harrison,  in  order  that  the 
Merchants  at  home  might  be  saved  from  ruin,  by  timely  notice  of  it. 
Bunch  &  Co.,  together  with  others,  in  hopes  of  making  a  fine  speculation 
by  laying  in  a  large  supply  of  North  American  produce,  before  the  new 
decree  went  into  operation,  chartered  the  New  York  packet  —  then  in 
port  —  and  would  not  allow  the  Master  to  carry  a  single  letter,  for  fear 
that  word  of  the  extended  time  for  the  tariff's  going  into  effect,  should 
be  sent  home. 

Among  the  letters  thus  detained  was  Gen.  Harrison's  Dispatch  on  the 
subject  of  the  extension  and  my  two.  The  effect  of  this  abominable  tariff 
may  be  possibly  to  exclude  our  vessels  from  these  ports,  iffcso,  you  of 
course  will  know  the  fact  before  I  do,  in  that  case  our  correspondence 
will  be  very  irregular;  but  be  assured  I  will  avail  myself  of  every  known 
opportunity  of  letting  you  hear  from  me.  The  General  is  daily  more  and 
more  pleased  with  "  blackey,  "  and  1  myself  also  fully  estimate  his  good 


LEGACY  OP  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  517 

qualities.  To  hear  that  jour  friends  are  on  the  alert  to  save  your  office 
is  truly  gratifying,  1  know  of  no  person  who  can  boast  of  so  many  true  ones. 

I  will  now  ask  you  to  return,  in  thought,  with  me  to  my  Southern  home 
and  accompany  the  parties,  that  every  fair  afternoon  are  sure  to  join  the 
Henderson  family  in  their  excursions — the  older  people,  with  Gen.  Harri 
son,  quite  frequently,  in  a  coach  and  four,  while  we  younger  ones  take 
our  airing  on  horseback  in  company  with  the  young  ladies.  Having  now  re 
covered  a  fine  appetite  and  nearly  all  my  strength  and  I  trustfully  acclimated, 
our  evening  rides,  with  or  without  the  ladies,  were  always  highly  enjoyed 
by  me.  The  evening  resort  of  all  foreigners  and  the  fashionables  of  the 
(Capital  is  the  beautiful  Alameda  or  public  walk.  It  is  the  prettiest  road 
in  the  vicinity,  on  each  side  of  it  for  two  miles  is  the  hedge  of  trees  and 
shrubs,  among  the  last  are  roses  and  blackberries  always^in  bearing.  It  is 
the  grand  promenade  and  here  a  few  carriages  of  Bogota  as  also  the  mounted 
cavaliers  repair  in  a  fine  evening.  '  The  other  avenues  from  the  cap 
ital  on  the  plain  being  unadorned  by  trees  or  hedges  are  too  monotonous  for 
a  frequent  ride ;  there  is  one,  however  leading  at  the  foot  of  the  Monte 
Serratte  towards  the  fountain  head,  that  has  variety  enough.  But  the 
most  romantic  of  all,  is  one  leading  to  the  Monastery  or  hermitage  on  top 
of  that  mountain  and  another  to  the  ruined  Convent  on  the  Guadeloupe. 
On  this  last,  Mr.  Tayloe,  Carter  Harrison  and  myself  rode  one  evening, 
it  is  rugged  and  sufficiently  wild  to  suit  the  most  adventurous  mind. 
About  half  way  up,  or  one  league  from  the  city,  we  halted  to  look  at  two 
wild  deer  browsing  within  a  pistol  shot  of  the  road,  they  seemed  to  con 
sider  one  glance  a  sufficient  notice  of  us,  after  which  they  resumed  their 
satisfactory  employment  and  we,  without  molesting  the  pretty  creatures, 
continued  our  way  to  the  summit  of  the  mountain  ridge. 

Owing  to  the  circumstance  of  the  earthquake  of  1827  having  demolished 
the  building  on  this  peak  —  at  which  period  much  damage  was  also  done 
in  the  city  —  it  was  no  more  a  place  of  resort.  The  path  from  the  main 
road  was  so  much  overgrown  with  weeds,  that  we  lost  it,  but  did  not  miss 
the  principal  object  of  our  ride,  the  extensive  and  grand  view  that  fixed 
us  in  astonishment.  From  an  eminence,  1800  feet  above  the  plain  of  Bo 
gota,  we  had  a  splendid  survey  of  the  lofty  Andes  with  its  immense  chain 
of  towering  mountains,  we  knew  all  about  the  steep  and  rugged  ascent  up 
to  the  stately  peaks.  We  cast  our  eyes  over  the  extensive  table  land  and 
City  ;  the  last  had  a  very  sombre  appearance,  the  effect  of  the  dark  tiled 
roof  nouses;  the  streets  are  all  at  right  angles,  and  through  the  centre 
flows  a  stream  of  water.  Some  of  the  summits  around  tower  to  a  prodi 
gious  height,  rising  far  above  the  clouds,  and  are  covered  with  perpetual 
snow,  and  although  we  are  so  near  to  the  Equator  the  intense  heat  is  not 
particularly  oppressive  in  consequence  of  the  elevated  land,  but  the  climate 
mild  and  salubrious  though  it  is  now  Winter.  After  feasting  our  eyes 
with  the  grand  and  sublime  spectacle,  we  returned  by  a  still  more  difficult 
road  than  the  one  we  had  ascended  and  passed  the  fine  Quinta  —  country 
seat — of  the  Liberator — -General  Bolivar.  These  rides  I  found  very  essen 
tial  —  as  the  correspondence  of  Gen.  Harrison  with  the  Colombian  Govern 
ment  for  claims  of  our  citizens,  the  remonstrances  &c  against  the  oppressive 
conduct  of  these  authorities  towards  those  citizens  &c  —  gave  me  so  much 
writing  that  I  was  quite  happy  to  seize  every  moment  for  exercise.  A 
transaction  has  just  now  become  public,  which  has  excited  the  indignation 
of  all  the  English  and  Americans.  It  appears  that  Nicholson  and  Tra 
verse  —  the  two  persons  from  whom  I  received  so  much  attention  in  Mom- 


518  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

pox — were  left  Executors  to  the  will  of  an  Englishman  who  died  some 
time  since  in  that  city.  Among  his  effects  was  eight  pounds  of  gold  dust 
(which  article  by  a  law,  issued  since  his  death,  is  made  contraband  there), 
the  executors,  who  say  they  were  not  aware  of  that  law,  sold  the  dust  to 
raise  funds  to  defray  the  funeral  expenses.  The  Governor  (Aldercrutz) 
having  heard  of  this,  sent  to  demand  the  dust,  but  they  of  course  could 
not  produce  it  and  were  thrown  into  prison.  Richard  K.  Nicholson,  who 
had  been  long  sick,  and  then  laboring  under  delirium,  was,  notwithstand 
ing  the  remonstrances  of  several  physicians  against  the  rough  treatment, 
carried  off  and  as  predicted  died  in  a  few  hours.  Traverse  too  was  sick,  and 
after  this  tragedy  of  Nicholson,  was  removed  to  his  own  house  and  left  under 
charge  of  a  guard. 

After  trying  tfvery  method  to  procure  his  release  without  effect,  (the 
amount  in  money  having  been  rejected  by  this  Governor)  was  obliged  to 
run  the  risk  of  being  condemned  to  ten  years  imprisonment  and  the  loss 
of  the  eight  pounds  of  dust,  by  smuggling  that  amount  in  the  place  to  sat 
isfy  the  Governor's  cupidity.  Now  allowing  that  fraud  was  intended  by 
these  Executors  in  the  disposition  of  the  dust,  can  any  thing  justify  the 
brutal  and  tyrannical  conduct  towards  the  dying  Nicholson  on  the  part  of 
Aldercrutz?  No!  nor  is  this  a  single  case  of  such  treatment  towards  for 
eigners,  nor  are  the  natives  themselves  exempt;  they  are  often  made  to 
writhe  under  the  power  of  these  arbitrary  officers  who  carry  their  oppres 
sive  measures  to  an  infamous  degree,  and  it  is  not  at  all  remarkable  that 
there  are  so  many  disaffected  towards  such  a  Government.  This  disaffec 
tion  is  wide  and  fast  spreading  over  the  whole  country;  there  will  no 
doubt  be  great  political  changes  ere  long,  indeed  rumor  positively  declares 
that  the  President  Dictator  intends  assuming  that  power  for  life,  under 
the  name  of  Prcsidente  Vitalicio  or  of  Emperor.  Rumor  also  says  that 
DeBresson  is  here  to  pave  the  way  for  a  Bourbon  successor  to  Bolivar 
from  France.  These  stories  all  tend  to  increase  disaffection.  A  few  nights 
since,  placards  were  posted  in  the  streets  threatening  DeBresson  and  the 
Duke  de  Montibello  with  assassination,  if  they  did  not  desist  froto  their 
intrigues  to  effect  this  object  and  leave  the  country  This  proves  the 
existence  of  a  strong  feeling  and  many  fear  more  disturbances.  The 
Goodings,  who  were  here  and  witnessed  the  horrors  of  the  riot  last  year, 
are  collecting  all  the  debts  they  can  muster  and  the  one  brother,  for  fear 
of  another  event  of  that  kind  now  leaves  for  the  United  States. 

The  girls  I  hope  will  be  more  particular  in  their  chit-chat  intelligence, 
it  is  only  through  them  I  can  expect  to  keep  the  trace  of  friends  dear  to 
me  in  youthful  days.  I  suppose  my  old  companion  —  Robert  Jenkins  is 
married  by  this  time.  I  am  glad  that  my  young  friends  still  think  of  me, 
the  Misses  Lansings  among  the  rest,  let  me  hear  more  of  them.  I  am 
really  happy  to  hear  of  Aunt  Maria's  marriage,  she  must  know  me  well 
enough  to  be  assured  she  has  my  best  wishes.  The  note  of  Uncle  Kilian 
gave  me  great  pleasure,  it  is  characteristic  of  the  kind  feeling  he  always 
possessed  for  every  one;  the  enfeebled  state  he  was  in,  when  I  left  home, 
compelled  me  to  think  I  would  never  see  him  again,  and  the  news  of  his 
death  was  not  unlocked  for.  If  &  practice  of  all  the  cardinal  virtues  of 
Christianity,  without  a  profession  of  them,  can  secure  the  transient  tenant 
of  this  life  an  after  seat  among  the  blessed,  his  soul  is  happy.  The  promise 
of  my  dear  Mother,  through  the  girls,  that  I  should  have  a  long  letter  from 
her  as  soon  as  she  was  completely  well,  is  earnestly  desired  and  looked  for. 
Tell  Adeline  I  have  written  twice  to  that  fine  fellow  Dr.  Van  Renssel^r, 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  519 

and  have  also  received  two  letters  from  him,  I  write  again  to  him  by  this 
mail.  T  dare  say  Hat  and  Cat  have  grown  very  much  and  are  studying 
hard,  kiss  them  both  for  me.  Remember  me  to  all.  Sincerely  Yours. 

r,  VT  *r  RENSS.  VAN  RENSSELAER. 

Uen.  bol.  Van  Reusselaer,  Albany,  M.  Y. 

Margaretta  Van  Rensselaer  to  her  Sinter. 
Dear  Sister,  Albany  September  4,  1829. 

Your  welcome  letter  found  me  at  Mount  Hope  where  I  went  last 
Wednesday  and  remained  so  as  to  be  with  our  Dear  Mother  on  her  fifty- 
fourth  birthday.  I  came  in  town  to  night  with  our  dear  Father.  Yester 
day  afternoon  (Thursday)  a  very  sad  accident  befell  our  excellent  towns 
man  Dr.  James  McNaughten.  He  with  a  few  other  gentlemen  dined  at 
Drake's  in  company  with  some  Southerners,  after  which  they  rode  out  to 
William  Walsh's  [one  mile  south  of  the  city]  at  Nut  Grove  to  view  the 
fine  prospect.  On  their  return,  in  coming  down  the  steep  hill,  some  part 
of  the  harness  gave  way,  and  in  consequence  of  which  the  horse  became 
frightened,  and  in  running  stumbled,  by  which  he  upset  the  chaise,  in 
which  James  Stevenson,  Esq.  and  Dr.  McNaughten  were  seated.  It  rolled 
(the  gig)  two  or  three  times  entirely  over  on  the  Doctor.  Mr.  Stevenson 
was  also  thrown  out,  but  not  much  injured.  Bill  Walsh  and  George 
Brinckerhoof  went  immediately  to  town  and  brought  out  the  Doctors.  In 
the  meantime  Papa  and  Catherine  came  walking  along  on  their  way  to  the 
birth-day  party  at  Mount  Hope.  They  had  just  raised  the  Dr.  out  of  the 
gully,  and  he  laid  on  the  grass  with  his  head  on  John  Walsh's  lap.  Papa 
felt  his  hands  and  then  sent  Catharine  to  Cherry  Hill  for  a  cot,  which 
Grandma  soon  sent  as  also  a  mattress.  Dr.  McN.  seemed  in  great  pain, 
and  told  Papa  it  was  useless  sending  for  the  doctors  as  it  was  "  all  over 
with  him,"  he  said  his  '"  back  was  broken."  As  he  wished  Papa  to  re 
main  till  the  physicians  came  he  did  so,  and  after  he  was  laid  on  the  bed 
and  being  carefully  moved  to  Albany,  they  came  on  to  Mount  Hope. 
James  Stevenson  certainly  had  a  most  miraculous  escape,  his  greatest 
damage  being  torn  clothes.  On  examination  it  was  found  his  back  was 
not  broken;  his  ribs,  however  are,  and  his  leg  so  badly  fractured  —  the 
bone  is  mashed  —  they  still  fear  it  will  have  to  be  amputated,  however  it 
is  set,  and  though  still  in  a  critical  condition  is  doing  better  than  expected. 
Rensselaer's  letters  were  sent  for  you.  The  Patroon  was  here  and  so 
anxious  to  see  them,  that  Papa  promised  he  should  read  them  when  they 
were  returned  ;  he  expected  that  Richard  would  have  brought -them  home 
with  him.  The  Patroon  has  again  inquired  for  them  and  Papa  wishes 
you  to  send  them  up  at  once  with  the  mail.  Mama's  cold  is  better.  The 
weather  here  is  also  very  changeable ;  yesterday  and  to  day  quite  cold 
enough  to  sit  by  the  fire.  Tuesday  and  Wednesday  were  the  warmest 
days  we  have  had  during  the  Summer.  I  regret  that  the  Doctor  and 
Cousin  Charlotte  have  suffered  from  the  change.  That  God  may  bless 
and  protect  you,  and  all  those  who  are  near  a.nd  dear  to  you  is  the  sincere 
prayer  of  your  sister  —  MARGARETTA. 

Miss  Adeline  Van  Rensselaer,. 

Care  of  Jer.  Van  Rensselaer,  M.  D.,  New  York. 

lion.  Daniel  Webster  to  Gen.  Van  Rensselaer. 
My  Dear  Sir,  Boston,  Sept.  11,  1829. 

I  regret  exceedingly,  that  before  your  letter  came  to  hand,  I  had  made 
an  appointment  to  go  to  N.  Hampshire  soon  after  the  20th  instant,  on 


520  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

business  which  it  is  not  practicable  to  postpone.  So  long  an  interval  had 
occurred  since  I  saw  you,  that  I  had  been  led  to  think  you  had  concluded 
that  it  would  be  best  to  leave  our  meeting  to  accident.  I  hope,  very 
sincerely,  it  may  yet  so  happen,  that  I  may  see  the  General  before  I  go 
South.  The  last  week  in  October,  and  the  two  first  weeks  in  Novr.  I 
expect  to  pass  in  New  York.  It  would  gratify  me  if  circumstances  should 
call  him  to  the  City  about  that  time.  The  opinions  which  I  expressed  to 
you,  especially  such  as  relate  to  the  state  of  things  in  this  part"  of  the 
Country,  have  been  much  confirmed  by  events  which  have  since  occurred. 
It  will  not  be  possible  to  repress,  for  many  months  longer,  some  public 
demonstration  of  the  General  Sentiment. 

I  am,  Dr.  Sir,  with  very  sincere  regard  Yours, 

DANL.  WEBSTER. 
Gen.  Solomon  Van  Kensselaer,  P.  M.,  Albany,  N.  Y. 

Rensselaer  Van  Rensselaer  to  Ms  Father. 

Muy  senor  mio,  Bogota  September  17,  1829. 

My  last  to  you,  dated  25th  ult.,  was  committed  to  the  care  of  Mr.  Joseph 
Gooding  of  Boston,  and  is  now  probably  with  him  in  the  "  Tampico  " 
wending  its  way  over  the  briny  deep,  towards  its  destination ;  if  so  you 
will  have  received  that  before  this  can  reach  its  port  of  debarkation.  I 
wish  your  letters' to  me  could  travel  so  speedily,  it  has  taken  your  quickest 
one,  nearly  three  months  after  its  date  to  reach  me.  A  cavalcade  of  about 
twenty  natives  and  foreigners,  among  whom  I  was  one,  went  out  with 
Senor  Gooding,  as  far  as  Puente  Grande,  to  see  him  thus  far  on  his  way 
home.  The  brothers  were  deeply  affected  at  parting.  The  cause  that 
leads  to  this  separation  between  them,  becomes  every  day  more  apparent. 
It  is  whispered  that  secret  meetings  are  held  at  night  by  the  Liberals  to 
concert  measures  for  counteracting  the  plans  of  Bolivar's  i'riends.  The 
mail  which  arrived  here  on  Monday  last,  brought  word  of  the  Tampico's 
arrival  at  Carthagena,  but  to  my  disappointment,  although  she  sailed  from 
New  York  more  than  a  fortnight  after  Mr.  Moore,  brought  no  word  from 
home  for  me.  I  am  of  course  in  the  dark  still,  as  to  Mr.  Moore's  real  in 
tentions  respecting  myself,  but  am  inclined  to  think,  from  the  circum 
stance  of  his  not  having  brought  out  a  private  Secretary,  that  my  services 
in  that  capacity  will  not  be  unacceptable  to  him.  His  arrival,  which  is 
now  expected  hourly,  will  dispel  every  doubt;  and  by  him  I  may  look  for 
the  large  package  from  home  which  you  promised,  in  case  he  sailed  from 
New  York.  Gen.  Harrison  some  days  since  received  a  note  from  him, 
dated  10th  ult ,  three  days  after  his  landing  at  Maracaybo,  in  which  he 
states,  that  he  will  leave  that  City  for  this  Capital  in  two  days,  and  calcu 
lated  upon  being  here  on  the  10th  of  the  present  month.  The  seven  days 
which  have  already  passed,  beyond  his  anticipated  time  for  performing  the 
journey  proves  that  he  was  not  aware  of  the  difficulties  of  traveling  in  this 
country.  Gen.  Harrison  was  forty  days,  including  ten  days  stoppage  at 
Cuenta,  in  performing  the  same  journey.  We  are  under  some  apprehen 
sion  that  either  Mr.  Moore  or  Mr.  Pickett  have  fallen  sick  on  the  road. 

It  is  Gen.  Harrison's  intention  to  leave  this  as  soon  as  possible,  after 
transferring  his  office  over,  in  order  that  he  may  pursue  his  route  towards 
Carthageua  at  his  leisure.  He  expects  there  the  arrival  of  the  Sloop  of 
War  "  Natchez",  (that  brought  out  his  successor)  from  Brazil,  to  which 
place  she  has  gone  to  carry  Capt.  Cassin,  and  expects  to  be  able  to  sail  for 
the  United  States  about  the  middle  of  November.  Gen.  Harrison  will 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  521 

leave  South  America,  carrying  with  him  the  best  wishes,  not  only  of  his 
own  countrymen,  but  of  all  the  Colombians  and  Foreigners,  who  had  the 
honor  of  his  acquaintance.  He  is  heartily  sick  of  this  tropical  America, 
and  were  he  not,  he  would  have  no  reason  to  regret  his  recall,  as  I  am 
satisfied  that  the  ill-advised  measure  will  have  the  contrary  effect  of  honor 
ing  him.  He  will  have  the  largest  escort  that  ever  graced  the  departure 
of  any  foreigner  from  this  Capital ;  not  a  military  escort,  but  a  cavalcade 
of  sorrowing  friends.  For  my  own  part  I  shall  not  leave  the  noble  man, 
at  any  rate,  until  I  see  him  borne,  away  from  the  store  houses  in  Honda, 
by  the  waters  of  the  Magdalena.  Mr.  Moore  writes  he  will  take  the 
General's  furniture,  if  he  does  so,  with  the  house  and  garden,  he  will  not 
only  acquire  a  supply  of  what  he  must  other  wise  procure  here,  but  a  fine 
variety  of  first  rate  vegetables,  and  this  arrangement  will  relieve  the 
General  of  much  trouble.  Mr.  Moore  also  mentions  in  his  letter  that  he 
has  in  his  possession  Dispatches  from  the  Department  for  General  Harrison 
They  undoubtedly  contain  the  official  notice  of  the  General's  recall ;  we 
will  therefore  witness  here  the  novel  sight  of  the  Presentation  of  a  Minister 
Plenipotentiary  at  Bogota  by  his  predecessor.  I  am  doubtful  if  this  letter 
finds  a  passage  home,  before  the  General  leaves  this  Country,  but  will 
forward  it  on  to  Carthagena  in  hopes  that  it  may.  I  am  anxious  that  such 
should  be  the  case,  as  I  see  published  in  the  United  States  papers,  the 
rumors  and  contradictory  statements  growing  out  of  a  war  between  this 
Colombia  and  Peru,  which  may  possibly  give  rise  to  some  uneasiness 
among  my  friends  at  home  ;  but  they  need  not  be  under  any  apprehension. 

The  War  is  an  offensive  one  on  the  part  of  Colombia,  and  is  about  sixty 
days  journey  for  light  mules  from  this;  then  too  any  occurrence  there, 
produces  just  about  as  much  interest  among  foreigners  here,  as  does  the 
war  in  Eastern  Europe.  Even  the  little  interest  we  lately  received  from 
the  military  operations  in  that  remote  quarter  of  the  Republic,  must  take 
another  turn,  for  Bolivar  having  obtained  repossession  of  Guayaquil 
by  capitulation,  seems  disposed,  if  not  obliged  for  want  of  funds,  to  end 
this  famous  war  in  negotiation.  An  armistice  between  the  contending 
powers  has  taken  place,  in  May  last  for  sixty  days,  since  which  we  have 
just  heard  that  Commissioners  on  part  of  Peru  were,  in  the  Colombian 
camp,  treating  for  Peace.  Should  this  attempt  for  peace  prove  abortive, 
and  should  the  Peruvian  forces  be  able  to  defeat  Gen.  Bolivar  in  the 
South  and  make  way  through  all  the  impenetrable  passes  to  this  City. 
I  would  look  on  the  events  as  an  uninterested  spectator. 

Our  Flag  is  held  in  such  respect  here,  that  any  person  under  its  pro 
tection  would  find  security  even  in  a  civil  commotion.  An  Ambassador 
and  his  family  have  always  been  considered  sacred,  even  in  the  most  bar 
barous  nations.  I  hope  therefore  no  one  will  give  way  to  useless 
apprehensions  on  my  account.  Rumor ,  they  say,  grows  in  its  travels,  if 
that  is  the  case  any  rumor  relating  to  this  country  must  be  a  monster  by 
the  time  it  reaches  you.  You  have  had,  and  undoubtedly  will  receive  more 
exaggerated  accounts  from  this  new  Republic,  but  again,  I  say,  let  my  situa 
tion  here,  be  a  sufficient  guarantee  to  you  of  my  personal  security,  and  let 
me  find  contentment  in  knowing  you  have  no  anxiety  on  my  account.  The 
General  now  in  daily  expectation  of  the  arrival  of  Mr.  Moore,  his  suc 
cessor,  has  just  sent  his  son  off  to  Guaduas  (the  village  of  his  own  selec 
tion,  perhaps  because  his  crony,  before  my  arrival,  D.  0.  Carr  is  stationed 
there)  in  order  to  acquire  as  much  knowledge  of  the  language  as  possible, 

66 


522  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

before  leaving  the  country.  In  a  few  weeks  the  Hendersons  will  also 
leave  the  city  \  their  ostensible  reason  for  it,  is  to  give  the  workmen  an 
opportunity  to  repair  damages,  caused  by  the  earthquake,  on  their  house. 
When  they  have  gone  we  propose  to  make  a  trip  to  the  Falls  of  Tequen- 
dama,  "  one  of  the  most  remarkable  cataracts  in  the  world  about  15  or  16 
miles  south  west  of  this  city,  on  the  river  Bogota,  a  branch  of  the  Meta. 
This  river,  which  passes  through  the  Capital,  is  compressed  (just  above 
the  falls)  from  140  to  35  feet  in  width,  and  rushes  down  a  perpendicular 
rock  at  two  bounds,  to  the  depth  of  574  feet,  into  an  unfathomable  gulf." 
Three  or  four  of  us  escorted  Consul  Henderson  and  family  a  few  miles 
out  of  town  and  returned  by  the  light  of  the  moon. 

In  the  suburbs  we  met  a  patrol  of  twenty  men,  by  whom  we  were  in 
stantly  hailed  with  "  Quien  vivo"  (who  lives)?  "  Colombia"  was 
answered  by  Dr.  Cheyene.  "  Quien  es  "  (who  is  there)  ?  "  Ciudaddno  " 
(citizen),  was  the  reply,  and  we  passed  on  unmolested. 

While  on  the  subject  of  the  military,  a  word  or  two  for  future  remini 
scence  is  well  enough.  There  are  about  1000  soldiers  quartered  in  this 
city,  and  more  or  less  in  every  place  of  any  consequence  throughout  the 
republic.  The  aggregate  number  of  the  regular  army  is  40,000  with  70 
generals,  200  colonels,  and  other  officers  in  proportion.  This  immense 
standing  army  engrosses  all  the  revenue  of  the  country  for  its  support,  nor 
is  that  sufficient;  forced  loans  are  frequently  resorted  to,  in  order  to 
maintain  them  and  to  raise  funds  for  other  current  expenses.  The 
common  soldiers  here  in  the  capital  get  one  real — 12?  cents  per  diem, 
without  rations,  which  is  quite  enough _to  support  them  here;  but  they 
are  poorly  clad ;  very  few  have  blankets,  none  shoes.  In  other  places 
the  pay  is  more  or  less,  according  to  the  abundance  or  scarcity  of  provisions. 
The  common  soldiers  are  caught  on  market  days,  by  a  press  gang,  and 
driven  to  the  cantonment  in  chains  —  where  they  are  enrolled  for  a 
number  of  years  and  called  voluntario  —  volunteers.  The  dissatisfaction 
against  the  Government  has  now  become  so  manifest  that  those  in 
authority  begin  to  perceive  it  and  suspicions  are  awakened.  They  have 
arrested  Tenorio  under  a  charge  of  fomenting  disturbances  in  the  capital, 
and  have  thrown  him  into  prison.  It  is  supposed  that  advantage  will  be 
taken  of  Bolivar's  advance  in  Peru,  on  the  part  of  the  Liberals  or  Consti 
tutionalists  to  overcome  his  friends  and  those  in  favor  of  a  monarchy 
in  every  part  of  the  country.  Such  suppositions  and  Tenorio's 
imprisonment,  is  the  cause  of  a  great  deal  of  distrust  in  the  city.  Cash 
people  bury  their  riches,  and  visits  are  scarce ;  people  are  fearful  of  com 
mitting  themselves  by  unintentionally  visiting  a  liberal  and  of  course 
Bogota  is  now  a  dreary  hole.  Carter  and  the  Hendersons  are  very  much 
missed  by  all  at  our  Legation. 

Sept.  21s£.  A  little  before  dinner  to  day  Commodore  De  Kay  of  the 
Brazilian  service,  the  avant  courier,  sent  on  to  announce  the  approach  of 
Major  Thomas  P.  Moore,  Minister  Plenipotentiary  to  Bogata  and  Mr. 
Pickett,  arrived.  After  dinner  Mr.  Tayloe,  myself  and  one  or  two  of  the 
General's  guests,  to  day  at  dinner,  rode  out  on  the  Aiameda,  the  north 
avenue  from  the  city  and  escorted  them  in.  They  had  been  forty  days 
traveling  from  Maracaybo  exclusive  of  resting,  were  completely  worn  out 
with  fatigue,  and  shivering  under  their  Kentucky  cloaks  with  the  cold. 
While  the  party  are  telling  over  their  perils  by  sea  and  land,  I  haste  to 
bring  this  letter  to  a  close.  Mr.  Moore  mentions  having  seen  you  and 
two  of  my  sisters  in  New  York  and  that  your  health  was  good,  those  two 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  523 

I  suppose  were  Adeline  and  Matilda.  Mr.  Moore  is  an  active  little  man  5 
feet  8  inches  in  height,  45  years  of  age,  full  of  anecdote  and  conversation  ; 
he  and  the  General  together  kept  the  table  in  a  roar  of  laughter  for  hours. 

His  Secretary  Mr.  Pickett  like  myself  is  about  six  feet  high,  lie  is  a 
shrewd,  quiet,  sterling  fellow.  The  Major's  baggage  will  be  here  tomor 
row  when  I  will  have  the  home  letters  of  which  he  is  the  bearer.  I  have 
not  heard  him  express  a  word  in  the  short  time  we  have  been  together, 
respecting  myself  and  for  causes  mentioned  to  you  in  another  letter  care 
but  little  about  it  so  I  may  succeed  in  my  other  plans. 

I  pray  dear  Adeline's  attempt  may  this  time  succeed  and  she  may  re 
cover  from  her  unfortunate  deafness,  but  she  must  not  despond. 

Adios,  Su  servidor, 
Gen.  Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  P.  M.,  Albany,  N.  Y.         R.  V  RENSSELAER. 

Rensselaer  Vein  JRcnsselaer  to  his  Father. 
My  Dear  Father,  Carthagena,  November,  17,  1829. 

My  last  of  September  21st  at  Bogota  was  written  and  dispatched  on  the 
day  of  Mr.  Moore's  arrival  in  that  city ;  since  which  circumstances  have 
occurred,  which  induced  me  to  think  it  useless  to  write  you  more  from 
Bogota  as  they  have  led  to  an  alteration  of  my  plans  and  to  my  being  at 
present  in  this  place.  We  will  return  in  thought  back  again  to  the 
Metropolis.  Vergara  —  Secretary  of  State  was  immediately  informed  by 
the  General  of  Moore's  arrival,  and  requested  to  appoint  an  early  day  for 
his  presentation.  Vergara  called  with  Miranda,  his  chief  clerk  and  in 
terpreter,  on  Colonel  Moore  two  days  after  and  appointed  the  25th  for 
his  reception.  The  25th  of  September,  however,  being  the  anniversary 
of  Bolivar's  escape  from  the  conspirators  in  his  palace,  and  as  a  grand 
mass  with  other  ceremonies  were  to  be  performed  then,  as  a  test  of  their 
unbounded  gratitude,  in  which  the  attendance  of  all  orthodox  Christians 
would  be  required,  it  was  necessarily  postponed  until  the  following  day. 

General  Herrau  Prefect  of  the  Department  had  issued  a  proclamation 
on  the  28th  of  July  requiring  all  civil  and  military  officers  to  wear  mourning 
on  this  day,  but  the  Supreme  Council  rightly  conceiving  such  a  despotic 
order  would  only  have  the  effect  of  increasing  the  discontent  against 
Government  gave  him  a  rap  over  the  knuckles  and  it  had  been  withdrawn  ; 
and  very  few  were  sycophantic  or  timorous  enough  to  appear  in  black 
costume.  This  Herrau  was  the  first  who  in  public  advocated  a  change 
from  Republicanism  to  a  Monarchy,  having  done  so  in  a  toast  and  an  ac 
companying  speech  ;  and  from  that  discontent  became  more  general.  On 
the  evening  of  September  25th,  while  sitting  in  the  house  of  a  friend  in 
the  city,  another  friend  popped  in,  and  told  me  that  an  extraordinary  dis 
patch  had  just  arrived  and  if  I  would  wait  for  him  there  one  hour  he 
would  give  me  the  news.  He  shortly  returned  and  on  our  way  towards 
the  Huerto  de  Jayme,  told  me  that  the  brave  General  Cordova,  was  an 
Insurrectionist,  and  in  arms  in  Antioquia,  with  the  determination  to  restore 
to  Colombia  her  Constitution  of  Cucuta  and  to  put  down  the  monarchists, 
or  to  fall  in  the  attempt.  His  force  was  not  known.  The  following  day 
the  news  had  been  generally  circulated  and  created  an  intense  sensation, 
particularly  on  the  part  of  the  Government  and  monarchists.  This 
Cordova  had  been  the  favorite  general  of  Bolivar  and  was  known  among 
the  friends  of  Liberty  against  the  Spaniards,  as  a  courageous,  gallant  and 
efficient  commander.  It  is  less  than  a  year  since  he  prevailed  on  Col. 
Obando,  then  at  the  head  of  the  Constitutional  Army,  to  lay  down  his 


524  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

arms  and  thereby  saved  the  President  from  defeat  and  ruin.  In  the  in 
timacy,  however,  that  ensued  in  consequence  of  this  service,  having 
ascertained  that  Bolivar's  views  were  directed  to  a  crown,  he  abandons 
him,  and  arms  in  this  holy  cause;  he  is  the  dread  of  all  his  enemies. 
There  is  now  much  anxiety  and  commotion  among  all  the  Officials  ;  all 
the  troops  they  could  muster  were  immediately  dispatched  to  put  it  down. 
Every  person  who  was  known  to  have  been  intimate  with  General  Cordova 
was  suspected  ;  some  were  imprisoned  and  one  was  extirpated. 

Well !  I  must  not  forget  to  tell  you  about  the  Presentation  of  Col.  Moore. 
Two  oclock,  Saturday  Sept.  26th,  being  the  hour  appointed,  the  Old  and 
New  Legations  from  the  United  States,  attended  by  Commodore  De  Kay 
adjourned  from  the  Huerto  de  Jayme,  to  the  Government  Palace  where 
they  were  received  by  Mr.  Castillo  the  President  of  the  Supreme  Council 
and  its  members — General  Herrau  and  others  in  the  superb  saloon. 
After  a  speech  from  Gen.  Harrison  officially  introducing  his  successor,  and 
resigning  his  functions ;  another  from  Col.  Moore  expressive  of  his  good 
feeling  towards  this  Government;  and  appropriate  answers  from  Mr. 
Castillo,  the  ceremony  ended.  It  was  laughable  to  hear  speeches  delivered 
in  such  a  grave  manner  as  these  were,  when  none  of  them  were  under 
stood  by  the  persons  for  whom  they  were  intended.  It  was  still  more 
diverting  to  hear  the  President  of  the  Supreme  Council  felicitating  him 
self  upon  the  very  tranquil  and  prosperous  condition  of  Colombia,  at  a 
time  when  word  of  a  formidable  insurrection  had  just  been  communicated 
to  them  ;  and  when  the  interest  on  their  public  debt  had  not  been  paid 
for  years ;  when  the  Government  Bonds  were  dull  sale  at  sinety-seven 
per  ct.  discount ;  and  when  there  was  not  one  cent  in  the  treasury.  Lord  ! 
save  the  United  States  from  such  a  state  of  prosperity. 

General  Harrison,  finding  himself  released  from  his  public  duties,  and 
knowing  that  if  he  started  homeward  now,  he  would  be  detained  several 
weeks  in  Carthagena,  waiting  for  the  arrival  of  the  Sloop  of  War  Natchez 
from  Rio  Janeiro,  determined  on  gratifying  a  long  cherished  desire  of 
being  for  a  short  time,  in  a  climate  more  warm  and  agreeable  to  his  con 
stitution.  Intending  also  to  make  short  excursions  and  see  more  of  the 
neighboring  county.  The  27th,  or  day  after  being  superseded  by  Col. 
Moore,  the  General  accompanied  by  Mr.  Tayloe  and  Dr.  Cheyne  rode  out 
to  Anolayma,  a  village  twelve  leagues  off,  to  pay  a  visit  to  the  family  of 
Mr.  James  Henderson,  H.  B.  M's  Consul-General,  who  were  residing  at 
that  place;  leaving  the  keys  of  the  house  with  me  and  injunctions  to  do 
the  honors  of  his  establishment  to  the  new  Minister  and  his  Suite.  The 
General's  son  was  still  in  Guaduns.  At  ten  oclock  the  following  day  I 
had  all  the  servants  of  both  families  drawn  up  to  give  his  Holiness  the 
venerable  Arch.  Bishop  a  suitable  reception.  He  called,  in  his  dark, 
heavy  coach  and  four,  attended  by  an  old  priest  and  six  servants  in  brown 
livery,  to  pay  his  respects  to  the  new  American  Minister.  I  had  the  honor 
of  introducing  the  eminent  gentlemen  to  each  other;  and  subsequently 
the  felicity  of  conducting  the  Arch  Bishop,  with  the  assistance  of  Com.  De 
Kay,  to  his  coach.  We  both  received  for  our  attentions,  as  many  sanc 
timonious  benedictions  as  would  have  been  rendered  any,  but  such  a  heretic 
as  myself,  invincible  to  the  shafts  of  a  legion  of  devils.  My  services 
were  called  in  requisition  again  by  Col.  Moore  to  accompany  him  in  re 
turning  the  calls  he  had  received  since  his  arrival.  After  finishing  up 
more  than  twenty  —  including  all  the  Diplomatic  families  and  principal 
foreigners  and  escorting  him  home,  I  called  on  our  countryman  Gooding 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  525 

in  hopes  of  finding  Carr  who  had  been,  with  Carter  Harrison  on  a  visit  to 
the  Hendersons,  and  brought  ine  a  letter  from  him,  written  while  there. 
Carr  had  arrived  in  the  City,  the  night  previous,  with  dispatches  from 
Gen.  Urdaneta  Minister  of  War  from  Guaduas,  and  with  the  intention  of 
joining  his  battalion,  which  was  in  preparation  to  march  against  Cordova. 
(He  was  the  young  American  whom  I  have  mentioned  in  a  former  number 
to  have  met  on  the  road  on  my  way  up  from  the  Magdalena  river  to  Bogota.) 

In  a  conversation  that  evening  at  Goodings,  where  I  was  present  with 
many  other  foreigners,  Carr  stated  it  to  be  his  intention  to  enter  his  de 
position  the  next  day  at  the  War  Office,  against  some  persons  whom  he 
knew  to  be  on  friendly  terms  with  Cordova ;  by  so  doing  he  expected  to 
receive  promotion  and  the  appointment  of  Aid  to  General  O'Leary  —  the 
Commander  of  the  troops  destined  to  fight  Cordova.  His  words  delivered 
in  a  half  jesting  tone  were,  at  the  time,  unheeded  ;  but  imagine  my  sur 
prise  the  next  day,  when  sent  for  by  a  friend  of  Gen.  Harrison  to  learn, 
that  this  calculating  scoundrel  had  not  only  fulfilled  his  intention,  but 
that  the  persons  he  had  implicated  were  his  best  friends.  Carr  had  truly 
entered  an  affidavit  in  the  Secretary  of  State's  oifice  that  Consul  Henderson 
knew  all  of  Cordova's  plans  and  corresponded  with  him  ;  nearly  the  same 
of  Col.  Torrens  the  Mexican  Charge  d'Aflaire ;  of  Mr.  Leidendorf  the 
Agent  of  the  Banking  House  of  Goldsmidth  ;  of  young  Harrison  ;  and  that 
Gen.  Harrison  had  full  information  on  the  subject !  For  a  short  time  I 
was  lost  in  amazement  that  a  countryman,  and  one  too  from  one  of  the 
first  families  in  Virginia,  could  be  guilty  of  so  mean  an  action  to  promote 
his  advancement.  I  recalled  to  mind  what  Colonel  Moore  had  said,  that 
h£  "  had  set  that  man  down  from  his  first  interview  as  capable  of  any 
base  action"  and  how  provoked  I  had  felt  at  the  Colonel  for  misjudging 
Carr  —  as  I  then  thought.  I  soon  however  threw  aside  idle  speculations 
and  betook  myself  to  action.  I  knew  that  the  Government  so  despotic  on 
common  occasions ;  which  had  rewarded  in  anticipation  the  informant, 
and  often  had  by  a  summary  process  punished  the  persons  informed 
against  —  by  expulsion  or  otherwise  if  the  charges  were  not  immediately 
rebutted  would  also  be  active.  I  soon  understood  from  high  authority, 
that  it  was  the  intention  of  Government  to  make  the  affidavit  of  an  un 
grateful  miscreant,  without  other  proof,  their  ground  for  sending  to  a  high- 
minded  soldier  like  Gen.  Harrison,  an  order  not  to  return  to  the  capital, 
I  accordingly  dropped  one  letter  in  the  Post  Office  for  Carter  B.  Harrison  — 
Guaduas,  desiring  him  to  join  his  father  immediately,  and  forthwith  dis 
patched  another  letter  to  the  General  by  a  mounted  messenger  ;  remaining 
myself  to  find  out  if  possible  the  intentions  of  the  Government. 

Col.  Torrens  feared  that  Henderson  might  have  put  his  papers  in  Gen. 
Harrison's  charge  when  he  left  town.  Col.  Moore  was  a  little  nettled 
when  he  found  I  had  sent  for  the  General  without  first  consulting  him. 
I  told  him  that  I  had  considered  it  so  essential  for  the  General  to  be  im 
mediately  informed,  that  I  did  not  wish  to  lose  time  in  troubling  him  with 
it ;  but  that  now  the  General  was  in  a  fair  way  of  knowing  all  before  he 
takes  another  breakfast,  I  wished  to  know  what  course  to  pursue  in  case 
the  Government  send  here  to  demand  his  papers  before  his  return.  "  Have 
you  any  reason  to  suppose*'  he  asked  "that  Gen.  Harrison  is  in  any  way 
concerned  in  this  disturbance  of  Cordovas  ?  "  "  Not  the  least  in  the 
world."  "  Then  why  should  you  desire  to  embroil  yourself  by  trying  to 
prevent  the  execution  of  this  Government's  orders?  if  Henderson  has  left 
his  correspondence  in  this  house  (and  you  don't  know  that  he  has)  the 


526  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

General  is  not  answerable  for  him.  I  therefore  recommend  you  to  keep 
a  bold  front  and  permit  them  unmolestedly  to  take  their  course  and  ex 
amine  the  house."  Swelling  with  indignation  at  such  advice  —  I  angrily 
replied  that,  "  I  would  put  on  a  bold  front,  but  if  the  Government  troops 

enter  this  house,  except  over  my  dead  carcass  I'll  consent  to  be  d d." 

He  was  terribly  annoyed  at  this  determination,  but  I  repeated  again  that, 
while  I  lived  in  that  house  no  examination  of  papers  shall  take  place  in 
it.  He  then  left  me,  saying  he  would  go  out  and  make  some  inquiries 
himself  about  the  substance  of  Carr's  affidavit. 

Gato  was  the  acting  porter  for  the  night  with  orders  to  call  me  if  any  but 
the  household  knocked  at  the  door  and  precautions  taken  and  preparations 
made  to  prove  how  far  man  can  go  when  spurred  by  duty.  I  threw  my 
self  on  my  bed  without  undressing,  with  lights  burning.  At  half  past 
eleven  o'clock  I  heard  footsteps  in  the  inner  square  of  the  house,  and 
presently  the  door  of  my  room  opened,  when  Col.  Moore  entered  and 
found  me  standing  by  my  table  facing  the  door,  with  sword,  dirk,  guns, 
pistols  &c.,  in  a  state  for  action.  il  Well  "  says  he,  "  I  see  you're  ready." 
I  made  no  reply  to  that,  but  asked  him  what  he  had  learned.  t  "  It  is  all 
too  true/'  says  he,  "  Henderson  is  implicated  over  head  and  ears.  Tor- 
rens  and  Leidersdorf  nearly  as  much.  Gen.  Harrison  less  than  any,  but 
all  badly  enough.  Carter's  name  is  used  too,  but  I  can't  find  out  in  what 
manner.  It  is  a  serious  affair  and  now  after  more  reflection  I  find  you  are 
right;  the  house  must  be  protected,  and  you  may  make  yourself  easy, 
and  go  to  bed  with  the  assurance,  that  I  will  use  all  my  influence  to  do  so  ; 
when  that  proves  unavailing,  I'll  use  my  arms  and  by  God,  the  house 
shan't  be  entered  for  an  examination  of  papers  while  I  live.  Right  .or 
wrong  the  General  shall  be  defended." 

Such  a  declaration  from  a  person  of  his  authortiy,  and  one  whose  good 
will,  it  was  the  policy  and  hope  of  the  Government  to  conciliate,  operated 
upon  me  (as  it  was  uniooked  for)  in  this  moment  of  doubt  and  uncertainty, 
as  a  reprieve  would  to  a  criminal  under  the  gallows.  I  involuntarily 
grasped  his  hand  in  the  agony  of  feeling,  and  if  my  eye  moistened  a  little 
it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  while  muttering  something  about  his  taking  a 
correct  view  of  the  subject —  now  acting  in  character  as  a  Representative 
of  the  United  States,  the  General  being  a  friend  of  mine  &c.  He  refused 
the  arms  I  offered,  as  he  had  plenty  of  his  own,  and  left  me  to  put  them 
in  order  before  going  to  bed. 

I  was  now  quite  relieved  —  but  did  not  "  douse  my  lights,"  or  close  my 
eyes  in  sleep  that  night.  Next  morning  I  was  astonished  in  passing  a  shop, 
to  see  its  owner,  whom  I  thought  at  that  time,  at  or  near  Anolayma, 
behind  his  counter  at  work  as  usual;  but  soon  discovered  that  he  had  been 
frightened  back  when  four  leagues  from  the  City,  by  a  swaggering 
Colonel  in  the  Colombian  service  This  affair  loaded  me  again  with 
anxiety  and  trouble;  it  was  well  known  that  the  Republican  principles  of 
Gen.  Harrison  had  long  been  dreaded  by  this  Government,  and  that  he 
had  been  looked  upon  with  an  eye  of  suspicion  since  he  had  publicly 
contradicted  a  report,  which  they  had  industriously  circulated,  of  Presi 
dent  General  Jackson's  intentions  to  crown  himself  King  of  the  United 
States.  Such  a  report  the  Monarchists  had  hoped  would  have  reconciled 
the  people  of  Colombia  to  such  a  change  ;  having  been  thwarted  thus  in 
their  calculations,  there  was  no  doubt  that  they  would  if  possible,  get  rid 
of  the  man,  who  merely  in  refuting  a  slander  on  his  country,  had  been 
the  cause  of  their  mortification.  Knowing  all  this  and  feeling  that  any 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  527 

indignity  intended  General  Harrison  was  an  insult  to  my  country  —  my 
plans  of  operation  were  speedily  formed.     I  returned  home  —  ordered  a 
horse  — which  had-been  in  the  stable  all  night  against  any  emergency  — 
to  be  saddled  and    breakfast  to  be  brought  in.     Put  on  a  traveling  dress, 
took  a  hasty  breakfast  and  gave  the  keys  of  the  house  to  Col.  Moore  re 
questing  him  to  be  his  own  entertainer  until  the   Geureral's  return   to-' 
morrow  evening.     "  Why  !  where  are  you  going  ?"  says  he.     "  To  Ano- 
layma,"    I    answered.       "  My    messenger    has    been    frightened    back 
by  a  Colombian  officer  and    Gen.   Harrison    is   still   ignorant    of  what's 
going    on."        "You    will    be    sent    back  too."       "But  I  have  a    pass 
port  here,"  showing  him  one  of  my  pistols  and  a  dirk.     He  shook  his  head, 
indicating  that  they  would  not  carry  me  through,  tjien  told  me  that  I  was 
running  myself  into  useless  danger,  as  anything  I  now  could  do,  would  not 
save  the  General,  the  order  would  reach  him  before  I  could.     I  then  told 
him  that  the  order  was  not  yet  issued  and  that  it  was  useless  to  attempt 
talking  me  out  of  my  jaunt  —  for  it  was  my  duty  to  acquaint  the  General 
of  what  was  going  on  &c.     I  would  see  him  at  all  hazards.     "  If  you  will 
go,  I  can't  prevent  it,  but  I  fear  your  hot  blood   will   lead  you   into   a 
scrape."     "  If  it  does  "  says  I,  "  I  hope  to  work  myself  out  again,  I  could 
send  another  messenger,  but  none  with  a  probability  of  succeeding  as  well 
as  myself.     I  am  attache  to  Gen.    Harrison's  family,  and  as  such,  they 
have  no  right  to  stop  me  —  for  the  General  is  still  as  much  entitled  to  all 
his  privileges  as  ever.     I  shall  tell  all,  who  attempt   to  stop  me  the  same 
thing  —  if  they  then  persist  —  I  am  fully  determined  to  force  my  way  if 
possible."     He  then  left  me  with  a  promise    to  do    his  best  to  have  all 
proceedings  put  off,  on  part  of  the  Government,  till  the  General's  return. 
When  I  passed  the  parlor,  I  saw  Col.    Moore  within  deeply  engaged  in 
conversation  with  Miranda  ]  they  both  saw  me  in  my  traveling  trim  and 
saw  me  mount  my    horse  —  but  the    supposition  that    this  Chief  Clerk 
would  divine  my  designation,  and  report  it  to    the  Secretary  of  State  — 
did  not  in  the  least  tend  to  cause  a  diminution  of  speed  when  under  head 
way.     Every  step  my  horse  took,  lie  felt  the  application  of  whip  or  spur, 
and  dashed  along  the  first  seven  leagues  over  the  plain,  fast  enough  even 
to  satisfy  my  impatience.     I  cast  many  anxious  looks  behind  for  pursuers, 
and  every  look,  as  the  distance  from  the  capital  increased,  made  me  feel 
greater  security. 

I  now  had  left  the  great  Honda  route,  and  the  straggling  squads  of 
soldiers  traveling  on  it,  and  for  the  first  slacked  my  horse's  speed  to  relieve 
him  by  walking  up  the  steep  acclivity  from  the  estate  of  Las  Moujas. 
On  the  summit  level  I  had  a  view  of  the  entire  plain  below  ;  though  I 
saw  no  one  on  the  road  I  had  just  left  in  chase,  still  I  made  my  weary  nag 
pace  it  along  pretty  briskly  over  the  fine  path  I  met  with  there,  without  more 
than  a  casual  glance  at  the  majestic  splendor  of  the  distant  rugged  mount 
ains  covered  with  glistening  snow.  A  bad  zigzag  descent  after  a  while, 
and  a  hilly  road  with  its  necessary  meandering  and  windings  so  worried  • 
my  horse,  that  I  would  have  changed  him  for  a  fresh  one,  but  that  being 
an  impossibility  as  none  could  be  procured  at  Sipacon  I  proceeded. 
Shortly  after  leaving  Sipacon,  a  mud  hole  of  considerable  length  in  which 
he  sunk  over  his  knees  in  the  stiff  clay,  together  with  still  another  terri 
ble  pass,  near  the  edge  of  a  giddy  precipice,  appeared  to  have  "  done  him 
up,"  he  would  not  be  excited  to  great  speed  by  whip  or  spur,  but  walked 
along  leisurely,  for  some  time  at  his  own  gate.  At  length  hearing  great 
clattering  of  hoofs  behind  me,  I  turned  and  saw  coming  around  an  angle 


528  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

in  the  road,  a  "horseman  driving  along  at  a  furious  rate,  with  a  cockade  in 
his  hat  and  sword  by  his  side;  immediately  another  in  a  rapid  gallop 
made  his  appearance.  The  idea  at  once  struck  me,  that  they  had  been 
sent  at  the  instigation  of  Miranda  to  escort  me  back  to  the  metropolis ; 
every  nerve  was  strung  for  action,  but  I  felt  quite  pleased  to  think  there 
were  no  more  of  them.  They  passed  by  me  without  checking  their  pro 
gress,  but  I  fancied  they  eyed  me  very  closely,  with  intense  surprise  and 
thought  there  was  something  satirical  in  their  salutation  which  I  returned 
and  they  were  soon  out  of  sight. 

I  conjectured  now  that  they  might  have  been  dispatched  direct  to  the 
General  and  Consul  General ;  and  I  most  cordially  cursed  the  whole 
country  when  to  the. question  if  he  had  hay,  addressed  to  the  owner  of  a 
house  by  the  wayside,  I  received  for  answer,  "  No,  Senor,  no  hay."  "  Is 
there  a  fresh  horse  here  ?  "  "  No  Senor  there  is  not/'  Then  giving  my 
poor  beast  a  desperate  spurring  with  all  my  force,  and  putting  the  whip 
in  play  at  the  same  time,  he  went  flying  down  the  hill  after  the  two  horse 
men,  whom  I  now  discovered  at  the  foot  of  it  fixing  their  saddles.  I  was 
about  passing  by  without  paying  the  least  attention  to  these  suspicious 
looking  personages,  when  they  very  civilly  hailed  me  and  told  me  that  as 
my  "  horse  appeared  quite  fatigued,  I  had  better  stop  awhile  and  let  him 
blow."  Aha  !  thinks  I,  they  now  wish  to  commence  operations,  and  do 
it  in  a  very  courteous  manner,  but  I  will  let  them  see  I  can  match  them 
in  any  thing  if  not  check-mate.  Accordingly  I  stopped  and  replied,  their 
"  recommendation  was  a  very  good  one,"  and  without  appearing  to  have 
the  slightest  mistrust  rode  up  near  them  and  in  a  gay  style  dismounted. 
I  might  not  have  done  so  if  I  had  not  been  perfectly  sure  that  their 
horses  would  have  very  quickly  overtaken  me.  As  it  was,  I  had  no  other 
recourse.  I  was  well  armed,  and  they  could  not  know  it.  of  course  I  had 
every  advantage  on  that  score.  I  threw  myself  on  my  own  ingenuity  to  find 
out  their  intentions.  I  had  scarcely  alighted  when  one  of  them  began  an 
interrogatory  with  "Adonde "  (where)?  When  thinks  I,  the  pumping 
must  be  commenced  by  myself,  so  broke  him  short  off,  by  maledictions  on 
my  horse  for  not  following  me  to  a  stake,  and  then  by  singing  out  "Tray- 
game  candila  muchacho  "  (bring  me  fire  boy);  and  by  offering  cigars  to 
both  of  the  strangers.  I  beat  him  so  unexpectedly  off  his  track,  that  I 
could  now,  myself  very  naturally  interrogate,  and  did  so  by  asking  him 
where  he  was  bound.  "  To  Anolayma,"  says  he.  "  How  far  is  it  from 
here  ?  "  "  Three  hours  ride."  "  Do  you  live  there  ?  "  Yes  !  I  am  the 
Commandant  of  Arms  there,  if  you  are  going  that  way,  we'll  ride  together. 
I  suppose  you  know  the  Consul  ?  "  "  Of  course,  every  one  knows  the  Con 
sul."  "  That's  true,"  says  he.  Finding  him  so  prompt  in  his  answers,  I 
led  him  from  one  subject  to  another  in  way  of  chit-chat,  and  learned  that 
Gen.  O'Leary  and  suite  had  left  the  city  about  half  an  hour  after  I  did; 
that  the  Government  had  sent  orders  out  to  collect  in  the  capital,  a  certain 
proportion  of  the  militia,  to  replace  the  regulars  who  had  marched  away ; 
and  that  the  quota  from  the  district  of  this  commandant,  for  that  purpose, 
would  be  fifty.  I  did  all  I  could  indirectly  to  discover  if  he  had  any  com 
mission  for  Gen.  Harrison  or  Henderson,  but  for  fear  of  betraying  too 
much  anxiety  on  that  subject  was  obliged  to  drop  it,  satisfied  that  either 
he  had  none,  or  that  he  was  too  good  a  politician  to  let  me  know  it.  The 
times,  his  manners,  and  the  mode  of  his  starting  a  conversation  with  me, 
all  had  a  tendency  to  keep  my  vigilance  on  the  alert ;  therefore  notwith 
standing  his  suavity  of  deportment,  I  always  kept  an  eye  upon  his  move- 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  529- 

ments  and  a  hand  on  a  pistol.  We  fcook  some  chichi  together  and  at  his 
instigation,  gave  a  quantity  to  our  horses,  he  said  it  would  revive  them. 
Mine  drank  half  a  pailful  and  for  the  feat,  was  pronounced  emborrachon 
drunkard  by  the  Commandant.  We  then  mounted  and  I  was  politely 
offered  the  lead,  and  just  as  politely  insisted  upon  their  taking  it  them 
selves,  alleging  that  my  nag  would  follow  better  than  lead,  besides  they 
knew  the  way  and  I  did  not.  They  accordingly  bounded  on  ahead,  and  I 
felicitated  myself  on  the  success  of  my  maneuver  by  which  I  had  escaped 
the  possibility  of  an  attack  in  the  rear,  and  merrily  pushed  on  after  them. 
Whether  the  chichi  had  the  efficacy  the  Commandant  ascribed  to  it  or 
whether  my  horse  was  fond  of  company  on  this  lonely  road,  I  know  not, 
but  it  is  certain  that  he  now  got  along  quite  as  fast  as  when  first  starting 
in  the  morning,  nor  could  they  with  all  their  furious  driving  leave  him 
behind.  The  commandant  was  quite  as  fond  of  society  as  my  horse,  and 
very  communicative  —  he  told  me  he  was  Carracanian  by  birth  —  talked 
much  of  commerce  —  shipping  and  steamboats.  He  had  once  gone  a  three 
days  journey  from  Anolayma  to  Penon  de  Conejo  to  see  one ;  and  was 
quite  astonished  when  I  told  him,  that  those  kind  of  vessels,  on  some 
rivers  in  the  United  States,  were  as  plentiful  as  champ&ns  on  the  Mag- 
dalena.  He  gave  me  the  names  of  the  different  kinds  of  elegant  large 
trees  by  the  road  side  —  pointed  out  to  me  a  spot,  marked  by  a  cross  of 
rough  wood  —  where  a  countryman  returning  from  market  had  been 
murdered,  and  indicated  the  site  in  a  deep  ravine,  where  his  body  had 
been  found,  almost  destroyed  by  the  gallindza  —  buzzard  \  and  wound  up 
by  intimating  that  it  was  very  imprudent  for  a  stranger,  like  me,  to  travel 
sinarmar  —  without  arms.  I  gave  him  my  assent  to  his  position,  with 
something  like  a  contemptuous  smile  —  and  thought  how  disappointed  he 
would  be  if  he  had  any  sinister  designs  on  my  person,  provided  he  under 
took  to  carry  them  into  effect,  to  find  me  so  ready  to  meet  him.  After  a 
while  we  came  to  a  halt,  on  a  little  flat  at  the  head  of  a  long,  dreary,  steep 
and  narrow  pass  — a  place  well  calculated  for  any  "  deed  of  darkness  "  — 
when  pulling  from  his  pocket  a  short,  thick  ivory  whistle,  he  turned  round 
and  observed,  that  it  was  necessary  to  carry  such  a  thing,  in  order  to  warn 
muleteers  below  of  his  approach,  at  such  narrow  defiles,  or  there  would 
be  a  difficulty  in  passing  each  other.  Then  giving  a  long  shrill  blast,  he 
held  his  head  down  in  an  attentive  position,  and  directly  the  peculiar 
whoop  of  a  muleteer  was  heard  in  answer  from  the  deep  dell  beneath  us. 
The  officer  gave  two  more  blasts  —  two  responsive  wljoops  were  heard,  which 
satisfied  him,  that  the  mules  below  had  stopped  and  calling  out  to  me 
"  Ahdra  vaydmonos"  (let  us  go  on  now),  he  put  the  spurs  in  his  nag  and 
away  he  went,  myself  at  his  heels  —  down  the  rough,  crooked  escalera 
(staircase).  I  had  a  few  days  previous  read  a  well  written  tale,  in  one  of 
the  magazines,  of  the  adventures  of  Spoliano,  an  Italian  Bandit;  the  scenes 
in  that  assimilated  so  much  to  this  —  and  my  present  situation  so  much 
to  that  of  the  victims,  who  had  been  lured  within  his  power,  that  I  now 
gave  up  the  idea  of  my  cicerone's  being  a  government  messenger,  and  put 
him  down  for  one  of  Spoliano's  occupation.  His  story  of  the  murdered 
paisdno  (countryman) — his  allusions  to  my  defenseless  situation  —  his 
whistle  were  all  so  strongly  confirmative  of  this  suspicion  — that  instead 
of  finding  the  persons  who  had  answered  his  shrill  summons  with  a  shout, 
simple  inoffensive  muleteers  —  I  expected  shortly  to  see  a  parcel  of  tall, 
whiskered  and  mustachioed  outlaws.  Kach  with  machettas  in  their  hands 

07 


530  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

spring  out  from  their  hiding  places  among  the  rocks,  with  "  dar  me  su 
pldta"  (give  me  your  money).  However  we  sallied  out  at  the  foot  of 
the  escaUra  without  an  adventure,  where  we  found  an  old  Indian  with  his 
squaw,  mule  and  ox  freighted  with  hides  of  molasses  —  from  him  came 
the  whoops. 

All  doubts  of  the  Commandant  were  entirely  dispelled  only  when  we 
came  to  the  great  square  of  the  romantic  village  of  Anolayma,  then  he 
pointed  out  to  me  the  way  to  the  Consul  General's  residence  and  with 
"  Adios  Senor,"  turned  taking  another  direction  for  his  home  followed  by 
his  attendant.  It  was  now  sunset ;  all  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  except 
the  General  were  out  enjoying  their  evening  walk,  giving  me  an  uninter 
rupted  opportunity  of  communicating  the  unpleasant  tidings  to  him. 
He  could  scarcely  believe  in  the  reality  of  the  information,  that  Carr  for 
whom  he  had  done  so  much  could  have  proved  the  ungrateful  perjurer. 
Conscious,  however,  of  his  own  innocence  he  did  not  evince  the  least 
alarm  or  uneasiness  upon  the  occasion  but  very  unconcernedly  walked  off 
with  me  to  meet  Henderson  and  Tayloe.  I  had  borne  the  news  to  those 
so  deeply  interested  and  the  following  morning  Tayloe  left  for  Guaduao, 
while  General  Harrison  and  Consul  General  Henderson,  of  course,  repaired 
with  all  possible  expedition  to  the  capital  to  meet  any  charges;  none  were 
preferred  against  them  —  but,  notwithstanding,  Henderson,  Torrens,  and 
Leidendorf  very  soon  received  their  Passports  to  leave  the  Country  at  a 
short  notice.  The  friends,  whom  I  had  left  behind  me  in  Bogota  the 
morning  I  started  with  the  evil  tidings,  were  every  moment  looking  out 
in  the  most  anxious  expectation  of  seeing  me  brought  back  a  prisoner. 
Mr.  Moore  was  then  in  trouble  toor  lest  I  should  come  in  contact  with  the 
reprobate  Carr,  who  with  O'Leary  was  close  at  my  heels,  he  told  those 
friends  that  if  we  did  meet,  it  would  be  "  a  bloody  meeting."  It  must 
undoubtedly  have  been  such  had  they  attempted  to  stop  me,  but  I  am 
very  happy  now  I  did  not  see  him,  it  is  far  better  for  both. 

When  Mr.  Tayloe  and  Carter  Harrison  arrived  the  hearts  of  all  parties 
could  beat  more  evenly.  Carr  reached  Guaduas  the  same  evening  that 
Tayloe  did,  and  the  scoundrel,  supposing  that  Tayloe  had  not  yet  heard 
of  his  villainy,  went  up  to  him  in  a  most  hypocritical  manner,  and  offered 
him  his  hand,  but  Tayloe  after  eying  him  scornfully  a  moment,  turned 
his  back  upon  him  without  saying  a  word  —  when  Carr  sneaked  out  of 
the  house  like  a  sheep  stealing  dog. 

He  met  young  Harrison  on  his  way  out,  but  passed  by  him,  with  his 
eyes  on  the  ground,  without  opening  his  mouth  to  the  intimate  friend,  or 
companion  rather,  though  at  parting  with  him  a  few  days  before,  he  had  shed 
a  copious  flood  of  tears.  Genl.  O'Leary  when  told  by  Tayloe  of  Carr's 
shameful  conduct  declared  that  he  had  not  known  of  it  before,  and  that  he 
had  been  put  in  his  staff  without  his  wish,  or  consent.  How  much  proba 
bility  there  was  in  that  statement,  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that —  my 
authority  from  whom  I  first  heard  that  Carr  had  made  such  a  deposition, 
and  which  proved  correct  as  far  as  it  went,  stated  most  positively  that  Genl. 
O'Leary  and  Carr  were  together  when  it  was  made.  The  jealousy  of  the 
government  towards  the  friends  of  Cordova  is  proved,  because  as  soon  as  the 
news  of  his  raising  the  constitutional  standard  was  heard  in  the  capital,  his 
own  nephew  who  was  quite  aboy,with  some  personal  friends  were  thrown  into 
prison.  It  was  manifested  also  in  the  exile  of  Nicholasa  Ibera.  a  lady  of 
great  beauty,  wealth  and  accomplishments  ;  the  mother  of  six  children  —  a 
great  Liberal.  Her  friendship  for  the  calumniated  and  unjustly  exiled  Vice 


LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS.  531 

President,  Santander,  had  drawn  upon  her  the  suspicions  of  government 
and  she  was  accused  of  holding  political  meetings  at  her  elegantly  fur 
nished  Quinta  (country  seat)  near  the  city,  and  sent  off  under  a  guard  of 
soldiers,  accompanied  by  a  crippled  son  and  daughter.  The  expectations 
of  the  perjured  crack  brained  Virginian  in  reward  for  his  unparalleled  vil 
lainy  have  been  amply  rewarded  ;  he  is  indeed  attached  to  the  suite  of  Gen. 
O'Leary,  but  with  all  this  honor  he  bears  the  most  cordial  contempt  of 
every  honest  man  of  all  parties.  Nor  does  any  person  attempt  to  sup 
press  the  feeling  at  his  duplicity  in  worming  himself  into  the  good 
opinion  of  individuals,  in  order  to  draw  from  them  circumstances  whereon 
to  found  a  tale  which  so  far  imposed  on  a  distracted  and  credulous  govern 
ment,  as  to  elicit  its  belief  in  his  veracity  ;  and  consequently  procured 
his  promotion  at  the  expense  of  his  confiding  friends.  The  unprincipled 
fellow's  course  to  advance  himself  was  this ;  having  learned  that  last  year 
before  setting-  out  on  his  successful  campaign  against  Col.  Obando  in  Pop- 
ayan,  this  General  Cordova  had  been  very  attentive  to  one  of  the  beauti 
ful  daughters  of  Consul  General  Henderson,  and  that  common  fame  had 
spoken  of  an  engagement  at  the  time,  (however  untrue,  the  young  lady  was 
but  thirteen  years  of  age),  and  knowing  how  suspiciously  the  Government 
viewed  all,  who  had  ever  been  on  terms  of  intimacy  with  Gen.  Cordova, 
this  perfidious  fellow  paid  a  visit,  uninvited,  to  this  unsuspecting  family  at 
Anolayma.  He  was  kindly  welcomed  —  he  had  partaken  of  their  fare, 
walked,  talked  and  sung  with  the  young  ladies  —  he  had  been  treated  as 
a  friend  but,  most  fiend  like,  he  was  then  plotting  their  ruin.  On  his  re 
turn  he  invented  the  tissue  of  absolute  falsehoods  upon  which  only  rests 
the  apology  of  this  government  for  its  outrageous  proceedings  against  the 
Diplomatic  Agents  of  other  countries. 

It  remains  to  be  seen  if  those  countries  will  accept  so  paltry  an  excuse 
for  its  insults.  General  Cordova  had  been  exceedingly  pleased  with,  and 
very  assiduous  in  his  devotion  to,  Miss  Fanny,  the  third  daughter  of  Con 
sul  Henderson.  When  in  Bogota  his  leisure  moments  were  spent  in  the 
society  of  that  family,  he  walked,  rode  and  was  ever  with  them  at  parties ; 
they  owed  much  to  his  civilities.  They  described  him  to  be  the  handsom 
est  of  all  Colombians,  rather  tall,  well  made,  dark  hair  and  eyes,  expression 
determined  and  dignified,  gentlemanly  in  all  his  actions,  above  all  a  man 
of  the  strictest  honor,  his  word  could  always  be  depended  upon.  They 
had  full  opportunity  of  judging  and  appreciating  his  character.  When  he 
and  Gen.  Bolivar  left  the  capital,  to  put  down  Obando,  before  they  pursued 
their  expedition  against  Peru —  Mr.  Henderson  rode  out  with  them  some 
leagues,  and  at  parting  asked  Bolivar  to  write  often  to  let  him  know  how 
he  prospered  He  answered  in  a  laughing  way,  "  I  will  be  too  much  en 
gaged, -but  Cordova,  I  am  sure  will  tire  you  with  letters  —  he'll  give  you 
all  the  news."  Cordova  did  write,  and  probably  did  give  all  the  passing 
events  —  of  this  many  people  knew  —  Carr  too  must  have  heard  of  it,  which 
enabled  him  to  weave  his  diabolical  tale.  Cordova's  splendid  career  to  es 
tablish  the  liberties  of  the  country  and  cast  off  the  yoke  of  Spanish  oppres 
sion  and  tyranny  was  often  openly  discussed;  the  peaceful  termination  of 
Col.  Obando's  insurrection,  was  attributed  to  him.  Mr.  Henderson  had 
conversed  quite  freely  with  me  on  the  situation,  history  and  affairs  of  Co 
lombia  and  Colombians.  His  connection  with  Cordova  was  told  to  me 
openly  for  there  was  nothing  to  be  concealed.  After  Cordova  had  con 
cluded  a  pacific  negociation  with  Col.  Obando  —  he  by  some  means  became 
convinced  of  Bolivar's  schemes  of  ambition  and  not  being  able  to  bring  his 


532  LEGACY  OF  HISTORICAL  GLEANINGS. 

pure  principles  to  favor  them  —  tendered  his  resignation.  This  Bolivar 
refused  to  accept  and  knowing  his  vast  influence  and  efficiency  —  appointed 
him  Minister  of  Marine,  in  .order  to  reconcile  him  to  his  own  measures. 

Cordova  understood  the  motive  of  this  favor —  but  instead  of  swallowing 
the  bait — instead  of  proceeding  as  directed  to  Bogota  to  enter  upon  the 
duties  of  his  new  office  —  he  returned  home,  as  events  have  shown,  to  oppose 
the  progress  of  monarchy  and  to  sustain  the  dearly  purchased  liberties  of 
the  country  in  her  struggles  for  independence.  The  circumstance  of  his 
difference  with  Bolivar  was  mentioned  in  one  of  his  letters  to  Consul  Gen 
eral  Henderson  j  who  in  reply  regretted  it  —  and  advised  him  by  all  means, 
to  keep  upon  good  terms  with  the  Liberator,  but,  if  the  unfortunate  quarrel 
was  not  settled,  he  desired  that  he  shoujd  not  be  written  to  more  on  the 
subject,  as  he  might  be  involved  into  difficulty  by  such  a  correspondence. 
In  consequence  of  this  discreet  and  proper  request,  so  decidedly  expressed  — 
Cordova's  subsequent  letters  were,  as  his  previous  ones  had  been  of  a  gen 
eral  or  of  a  friendly  import,  and  Henderson  did  not  fear  publishing  them, 
entire,  to  the  world.  There  was  a  story  put  in  circulation  in  Honda,  of 
the  capture  of  a  servant  of  General  Cordova,  on  whom,  it  was  said  letters 
were  found  from  that  General  directed  to  Consul  General  Henderson,  ad 
vising  him  by  all  means  to  leave  the  country  at  once.  It  proved  to  be  a 
mere  rumor  and  the  family  were  so  strongly  impressed  with  the  idea  that 
Colonel  Campbell  was  at  the  foot  of  all  the  mischief,  that  a  confirmation 
of  it  did  not  excite  the  least  surprise.  Circumstances  favored  me,  and 
through  them  I  learnt  that  the  enmity  of  Colonel  Campbell  towards  Mr. 
Henderson  was  the  sole  promoter,  if  not  the  origin  of  all  this  mischievous  ca 
bal  ling. 


END  OF  VOL.  I. 


INDEX. 


Aaron,  Mr.,  112. 

Abraham  P.  Lett  to  Philip  Van 

Rensselaer,  52. 

Account  current,  curious,  335. 
Acosta,  Col..  409. 
Adams,  409,  410,  415. 
Adams,  Andrew,  57,  58. 
Adams,  John,  38,  81,  150. 
Adams,  John  Q.,  307,  338,  3(58, 
403,  405,  416,  437,  464;  to 
Solomon  Van  Rensselaer, 
403 ;  president,  149. 

Adams,  Mr.,  54,  383,  416,  430. 

Adams,  Samuel,  38,  160. 

Affrays,  167-' 68;  statement  of 
facts  of,  169 ;  speech  at  trial 
of,  170-182;  awards  iu  re 
spect  of,  182. 

A  hard  gallop,  527 

Aix-la-Chapelle,  treaty  of,  18. 

Albany,  appointment  of  post 
master  at,  366. 

Albany,  first  mayor,  8 ;  first 
clerk,  8 ;  first  recorder,  8 ; 
first  pastor,  8. 

Albany  Quill,  the,  dreadcd,315. 

Albany  made  the  capital,  183. 

Albany  post  office,  correspond 
ence  about,  388-392. 

Alexander,  Captain,  12. 

Alexander,  Joseph,  196,  197, 
199,  200,  201,  203,  205,  207, 
209,  219,  228,  229,  236,  242, 
243,  244,  266,  268,  273,  274, 
275,  276,  278,  280,  288,  297, 
298,  300,  303,  486. 

Allen,  Col.  Ethan,  41,  48. 

Allen,  Nathaniel,  378. 

Alligators,  extraordinary  num 
bers  of.  481. 

Alligator's  nest,  sleep  in,  490. 

Allyii,  Captain,  411. 

Alye,  Capt.,  46. 

Ames.  Mr.,  344. 

Amhurst,  General,  28,  33. 

Amsterdam,  incidents  in,  118. 

Ancient  orders,  18,  19. 

Andes,  origin  of  name  of,  438. 

Andrews,  Capt.,  119. 

Andros,  Edmund,  8. 

Anecdote,  amusing,  103. 

Annom.  Capt,,  116. 

Anolayama,  Adioa  Sciior,  530. 

Anthony,  Charles,  420. 

Anthony,  Gen.,  90. 

Appling.  Lieut.  Col.,  325. 

Armistice,  news  of,  306. 

Armstrong,  Capt.,  258,  263. 

Armstrong,  Col., 63. 

Armstrong,  Gen.  John,  216, 
231,  255,  285,  305,  308,  310, 
311.  316,  318,  319,  471,  472; 
to  Judge  Spencer,  471. 

Army  news.  111. 

Army,  number  of,  522. 

Arnold,  412. 

Arnold,  Col.  Benedict.  48. 

Arnold,  Gen.,  53,  70,  186. 

Arrest,  485. 


Assassination,  horrible,  432. 
Atwater,  Hon.  Caleb,  431. 
Avcndano,  Seiior  Martin,  497, 
498,  499. 


Babbington,  Sarah,  51 . 

Bacon,  John  P.,  354. 

Bailey.  Gen.,  385. 

Bainbridge,  Com.,  351. 

Bainhart,  Mr.,  202. 

Baker,  Caleb,  338. 

Baker,  Major  D..  424. 

Balcom,  Col.,  309. 

Baldwin,  Ebenezer,  486. 

Ball,  Lieut.  Gen.,  141. 

Bancker,  Gerard,  83. 

Banyar,  George,  36. 

Baptist,  John,  25. 

Barber,  Gen.,  107. 

Barbour,  Hon.  P.  P.,  268,  385, 
408. 

Barbonr,  James  W.,  356. 

Barnum,  P.  T.,  400. 

Barnum,  Stephen,  311. 

Barny,  Joshua,  318. 

Barranquilla,  442. 

Barron,  James,  350. 

Barry,  Wm.  P.,  470,  487. 

Barten,  Judge,  236. 

Barton,  Mr.,  289,  292. 

Barun,  Lieut.  John,  56. 

Basset,  John,  152. 

Bates,  Stephen,  311. 

Battle,  after  the,  230-283. 

Battle  of  Queenstou  Heights, 
238. 

Bayard,  Judith,  10. 

Bay,  Cornelius,  76. 

Bay,  Dr,  William,  156,  327, 
357.367,377,378,381,436. 

Bay,  John,  of  Claverack,  404. 

Bay,  Mary,  427. 

Beard,  Mr.,  222,223. 

Bearer  of  bad  news,  530. 

Beck,  N.  F.,  486. 

Becker,  Mr.,  432. 

Bedell,  Col  ,  53. 

Beekman,  Caty,  428. 

Beekman,  Mr.  Jerard,  428. 

Beeldsnyder,  S.  C.,  120. 

Beers,  f.  Win.,  152. 

Belknap,  Lieut.,  335. 

Belli.  Jno.,  98 

Bellingers,  Lieut  ,  224. 

Benedict,  Col.,  199. 

Benevolent  Society,  the  Wash 
ington,  to  Cols.  Van  Rens 
selaer  and  Lovett,  281-283. 

Benson,  223. 

Benson,  Capt., 49. 

Benson,  Mrs.,  146. 

Benson,  Robert,  57. 

Benton,  Gov.,  158. 
Berry,  John,  321. 
Beverly,  Mr.,  41G. 
Bowel,  Col.,  55. 
Bibb,  George M.,  317  ;  to  John 
J.  Crittendeu,  317. 

68 


Biddle,  Major,  424. 

irdsall,  Major.  333. 
Blan chard,  Judge,  333. 
Bleecker,  Harmanus,  328,  367, 

415. 

Blcecker,  John  James,  Mr.,  57. 
Bleecker,  John  R.,486. 
Bleecker,  Mr.  Barent,  158. 
Bleecker,  Solomon  Van  Reiis- 

selaer,  418. 
Blenheim  House,  visit  to,  127. 
Blodget,  Mr.,  34. 
Blodgett,  Samuel,  33. 
Bloodgood,  178,  182. 
Bioodgood.  Col.,  418. 
Bloodgood,  Francis,  168,   190, 

48(5. 

Bloodgood,  Mr.,  167,  175, 180. 
Bloom,  Col.,  231,  234,256,  257. 
Bloom.  Lt.  Col.,  267. 
Blue,  Lieut.  Wm.  K.,  to  Capt. 

Van  Rensselaer,  106,  123. 
Blue,  R.  W.,  123. 
Bogardus,  Gen.,  487. 
Bogardus.  Robt . ,  366,  367. 
Bogart,  Isaac.  327. 
Bogota,  climate  of,  473. 
Bogota,  recuperating  at,  512. 
Bolivar,  Gen.  Simon,  437,  440, 

454,  462,  499,  500,  517,  521, 

522,  523,  524.  531,  532  ;  and 

Cordova,  523;    president, 

445 ;  to  assume  royalty,  499. 
Borland,  375. 
Bounties,   heavy,  to    soldiers, 

324. 

Bowyers,  Capt.  Henry,  34. 
Boyd,  General,  321. 
Boyd,  Messrs,  334. 
Boyd,  Peter,  131,  275. 
Boyd,  Robert,  Junr.,  55. 
Braddock,  Gen.,  18.  75, 136. 
Bradford,  Dr.,  327,355. 
Bradford,  John  M.,  149. 
Bradley,  402. 
Bradley,  W.  C.,  408. 
Bradstreet,  General,  32. 
Bradt,  Alida,  91 . 
Bradt,  Peter,  42. 
Brainard's  bridge,  418. 
Brandt  Van  Hook  to  Philip 

Van  Rensselaer,  71. 
Brant,  Capt.,  53. 
Brant,  John,  262. 
Brant,  Joseph,  3,  53,  122. 
Bratt,  Alida,  10. 
Bratt,  Maria,  17. 
Bray,  Mr.,  93. 
Brecks,  J.,  94. 
Breech.  Ens.,  12-1. 
Bresson,  M.  De,  503,  504,  508, 

510. 

Bresson,  Dr.,  515. 
Bridgeu,  Mayor  T.  A.,  418. 
Bridge,  of  Pandi,  a  party  visit, 

508. 

Brinckerhoof,  Geo.,  519. 
British,  a  brush  with,  286. 
British  fleet,  capture  of,  320. 


534 


INDEX. 


Broadstreet,  John,  24. 

Brock,  Gen.,  210,  212,  216,  217, 
218,  220,  221,  222,  226,  233, 
234,  237,  251,  254,  256,  264, 
267,  268,  270,  271,  272,  273, 
275, 423 ;  to  Gen.  Van  Reus- 
selaer,  233 ;  killed,  268. 

Brock,  Isaac,  215,  250  ;  to  Gen. 
Van  Reusselaer,  250. 

Brook,  110. 

Brook,  Col.,  231. 

Broom,  Mr.,  127. 

Broome,  Caroline,  297. 

Brown,  Doctor,  220,  223. 

Brown,  Gen.,  179,  224,  344. 

Brown,  Hubbard,  54. 

Brown,  Jacob,  362. 

Brown,  Mr.,  192. 

Brown,  Mrs .  Senator,  353. 

Brush,  Adjutant,  418. 

Brush,  Mr.,  355. 

Brush,  Captain,  222. 

Brush,  John,  364. 

Bticktails,  democrats  and  fede 
ralists,  3:38. 

Buell,  Major,  119. 

Buel,  Gen.  Nath.,  55. 

Bull  fight,  a,  514,  515. 

Bunch,  Mr.,  448,  465. 

Burgoyne,  Gen.,  48,  59,  60,  61, 
63,  64,  65,  6tr,  67,  68,  72. 

Burke,  445,  446. 

Burlington,  Vt.,  407,  408. 

Burr,  Aaron,  112,  186,  193,402. 

Butler,  Col.  Thomas,  140,  141, 
142,  143, 144 ;  to  Capt.  Van 
Reusselaer,  143. 

Butler,  Lieut.  Col.,  145. 


Cady,  Daniel,  402. 
Cady,  John  W.,  402. 
Calhouu,  John  C.,  145,  338,  3G2, 

368,  370,  378,  383,  402,  409, 

430. 

Cambreleng,  C.  C.,  368. 
Cambrelliug,   vice   president, 

387. 

Campaign,  journal  of,  194. 
Campbell,  375. 
Campbell,  Archibald,  368. 
Campbell,  Captain,  103. 
Campbell,    Captain  R.  M.  to 

Captain    Van  Reusselaer, 

96 
Campbell,    Capt.  R.  Ms.,  94, 

96,  112,  188. 
Campbell,  Col.,  499,  503,  504, 

505,  532. 

Campbell,  Samuel,  368,  389. 
Canada,  invasion  of,  253  ;  fail 
ure  of,  249. 
Canajoharie,  402. 
Canal  ball,  grand,  428. 
Carleton,  Gen.,  46,  47, 
Carelton,  Gov.,  48. 
Carleton,  Sir  Guy,  53. 
Carnival,  the  feast  of,  467. 
Carr,  525,  526. 
Carr,  D.  O.,  521. 
Carr,  Lieut.,  273. 
Carr,  the  Virginian,  501. 
Carter,  522,  526. 
Carter,  N.  II . ,  357 ;  to  Solomon 

Van  Rensselaer,  357. 
Carthagena,  a  glance  at,  443- 

448. 

Case,  Col.,  222. 
Case,  Cornelius  G.  V.  R.,  427. 
Case,  Walter,  338. 
Cassiu,  Capt.,  520. 
Castillo,  President,  524. 
Catharine,  10. 
Cato,  a  colored  servant,  444 ; 

falls  into  the  river,  495. 


Center,  Capt.,  411. 

Challenge  from  Peter  B.  Porter 
to  bolomon  Van  Rensse- 
hier,  287. 

Chamberling,  375. 

Champion,  36. 

Champlain,  John,  170. 

Chandler,  Gen.,  301. 

Chapiu,  Dr.  Cyrenius,  284,  825 ; 
to  Col.  Van  Rensselaer, 
284. 

Charlotte,  Queen,  232. 

Chester,  Rev.  Dr.,  419,  436. 

Chipman,  Dr.  Daniel,  220. 

Christening,  a,  in  South  Ame 
rica,  465. 

Christie,  Lieut.  Col.,  248,  249, 
254,  255,  256,  260,  266,  273, 
286. 

Chrystie,  Col.,  252,  253. 

Church,  Mr.,  127, 

Church,  Mr.  and  Mrs.,  116. 

Church,  Mrs.,  118. 

Church,  Mrs.  John  C.,  115. 

Citizens  of  Albany  to  post 
master  general. 

Clark.  Robert,  378. 

Clarksou,  Capt.,  126. 

Clarksou,  Gen.  M.,  335,  411. 

Claus,  D.,  note  from,  17. 

Clans,  Santa,  5,  6. 

Clay,  Mr.  Henry,  287,  297,  299, 
339,  354,  356,  360,  362,  364, 
365,  402,  405.  406,  408,  409, 
415,  420,  431,  445  ;  to  Solo 
mon  Van  Rensselaer,  405. 

Clinch,  Abraham,  75. 

Clinton,  487. 

Clinton,  Charles  A.,  377,  381, 
417,  418,  419,  472 ;  to  Solo 
mon  Van  Reusselaer,  377, 
381,472. 

Clinton,  Col.,  418. 

Clinton,  DeWitt,  168,  187,  306, 
311,  320,  328,  330,  331,  334, 
338,  349,  352,  354,  364,  367, 
368,  386,  398,  399,  400,  406, 
414,  419,  420,  421,  325,  435  ; 
to  Solomon  Van  Rensse 
laer,  349.  352,  1355,  358,  359, 

362,  363,  369,  374,  380;  a 
grand   reception  to,   420  ; 
visits  Ohio,  419;  death  of, 
435  ;   honors  at  funeral  of, 
436. 

Clinton,  Gen.  James,  455. 
Clinton,   Gov.,   328,   329,    331, 
352,  355,  357,  358,  359,  362, 

363,  369,  374,  380,  402,  426, 
^27, 436 ;  to  Gen .  Talmadge, 

328 ;  to  Solomon  Van  Reus 
selaer. 

Clinton,  Gov.  and  lady,  429. 
Clinton,  Gov.  George,  73,  81, 

88,  112,  154,  157,  161,  188, 

344,  367. 

Clinton,  Henry,  68. 
Clinton,  Lady,  the  canal  barge, 

425. 

Clinton,  Major,  359. 
Clinton,  Mr.,  341,  405,  409,  416. 
Clinton,  Mrs.  DeWitt,  425. 
Coffin,  Col.,  £62. 
Colden,   Cadwallader  D.,  368, 

405. 

Colden,  Col.,  321. 
Colden,  Gen.,  487. 
Coldeu,  Mr.,  428. 
Coldwell,  Mr.  James,   158. 
Coles,  Mr.,  322. 
Collier,  Col.  James,  260. 
Collins,  James,  93. 
Colonial  History,  25,  58, 
Colombia,  disembarkation  at, 

445 ;  description  of,  440. 


Commerce  steamboat,  425. 
Compromise,    the    Missouri, 

344. 

Comstock,  Mr.,  299. 
Confusion,  political,  345, 
Congressional  talk,  305,  308. 
Congress,  members  of,  368. 
Congress,    representatives   of 

New  York  in,  338. 
Conkling,  419. 
Conkling,  Alfred,  368,  405,  421, 

422,  424,  425;  to  Solomon 

Van  Rensselaer,  402,  404. 
Conversation,  thonghtless,531. 
Cook,  Captain,  332. 
Cook,  Johnny,  300, 
Cook,  Lieut.  Job,  55. 
Cook,  Mr.,  252,  256. 
Cooper,  Col.,  414,  415,  418. 
Cooper,  Col.  J.  T.,  418. 
Cooper,  Dr    Charles  D.,  169, 

170,  190. 

Cooper,  Gen.,  167. 
Cooper,  Miss,  124. 
Cooper,  Mrs.,  167,  179. 
Cordova,  Gen.,  531. 
Cordova,  the  friend  of  liberty, 

523. 
Cornplauter,  the  Seneca  chief, 

Cornwallis,  Gen.,  58. 
Cortlaudt  Catharine  V.,  45. 
Countryman,  a,  on  the  plains 

of  the  south,  501. 
Covington,  110. 
Covington,  Capt.,  119. 
Covingtou,  Lieut.  L.,  94. 
Cowards  conduct,  a,  530. 
Cranmer's  co-martyr,  a  pater 
nal  ancestor.  11. 
Crawford,   378,  402,  409,  415, 

416. 

Crawford,  Mr.,  383. 
Crawford.  William,  338. 
Crawford,  William  II.,  368. 
Crittenden,  J.  J.,  317. 
Cumberland  Line,  130-150. 
Gaming,  Mr.  James,  75. 
dishing,  Thomas  H.,  155. 
Cushmau,  Joshua,  398,  399. 
Custis,  Mr.,  277. 
Custis.  Mrs.,  86. 
Custom  house,  483. 
Customs,  Spanish,  445. 
Cuyler.  How,  225. 
Cuyler,  James,    116,   117;    to 

Capt.  Van  Rensselaer,  116. 
Cuyler,  Major,  223,   232,  246; 

death  of.  246,  247. 
Cuyler,  Mr.,  232. 
Cuyler,  Mr.  Henry,  108. 
Cuyler,  Mr.  Jacob,  42,  82. 
Cuyler,  William  Howe,  247  ;  to 

Colonel  Van    Rensselaer, 

232. 


Daniel  Hale  to  Philip  Van 
Rensselaer,  71. 

Davis,  Dr.,  487;  to  Solomon 
Van  Reusselaer,  507. 

Davis,  M.,400. 

Davis,  Major,  487. 

Davis,  Wm.  M.,  506. 

DeAlcazer,  Buenaventura,  450. 

Dearborn,  194,  214;  to  Gen. 
Van  Rensselaer,  214. 

Dearborn,  Gen.,  200,  204,  205, 
206,  208,  209,  212,  213,  214, 
215,  216,  224,  225,  231,  233, 
236,  239,  241,  244,  245,  251, 
272,  276,  280,  297,  308,  310, 
314,  319. 

DeCastro,  Diego,  474.  479. 


INDEX. 


535 


Decatur,  Com . ,  351 ;  duel  of, 

with     Barren,     350,    351; 

death, 351. 
Defeated,  250. 
Defense  of  Gen.  Harrison, 

526-530. 

Deforest,  Major,  333. 
DeGraff,  Gazena,  73. 
DeGraff,  Mr.  Jesse,  74.      — 
DeKay,  Commodore,  522^24. 
Delaplaiue,    Josfeph,    400 :    to 

Solomon  Van  Rensselaer, 

400. 
Dennis,  Capt.  J.,  265  ;  to  Gen. 

Van  Rensselaer,  265. 
Dennistou,  379. 
Denniston,  Garrit,  368. 
Denniston,  Isaac,  168. 
Denniston,  Mr.  G.  V.,  345. 
Detroit,  Mich.,  city  of,  211,  424. 
Detroit,  speech  of  the  mayor 

of,  423. 

DeWitt,  Gov.,154. 
DeWitt,  Jacob  H.,  338,  360. 
DeWitt  Major  K.,  418. 
DeWitt,  R.  V.,  486. 
Dewitt,  Simeon,  170,  425,  486. 
Dexter,  Samuel,   152,  153,  154, 

155;  to  William   11.  Van 

Kensselaer,  155. 
Diary,  extracts  from,  136,  140, 

141,  142. 

Dickenson,  Julia,  504. 
Dickerson,  Mr.,  51. 
Dickinson,  370. 
Dickinson,  John  D.,  3:58,  341, 

361,  368,  379,  386.  392,  393, 

397 ;  to  Solomon  Van  Reus- 

selaer,  392,  397. 
Dickson,  Mr.,  208. 
Dinner,  diplomatic,  505. 
Dinsmoor,  Mr.,  145. 
Ditches  used  for  fences,  503. 
Dix,  John  A.,  156;  his  famous 

order,  156. 
Dobbins,  Col.,  279. 
Dodge,  Gen.,  214. 
Dognerty,  Capt.,  219. 
Dongau,  Thomas.  5. 
Dougherty,  W.  W.,  393. 
Douw,  Cornelius,  57. 
Douw,  Mr.,  12ti. 
Douw,  Mrs.,  126. 
Douw,  Petrus,  Capt.,  32. 
Douw,  Volkert  P.,  57. 
Dow,  Elisha,  381. 
Dox,  Captain,  264,  265, 268,  269. 
Dox,  Garret,  338. 
Duauc,  Col.,  172. 
Dudley,  Charles  E.,  363,   371, 

374,  379,  384,  385,  406,  455 ; 

mayor  of  Albany,  374  ;  to 
M.  Van  Buren,  381. 
Dudley,  Mr,,  341,  373,  3S1,  382. 
Duel,  a,  proposed    and    frus 
trated,   289-292  ;    between 
Smyth  and  Porter,  284-285. 
Duer,  Col.  William,  78. 
Duer,  William,  116. 
Duer,  Win.  A.,  357,  435, 
Duke,  John,  of  Marlborough, 

128. 

Duncan,  110. 
Dunn,  Geo.  II.,  94. 
Dwight,  Col.  Joseph,  18. 
Dysou,  Capt.,  233,  234. 
Dyson,     Samuel    T.,    extract 
from  letter  of,  233. 


Earthquake,  destructive,  477. 
Editor,  Mr.,  285. 
Egberts,  Aunt,  54. 
Eights,  Dr.  James,  414,  418. 
Ellicott,  Capt.,  351. 


Elliott,  Benjamin.  268. 

Elliott,  Col., 412  ;  to  Solomon 
Van  Rensselaer,  412. 

Elliott,  Lieut.  Jesse  D.,  246, 
247. 

Elliott,  Mr.  Robert,  109,  370, 
•  382,  412. 

Elmendorf,  Mrs.,  146. 

Elmendorf,  Peter,  116,  119. 

Elmendorf,  Peter  E.,  68. 

Elsie,  10, 

Els  worth,  LiQjit.  Peter,  55. 

Ely,  Isaac  M.,  366,  367. 

Emerson,  Mrs.,  24. 

Emmet,  Mr.,  165. 

Emmet,  Thomas  Addis,  166. 

England  and  France,  war  re 
newed  between,  19. 

Erie  Canal,  celebration,  424- 
429 ;  opening  of  the,  406. 

Erwin,  John,  23. 

European  trip,  109-130. 

Enstis,  Wiliiam,  258. 

Evens,  Gen.,  218. 

Evens,  Major,  •  210,  250,  252, 
269. 

Ewing,  Thomas,  420. 

Excursions  in  the  country, 
449-454. 


Fairlie,  James,  85. 

Fandango,  the,  466, 

Fay,  Johrf,  338. 

Fayette,  De  La,  411,  412 ;  Gen., 
413. 

Federalism,  triumph  of,  184. 

Feu  wick,  Col.,  212,  214,  225, 
226,  227,  229,  231,  232,  235, 
248,  249,  250,  253,  257,  259, 
268,  275,  276,  288,  325. 

Fenwick,  Col.  Jno.  R.,  317; 
to  Col.  Solomon  Van  Rens 
selaer,  317. 

Fenwick  to  Gen.  Van  Rensse- 
laer,  235. 

Ferris,  Benj.,  366,  367. 

Fever  and  a^ue,  505. 

Fish,  Capt.,  448. 

Fish,  Col.,  835. 

Fisk,  Mr.,  299. 

Fish,  peculiar,  493. 

Fisher,  Christopher,  G6. 

Fishkil,  81. 

Flemrning,  Col.,  203. 

Flores,  President  Gen.,  441. 

Fonda,  David,  83. 

Fonda  Jellis,  83. 

Fonda,  Mrs.,  119. 

Ford,  Capt.,  140,  333. 

Ford,  Win.,  338. 

Ford,  Win.  D.,  352. 

Foreigners  become  rich,  474. 

Formau,  Samuel  S.,  211. 

Forney,  Col.,  464. 

FortChambly  (illustrated),  46. 

Fort  George,  head  quarters  at, 
233. 

Fort  Greenville,  110. 

Fort  Hamilton,  96. 

Fort  Massac,  95. 

Fort  Orange,  7 ;  changed  to 
Albany.  8. 

Fort  Oswego,  145,  146;  sur 
render  of,  146. 

Fort  Washington,  110  ;  merry 
making  at,  138. 

Fort  Wayne,  110. 

Fowler.  Mr.,  344,  345. 

Francis,  Col.,  60. 

Francis,  Dr.,  331. 

Franklin,  Benjamin,  81,  403. 

Franks,  Mr.  Moses,  24. 

Frazer,  Gen.,  fiO,  65. 

Frederick,  Col.,  73. 


Freeman,  433. 

Freeman,  Capt.,  28. 

French  Revolution,  161. 

Frothingham,  Richard,  76  ;  to 
Philip  Van  Rcnsselaer,  76 

Fruit,  tropical,  489. 

Fryer,  Capt.  John,  38. 

Fulton,  Robert,  183. 

Funeral,  a,  in  Spanish  Ame 
rica,  467. 

Fusugazuga,  the  belles  of,  513. 


Gage,  General,  55. 

Gales,  a  mischief  maker,  306. 

Gansevoort,  Col.,  77.  311. 

Gansevoort,  General,  81,  82, 
151 ;  death  of,  193 ;  to 
Philip  Van  Rensselaer,  81. 

Gansevoort,  John,  286. 

Gansevoort,  Leonard,  jr.,  10, 
11. 

Gansevoort,  Lieut.,  232,  253, 
254,  258,  263,  273. 

Gansevoort,  Maria,  123,  129. 

Gansevoort,  Peter,  46,  193, 
338,  365,  395,  396,  486. 

Gardenier,  Mr.  Barent,,  187. 

Gates,  Gen.,  66,  67,  68,  77,  141, 
186. 

Gates,  John,  334. 

Gebherd,  John,  368. 

Geddes.  Judge,  422. 

Gelston,  David,  112. 

General  Orders,  193,  225,  235, 
332. 

Genet,  Citizen,  makes  a  state 
ment  of  his  purposes,  162, 
164 ;  unwarrantable  con 
duct  of,  160 ;  marries  a 
daughter  of  Gov.  Clinton, 
161 ;  his  political  efforts,  95. 

Genet,  Edmund  C.,  164,  166, 
171. 

Genet,  Mr.,  160,  161,162,  174, 
175. 

Georgetown,  D.  C.,  402. 

Gibson,  Wood,  Fenwick,  324. 

Giles,  Gen.,  321,  335. 

Gilston,  David,  155. 

Glen,  Capt.  Alexander,  13,  15. 

Glen,  Captain,  13,  14,  15. 

Glen,  Catharine,  Miss,  149. 

Glen,  Col.  Jacob.  12. 

Glen,  Edward,  442,  446,  453, 
454,  456,  470,  476,  487,  498. 

Glen,  Henry,  56. 

Glen,  Jacob  S.,  433. 

Glen,  John,  12,  75,  88,  440, 453 
456,  461,  462,  465,  472,  473 
474,  477,  478, 

Glen,  John,  jr.,  12. 

Glen,  Messrs.,  439. 

Glen,  Mr..  146,460,  485. 

Glen,  Mrs.  Jacob  S.,  74,  463. 

Godwin,  Capt.,  46. 

Golfs,  Col.,  33 

Gold,  Thomas  R.,  170. 

Gooding,  Mr.,  516. 

Gorham,  402. 

Gorman,  Will,  98. 

Governeur,  Mr.,  82. 

Government,  jealousy,  530-531. 

Gracey,  Mr.,  353. 

Gray,  Gen.,  135. 

Gray,  Mr.,  290. 

Green,  Gen.,  80. 

Greenville,  letter  from,  HI. 

Gregory,  Matthew,  327,  334, 
412. 

Gridleys,  Mr.  Isack,  28. 

Groesbeck,  Ed.,  3*3. 

Gross,  Ezra  C.,  338. 

Grosvenor,  Capt.  Seth,  182. 

Grosvenor,  Thomas  P.,  316. 


536 


INDEX. 


Hackley,  Aaron,  388. 

Haines,  Chas.  G.,  355,  366. 
367  ;  to  Solomon  Van  Rens- 
selaer,  354,  358,  364. 

Hale,  Daniel,  55,  71, 156  ;  issues 
commission  to  Solomon 
Van  Rensselaer  as  A.  G. 
of  the  state,  156. 

Hale,  George.  221. 

Hall,  A.,  247;  to  Gen.  Van 
Rensselaer.  246. 

Hall,  Gen.,  245,  246,  287,  291. 

Hall,  Geo.,  338. 

Hall.  Major,  373. 

Hall,  Major  Gen.,  242. 

Hamer,  Lt..  46. 

Hamilton,  404. 

Hamilton,  Alexander,  190 ;  to 
secretary  of  war,  152 ;  birth 
and  descent  of,  149. 

Hamilton,  Col.,  79,  153. 

Hamilton,  Gen.,  147,  148,  149, 
152,  153.  193,  412. 

Hamilton,  Judge,  266. 

Hammond,  Mr., 404. 

Hamtramak,  Col.,  111. 

Hamtramck,  Col.  John  P.,  109, 
110. 

Hardin,  Colonel,  95. 

Harmer.  422 . 

Harrner,  General,  111. 

Harrison,  110. 

Harrison,  Carter,  455,  503,  525. 

Harrison,  Gen.,  220,  245,  310, 
416,  438,  439,  445,  453,  454, 
461,  463,  464,  472,  475,  498, 
500.  501,  503,  504,  506,  507, 
508,  510,  512,  515,  516,  517, 
520,  521,  524,  525,  526,  527, 
528,  530. 

Harrison,  Gen.  William  H,,  91, 
101,  437,  470 ;  to  Solomon 
Van  Rensselaer,  436 ;  ap 
pointed  minister  to  Co 
lombia,  437;  news  of  Ms 
removal,  499;  accused  of 
corresponding  with  the 
rebels,  525, 

Harrison,  Lt.,  46. 

Hart,  Herman  V.,  486. 

Hart,  Col.  John,  21. 

Haskill,  Major,  119. 

Hattie,  1;  request  of,  for  a 
chronicle  of  Aunt  Guy's 
life  experiences,  1 . 

Hawkins,  Col.,  145,  316. 

Hawks,  375. 

Hawks,  James,  368,  389. 

Haxton,  Gov.,  158. 

Hayley,  36. 

Hazard,  Adjutant,  418. 

Henipstead,  Isaac.  327. 

Henderson,  Col.,  373. 

Henderson,  Consul,  504.  505. 
522,  531. 

Henderson,  Gen.,  530. 

Henderson,  James,  524,  531, 
532. 

Henderson,  Miss  Fanny,  531. 

Henderson,  reprimanded,  505. 

Hendrick,  10.  19,  27. 

Hendrick,  General,  58. 

Heudrick,  King,  25. 

Hendrickson,  Capt.,  418. 

Henry,  James  M.,  125. 

Henry,  John  V.,  85,  158. 

Henry,  Major  Seaton  P.,  418. 

Henry,  William  M.,  29. 

Herkimer,  Gen.,  69,  70,  72. 

Herran,  Gen.,  523.  524. 

Hewett,  Lieut.,  288. 

He  wit.  Lieut.,  219. 

Hews/Major.  109. 

Heyden,  V.  D.,  373. 

Hey  ward,  Dr.,  103. 


Hill,  Capt.  Thomas,  19. 

Jay,  John,  52,  81,  105,  108,  156; 

Hill,  Schuvler,  335. 

as  a  successful  negotiator. 

Hobart,  Bishop,  335. 

105;    elected  governor  of 

Hodgdon,     Samuel    to    Capt. 

New  York,  105. 

Van  Rensselaer,  147. 

Jefferson,  Mr.,  384. 

Hoffman,  Gen.,  487. 

Jefferson,  President,  192. 

Hoffman,  Mr.  Martin,  146.  • 

Jeffreys,  George,  21  . 

Hogeboom,  John  C.,  188. 

Jenkins,  182,  306. 

Hogs,  a  glimpse  at  wild,  481. 
Hole,  a  fearful,  511. 

Jenkins,  (.'apt.  Ira,  326. 
Jeikins,  Colonel,  413. 

Holland,  news  from,  119,  120. 

Jenkins,  Elisha,  162,  165,  169. 

Holmes,  Capt.,  75. 

Jenkins,  Mr.,  173,  174,  175,  176, 

Homestead  at  Cherry  Hill,  131. 

189,  190. 

Hones,  Gen.,  487. 

Jenkins,  Mrs.  Elisha,  168. 

Honey  wood,  Mr.,  200. 

Jenkins,  Robert,  518. 

Hopkins,  Mr.,  299. 
Horses,  sure  footed,  509. 

Jennings,  Capt.,  224. 
Jeremias,  10.  •. 

Hosack,  Dr.,  331. 

Joans,  John,  68. 

Houdin.  Mr.,  120. 

Johannes,  14 

Houghtaliug,  Wm.  D.,  393. 

Johnson,  27,  223. 

Howe,  Gen.,  135. 

Johnson,   Col.,  341,  380,   397, 

Howe,  Judge,  369,  374,  381. 

402,  410. 

Howell.  352. 

Johnson,  Col.  John,  74. 

Hubbard,  Thomas,  23,  28,  30. 

Johnson,  Gen.,  19,  27. 

Hubbard  Thosias  H.,  368,  375. 

Johnson,  John,  71,  72. 

389. 

Johnson,  John  B.,  152. 

Hudson,  Henry,  6;  expedition 

Johnson,  Mr.  John,  83. 

to  Albany,  by,  6  ;  turned 

Johnson,  Richard  M.,  409. 

adrift  on  the  ocean,  7. 

Johnson,  Robert,  382. 

Hughs,  W.,  68. 

Johnson,    Sir    John,    15,  41  ; 

Hugouin,  Lieut.,  263. 

marches  up  the  Mohawk 

Hull,  Capt.  Win.,  57,  58,  229, 

valley,  83. 

277. 

Johnson,   Sir  William,  8,  23, 

Hull,    Gen.   William,   58,   203, 

24,  25,  27,  29.  327. 

204,  205,  206,  208,  210,  211, 

Joiney,  Corporal,  141. 

212,  213,  214,  215,  217,  219, 

Jones,  Capt.,  111. 

221,  222,  223,  224,  231,  234, 

Jones,  Capt.  Daniel,  82. 

252,  296,  297.  313,  314,  423  ; 

Jones,  Colonel,  419. 

surrender    ot,    215;    sen 

Jones,  David,  65. 

tenced    to   be    shot,    314, 

Jones,  Gen.,  487. 

317;    pardoned   by   Pres. 

Josiah,  Capt.,  75. 

Madison,  314. 

Journey  by  boat,  477. 

Humphrey,  Chauncey,  455. 

Joy,  Arad,  259. 

Humphrey,  Major,  412,  413. 

Judsou,  Capt.,  326,  333. 

Humphrey,  Mr.,  26. 

Juliet,  M.,445. 

Hun,  Abraham,  129. 

Hunt,  A.,  96. 

Hunt,  Mr.,  93,  102. 

Kane,  M.,  119,  126. 

Hunting,    459;    scene,    when, 

Kane,  Mr.  James,  170. 

and  unexpected  game,  492. 
Huntingdon,  211. 

Kane,  Mrs.,  119,  126. 
Kearney,  Lieut.,  263,  273. 

Huntington,  Gen.,  305,  315. 

Keen,  Capt.,  28. 

Huntington,  Mr.,  227. 

Keller,  Gen.,  230. 

Hutchiuson,  Gov.,  38,  39. 

Kelly,  Mr.,  445. 

Hutton,  Mr.,  178. 

Kent,  James,  337,  367,  368. 

Kidd,  Capt.,  6. 
Kilian,  10. 

King,  372,  378. 

Incidents  and  events  of  the 

King,  A.,  357. 

revolution,  77-78. 

King,  Charles,  321. 

Indians,  warfare,    barbarities 

King,  Mr.,  30  1,  345,  373,  375, 

of,  262  ;  Catholic  priest  es 

380,  395,897. 

capes  from,  13  ;  trade  and 

King,  Mr.  Rufus,  165,  166,  268, 

manufactures  of,  482  ;  long 

321,  328,  338,  341,  381,  387, 

knives,  101  . 

388,  389,  392;  an  oracle  of 

Inglis,  Mrs.,  504,  505. 

i    democracy,   301  ;  to  Solo 

Intrepidity,  conspicuous,  263. 

mon  Van  Reusselaer,  328. 

Ish,  3,  4. 

Kinsella,  445. 

Isha,  3,  4. 

Kingston,  Co!.,  65. 

Kirkland,  Joseph,  368. 

Kukland,    Lieut.  P.   H.  Van 

Jackson,  409,  411,  415,  464,  526. 

Valkenburgh,  418. 

Jackson,    Andrew,    362,    463; 

Knickerbocker,  Col.,  332,  334. 

anecdote  of,  463  ;  election 

Knickerbocker,  Diedrich,  3. 

of,  forpres.  U.  S.,  463. 

Knickerbocker,   Herman,  191, 

Jackson,  General,  40,  410,  416, 

300,333,433. 

431,  470. 

Knower,  Benj.,  368. 

Jackson,  Major,  86. 

Knower,  Mr.,  374,  376,  385. 

Jackson,  Minister,  302. 

Knowlton,  Col.  Lieut.,  418. 

Jackson.  President,  485. 

Knox,  Gen.,  68,  76,  80,  91,  92, 

Jacobs,  Capt.,  261.  262. 

1     93;  to  Capt.  Rodgere,  92  ; 

James,  William,  167,  181,  486. 

Henry    to    Solomon   Van 

Jay,  Gov.,  148,  154,  155,  188, 

Rensselaer,  91. 

367  ;  to  secretary  of  war, 

Kuoxville,  140,  144. 

154. 

Kortright,  Miss,  353. 

INDEX. 


537 


La  Batte,  Monsieur.  445. 

Livingston,  Edward,  86,  485, 

Lacy.  Rev.  Mr.,  434. 
La  Payette,  General,  271,  417, 

486. 
Livingston,  General,  352. 

418,  419  ;  Marquis  de,  visit 

Livingston,  James,  43,  44. 

to  the  United  States,  411- 

Livingston,  John  R.,  271. 

415;    travels  through  the 

Livingston,  John  W.,  295. 

states,    417  ;    escorted   to 

Livingston,  Judge,  159. 

Albany,    414  ;    escort    to, 

Livingston,  Mr.,  51,  375,   376, 

orders  concerning,  417  ;  de 

463,  470,  471. 

parture  of,  418,  419. 

Livingston,  Mr.  Walter  50,  57, 

La  Grange.  Lieut.  Colonel,  333. 

Livingston,  Philip,  40.  ' 

Luidlie,  Miss,  146. 

Livingston,  Robert,  L.,  413. 

Lamb,  Colonel  John,  42. 

Lock  wood,  Mr.,  49. 

Landmarks,  ancient,  9. 

Long,  Colonel,  60,  61,  62. 

Lane,  Colonel,  333. 

Lott.  Abraham  P.,  52,  54. 

Lansing,  371. 

Lott,  Mrs.  ,  34. 

Lansing,  Abraham  A.,  10. 

Lovell,  Capt.,  139., 

Lansing,  Abraham  G.,  83,  486. 

Lovell,  Mr.,  124. 

Lansing,  Abraham  Jacobs,  28. 

Lovett,  John,  196,  197,  199,  200, 

Lansing,  Captain,  334. 

203,  207,  209,  219,  221,  229, 

Lansing,  Capt.  Ten  Eyck,  333. 

330,  2-43,  268,  269,  271,  272, 

Lansing,  Chancellor,  372,  375, 

274,  276,  280,  281,  283,  293, 

377,  380. 

298,  300,  301,  302,  303,  305, 

Lansing,  G.  Y.,  486. 

314,  315,  316,  319,  323,  325, 

Lansing,  J.jr.,  62. 

335,  336  ;  to  Abraham  Van 

Lansing,  John,  327,  390,  396. 

Vechteu,  229,  ;  to  Joseph 

Lansing,  Major  S.,  157. 

Alexander,    196,  199,  2(11, 

Lansing,  Sanders,  85. 

203,  205,  218,  228,  236,  242, 

Lansing,  the  Misses,  518. 

243,  266,  273,  275,  278,  303  ; 

La  Travasea,  481. 

to    Solomon    Southwick, 

Lawrence,  Captain,  255,  260. 

293;     to    Sol    Van   Rens- 

Lawyer,  John,  17. 

eelaer,    305,   314,  315,  316, 

Layman,  Messrs,  349. 

319,  323,   325;  to  A.   Van 

Leaders,  distrusted,  284. 

Vechteu,  271  ;    locates  at 

Lebanon  Springs,  418. 

Fort  Meigs,  336  ;  loses  his 

Lee,  General,  58. 

hearing,  252  ;  his  battery, 

Lee,  Mr.,  78. 

252;   elected  to  Congress, 

Lee,  W.  A.,  95,  98. 

.  283  ;  portrait  of,  324  ;  death 

Legacy,  the,  why  bequeathed, 

of,  336. 

1. 

Lovett,   Major,   201,   205,  220, 

Leidersdorf,  526. 

228,  236,  242,  255,  256,  266, 

Leonard.  Captain,  206,  227,  232, 

273,  275,  278,  291,  292. 

2:i5,  253,  209,  270  ;  to  Gen. 

Lovett,  Mr.,  195,  217,  248,  252, 

Van  Rensselaer,  270. 

294,  295,  297,  308. 

Lerano,  Israel,  68. 

Lovett,  Mrs.,  237. 

Leroy,  Jacob,  112,  366,  367. 

Lovewell,  Col.,  29,  31. 

Letter,  official,  256. 

Lovewell,  Col.  Zecheus,  28. 

Letters   from  Gen.  Harrison, 

Lowder,  Mr.,  136. 

498. 

Lowrie,  402. 

Letters  from  home,  461. 

Ludlow,  Messrs.,  55. 

Letters,  old,  throw  a  flood  of 

Ludlow,  Mr.,  39. 

light,  381. 

Ludlow,  Mrs.,  126. 

Lewis,  110. 

Ludlow,  Rev.  Dr.,  436. 

Lewis,  Andrew,  136. 

Ludlow,  Win.  H.,  10. 

Lewis,  Col.  Charles.  136. 

Lush,  Major,  255,  258,  263,  273, 

Lewis,  General,   231.  310,  319, 

286. 

328,  339  ;  to  Sol.  Van  Reus- 

Lush,   Stephen,  266,  268,  327, 

selaer,  328. 

334,  413. 

Lewis,  Governor,  68,  157,  158, 

Lush,  William,  243. 

158,  162,  171,  187,  280,  367, 

Lust,  Col.,  151. 

471. 

Lyman,  General,  19,  27. 

Lewis,  Morgan,  170,   185.   186, 

Lyinan,  Joseph  S.,  338. 

412;    to    Sol.    Van    Reus- 

selaur,  185,  186,  187,  339. 

Lewis,  Samuel.  334. 

Macconnel,  Jas.,  98. 

Lewis,  Thomas,  109. 

Mackea,  Capt.  Win.,  130  ;  to 

Lewiston,    211,   213,  215,   219, 

Capt.  Van  Rensselaer,  130. 

220,    224,    225,     228,     229; 

Macomb,  Robert,  295  ;  to  Solo 

gloomy  state  of  affairs  at, 

mon  Southwick,  295. 

231. 

Macou,  410. 

Lexington,  Kentucky,  138. 

MacPherson,  J.,  516. 

Liberty  and  equality,  160. 

MacPherson,  R.  H.,  193. 

Libre,  "Antonio,  473. 

McArthur.  Col.,222. 

Lingan,  General,  282. 
Litchiidd,  Elijah,  368.  389. 
Little  Turtle  the  Miami  Chief, 

McCarty,  Richard,  368,  389. 
McChesney,  Capt.,  273. 
McClalleu,  John,  151. 

103. 

McClcan,  John,  42 

Livingston,  8,  53,  371,  373,  381. 

McClelland.  Capt.,  332. 

Livingston,  Chancellor,  411. 

McClure,  Gen.,  410. 

Livingston,  Col.    Harry,    331, 

McComb,  Mr   John,  296. 

413. 

McCrea,  Jane,  65. 

Livingston,    Col.  Lewis,  330. 

McDonald,  Col.,  252,  267,  274. 

Livingston,  Colonel,    76,    296, 

McDonald,  John.  37. 

331,  334. 

McDouell,  Col.,  218,  271,  273. 

Livingston,  Dr.  John  II.,  112. 

McElroy,  Sani.,  203. 

McEvers,  Miss  Mary,  86. 

McGea,  Mr.  William,  54. 

Mclleury.  James,  125,  132, 147, 
148,  153 :  to  Capt.  Van 
Rensselaer,  132,  147. 

McKermey,  110. 

McKesson,  John,  41,  57. 

McKiustry,  Capt.  John,  53. 

McKown,  James,  341,  351,  352, 
370,  379,  381,  415  ;  to  Solo 
mon  Vati  Rensselaer,  351, 
370. 

McLean,  John,  168,  430,  431, 
470,  471 ;  to  Sol.  Van  Rena- 
eelaer,  430,  431,  470. 

McNaughteu,  Dr.  James, 
serious  accident  to,  519. 

McPherson,  446. 

McPherson,  Captain,  48. 

Madison,  416. 

Madison,  James,  301. 

Madison,  Mr.,  231,  294,  297, 300, 
314. 

Madison,  Mrs.,  307. 

Madison,  President,  193. 

Magdalena,  expenses  of  boat 
ing  on  the,  488. 

Mahar,  455. 

Malcolm,  Captain,  258,  263. 

Mallay,  James,  269. 

Man,  Isaac,  52. 

Mapee,  Jonas,  366,  367, 

Marching  orders,  132. 

Marcy,  Major,  333. 

Marcy,  Wm.  L.,  367. 

Marlborough,  Duke  of,  128 ; 
his  magnificent  park,  128. 

Marquee,  General,  237. 

Marriage,  131 ;  an  extraordi 
nary,  84. 

Marshall,  John,  368. 

Marshall,  Mr.,  150 ;  speech  of, 
151. 

Martin,  Mr.,  82. 

Martinez,  Colonel,  503,  504. 

Mason,  Rev.  Dr.,  335. 

Masters,  P.,  352. 

Maumee,  battle  of,  102. 

Mead,  Mr.,  333. 

Mediums  of  commerce  with 
the  Indians,  9. 

Meeting,  republican,  394 ;  fede 
ral,  396. 

Meigs,  Henry,  338. 

Meigs,  J.,  349,  368,  371. 

Meigs,  Mr.,  376,  380.  383,  394. 

Meigs,  Return  J.,  378,379,  388, 
389,  390,  392 ;  narrow 
escape  of,  379,  380 ;  to  Vice 
President  and  M.  Van 
Bur  en,  392. 

Meigs,  R.  J.,  jr.,  order  from, 
appointing  postmaster  at 
Albany,  379. 

Mercer,  402. 

Merchant,  George,  165. 

Military,  movements  of,  194, 
186 ;  orders  and  letters  of, 
19,  24. 

Militia,  cowardice  of,  255,  256. 

Miller,  General,  279. 

Miller,  Morris  S.,  315,  350,  359. 

Miller,  Mrs.  Catharine,  89. 

Miller,  Mrs.  Mary  R.,  158. 

Miller,  Peter,  34. 

Mills,  Captain,  92. 

Minturn,  Benj.  G.,  366,  367. 

Miranda,  523,  527. 

Missouri,  admission  of,  ae  a 
ptate,  365 ;  compromise, 
364 ;  constitution,  354,  356, 
360. 

Misunderstanding  between 
Henderson  and  Col.  Camp 
bell,  504. 


590 
oo 


INDEX. 


Mitchell, Lieut.  Colonel,  325. 

Mite!  ill.'  Doctor,  428, 

Mitcbill,  Samuel  L.,  338. 

Mohawk  Indian!?,  and  their 
Custom*.  12. 

Mompox,  description  of,  484. 

Monroe,  James,  268,  238,  389, 
416. 

Monroe,  Mr.,  388'885. 

Monroe,  President.  352,  361, 
381.  4C6;  administration 
of,  381. 

Mont  calm,  General,  146. 

Montgomery,    Captain,  63,  64. 

Montgomery,  Genera],  43,  44, 
46.  47,  48,  49,  50,  140,  193 
332,  333,  335,  414;  Ins  re 
mains  removed  from  Que 
bec.  330;  honors  paid  to 
remains  of,  333,335. 

Montgomery,  Mrs.  Richard, 
413. 

Montgomery.  Richard,  323. 
330,  331,  334.  335 ;  honors, 
324. 

Momibello,  Duke  of,  503,  508, 
510. 

Montillo,  General,  445,  457. 
477,  516. 

Mooney.  Captain,  63,  65. 

Moore,  Colonel,  526.  526  ;  pre 
sentation  of,  524. 

Moore,  General,  345. 

Moore  Major,  506. 

Moore,  Major  Thomas  P., 
522,  523.  524. 

Moore,  Minister  Thomas  P., 
arrival  of,  520,  522. 

Moore,  Mr.,  470,  471,  487.  520, 
521,  524,  530. 

Moore,  Thomas,  235. 

Morgan,  375,  379. 

Morgan,  Colonel,  66. 

Morgan,  John  J.,  368. 

Morgan,  Major,  195. 

Morrell,  Robert,  338. 

Morrison.  Major.  253,  256,  279. 

Morrow,  Jeremiah,  419,  420. 

Morton,  General,  332,  487. 

Mosely,  Major,  272,  293. 

Mountainous  regions,  511 . 

Mount  Hope,  sold,  132 ;  the 
farm  of,  prospectively  in 
the  moon,  324. 

Mount  Venion,  147. 

Mower,  J.  B.,  409,  410;  to 
Solomon  Van  Rensselaer, 
409. 

Muhlenberg,  Gen.,  86. 

Mullany,  J.  R.,  250;  to  Gen. 
Van  Rensselaer,  250. 

Mullany,  Major,  253,  257,  263, 

268. 

Myers,  Capt.,  195. 
Myers,  Col.,  20!),  210,  237. 
Myers,  Major,  211. 


Naples  and  Mount  Vesuvius, 
account  of,  346,  347,  348, 
349. 

Newman,  Col.,  325. 

New  York,  defense  of,  320; 
officers  of  government  of, 
338,  368;  church  record, 
marriage  notice,  in.  10. 

Nicholas.  10,  49. 

Nicholas,  St..  4,  5,  6 ;  day  of.  4. 

Nicholson.  Mr.  Richard  R., 
483,  518. 

Nicoll,  Mr.  Harry,  79. 

Noon,  Capt,  Darby,  296,  297 ; 
an  energetic  officer,  297. 

North,  Gen],  3:35. 

Norton,  Mr.,  418. 


Nott,  Mr.,  152. 
Nugent,  Miss,  126. 


Oakley.  Gen.,  487. 

Oakley,  Mr.,  299. 

Oakley.  Thomas,  356. 

Oakley,  Thomas  J.,  338. 

Obando,  Col.,  523.  531. 

Officers,  proposed  council  of, 
242. 

Ogden,  Capt.,  48. 

Ogden.  Mr.  Henry,  437. 

Ogdensburgh,  201. 

Ogilvie,  Capt.',  263,  273. 

O'Leary,  Gen.,  525.  528,  530. 

Olmsted,  Capt.,  326. 

Oothout,  Abraham,  88. 

Oothout,  Henry,  50. 

Oothout,  Mr.,  33. 

Order  appointing  Solomon 
Van  Rensselaer,  major 
general  of  militia,  330. 

Ormsby,  O.,  98. 

Orton,  Joseph,  432. 

Osborn,  Capt.,  418. 

Otis,  402. 


Pacific  ocean,  voyage  across, 

442. 

Padilla.  Gen.,  446. 
Parish.  Mr.,  202.  298. 
Parker,  Col.,  276. 
Parker.  Mr..  396,  404. 
Parker,  Philip  S.,  331,  395,  486. 
Patroou,  the,  to  Solomon  Van 
Rensselaer,  341,   350,  355, 
372,  400,  402,  408,  409,  410, 
415. 

Patterson,    Walter,    368,    370, 
387,  397  ;  to  Solomon  Van 
Rensselaer,  387,  397. 
Paulding,  Col.,  333. 
Pearson,  375. 
Peck,  Harmanus,  338. 
Peck,  Judge,  257,  267. 
Peirson,  Jer.  H.,389. 
Pell.  Col.  Ferris,  331,  358,  359, 
362,  374;  to  Solomon  Van 
Rensselaer,  359. 
Peiion,  Bajo,  480. 
Pepper,  Calvin,  432. 
Percy,  Earl,  270. 
Perry,  O.  H.,  336. 
Peters,  Capt.,  54. 
Phelti,  Miss,  54. 
Philadelphia,  147. 
Philip.  10. 

Philology,  ignorance  of,  18. 
Pickens,  Gen.,  145;  marriage 

of,  145. 

Pickering  Timothy,  80.  81,  95, 
117,  120,  125  ;  secretary  of 
war,  117,  120. 

Pickett,  Mr.,  520,  522,  523. 
Pierson,  Jeremiah  H.,  368. 
Pinckney,   General,    147,    148. 
Pinckney.  Thomas,  307 ;  invit 
ation  from.  147. 
Piper,  Colonel,  302. 
Piracy,  415. 
Pirates,  preparations  to  meet, 

442. 
Pitcher,    Nathaniel,    338,  368, 

389. 

Pittsfield,  418. 
Platt,  Colonel,  411. 
Platt,  General,  196. 
Platt,  Jonas,  337,  368. 
Pleasants,  Lieut.  Isaac,  119. 
Political      dishonesty,       307; 
meetings  of  federalists  and 
democrats,    163-166;    sur 
mises,  158,  159. 


Pollard,  Wm.,  76.  80,  82;  to 
Philip  Van  Rensselaer,  80. 

Porter,  Agustus.  314. 

Porter,  General,  S05,  213,  222, 
230.  231,  232,  279,  284,  285, 
290,  291,  292;  295,  405. 

Porter,  Judge,  204, 

Porter,  Mr.  Augustus  B.,  317. 

Porter.  Peter  B.,  208,  215,  223, 
227,  231,  244,  287,  288,  289, 
296,  410, 430 ;  assaults  John 
Lovett,  296,  297. 

Posada.  Governor,  498. 

Posey,  General,  255. 

Posey,  John.  96,  98,  112. 

Posey,  John  Cornet,  112. 

Posey,  Lieut.  John,  111;  to 
Capt.  Van  Rensselaer,  111. 

Post,  Dr.,  331,  403. 

Postmaster  general,  letter  to, 
380;  rascally,  352,  357. 

Potomac,  the  enemy's  fleet 
coming  up,  305. 

Preparations  for  a  skirmish, 
526. 

Prescott,  General,  48. 

President  U.  S.,  petition  to, 
389. 

Preston,  Capt.,  38. 

Preston,  General,  48. 

Preston,  Major,  47. 

Prevost,  General,  317. 

Prevost.  George,  320. 

Price,  Capt.,  46,  119. 

Price,  Gen.,  50. 

Price,  Major,  101 . 

Prideaux,  Gen.,  29. 

Prior,  110. 

Prisoners,  atrreement  to  ex 
change,  269;  of  war,  pro 
posals  to  relieve  264. 

Proceedings,  hasty  sketch  of, 
299. 

Proclamation  by  Gov .  Clinton, 
386. 

Productions,  tropical,  510. 

Proposals,  military,  244,  245. 

Provost,  Geo.  211,  214. 

Punt  a  Gorda,  480. 

Putnian,  Capt.,  Garret,  74. 

Putman,  Victor,  74. 


Quackenboss,  Major,  81. 

Quackenbush.  Nicholas,  80. 

Quartermaster's  book,  abstract 
from.  94. 

Queenstown,  the  hero  of  147 ; 
interesting  account  of  at 
tack  on,  249,  260 :  heights 
of.  interesting  account  of 
military  operations  at,  266, 
268. 

Quincy,  Josiah,  38. 

Quincy,  Mr.,302. 


Randolph.  John,  186. 

Randolph,  Lieutenant,  258, 
263,  273,  286,  287. 

Randolph,  Mr.,  339. 

Rathboue,  Lieut.,  253,  254,  258, 
263 ;  mortally  wounded, 
253. 

Ray,  Cornelius,  76,  82  ;  to  Phi 
lip  Van  Rensselaer,  75,  76 ; 
fears  the  ship  Luzerne  is 
taken  by  the  enemy,  76  ; 
shipment  of  tea,  76 ;  for 
wards  bills  per  ship,  75. 

Ray,  Mr.,  39,  112,  321. 

Ray,  Richard,  20,  26,  34. 

Ray.  Robert.  31.  40,  41,  52  ;  to 
Philip  Van  Reusseiaer,  40, 
51. 


INDEX. 


539 


Receipts  for  military  supplies, 

91,  95,  96,  98. 

Recreations  in  old  times,  85. 
Hoed,  Capt.,  125. 
Reed,  Colonel,  79,  3-25,  419. 
Return  to  Albany,  281. 
Reynolds  Joshua,  344. 
Richard.  Col.,  379. 
Richmond,  Jonathan,  3-38. 
Rides  among  the  hills,  517,  518. 
Riedesel,  Gen.,  60. 
River,  preparations  to  cross, 

343. 

Roads  dangerous,  498. 
Robbers  attacking  mail  boats, 

516. 

Robert,  26. 
Robinson,  J.,  283. 
Robinson,  Josiah,  284. 
Robinson,  to  Col.    Van  Rens- 

selaer,  283. 
Rochester.  Win    B.,   368    377 

378,  389;    to     Sol.      Van 

Reusselaer,  377. 
Rochfbntaine,  Colonel,  124. 
Rodger*,    Capt.  Jedediah,  92, 

93,  94. 

Rodgers,  Com., 351. 
Rodgers,  Dr.,  331. 
Rodgers,  Mr.,  178. 
Roeloffesen  Catharine. 10. 
Romain  as  speaker,  373.    • 
Root,  410. 
Root,  Erastus,  356. 
Root,  Mr.,  famous  mathemati 
cal  speech  of,  356. 
Rose,  Gen.,  284. 
Rosecrantz,  George,  311. 
Ross,  Major  Gen.,  319. 
Ross,  Thomas  R.,  372. 
Ross,  William,  311. 
Route,   interesting,    133,    134, 

135. 

Rowland,  Alderman  T.,  424. 
Ruggles,  Chas  S.,  368. 
Rush,  410. 

Rutgers,  Anthony,  112. 
Ryckmau,  Wilhelmus,  334. 

Sage,  Ebenezer,  338. 

Sailors,  impressing  into  Bri 
tish  service,  122. 

Salstonstall,  Col.,  33,  34. 

Summons,  203,  263. 

Sanders,  Bareut,  20,  103. 

Sanders,  Catharine,  15. 

Sanders,  Elsie,  12,  20. 

Sanders  family,  ivside  in  Hol 
land,  12 ;  moved  to  Ame 
rica,  12;  bought  land  in 
Glenville,  12. 

Sanders,  Gen.  Lyman,  27. 

Sanders,  Godfrey  Smith,  34. 

Sanders,  Johannes,  12. 

Sanders,  John,  11, 15, 51, 79, 83. 

Sanders,  Lieut.,  17. 

Sanders.  Margaivtta,  10,  11. 

Sanders,  Maria,  10,  11,  37,  130. 

Sanders,  Miss,  146. 

Sanders,  Moses  Emerson,  24. 

Sanders,  Mr.,  15.  98. 

Sanders,  Mrs.,  15,  35. 

Sanders,  Rev.  Lawrence,  11, 
15. 

Sanders,  Robert,  11,  16,  17,  18, 
19,  24,  25,  26,  27,  28,  21),  30, 
31,  34;  birth  of,  17;  mar 
riage  of,  17  ;  a  member  of 
the  Albany  convention, 
17 ;  pays  curious  items,  17 ; 
to  Richard  Wibird,  21,  32, 
33;  to  Sir  William  John- 
eon,  22,  24,  36 ;  to  Cham 
pion  ctllayley,  36 ; 


Sanders,     Robert,     to     New 

Simmons,  Mr.,  192. 

Hampshire     commission 

Simmons,  William,  190,  191. 

ers,   28;    to  Peter  Miller, 

Skinner,  Judge,  373,  376. 

34  ;  to  Sir  Thomas   Hub- 

Slingerlandt,  W.,  80. 

bard,  28,  30,  33  ;  to  Abra 

Sloop  of  War  Natchez,  524. 

ham   J.    Lansing,    35;    to 

Slough,  110. 

Col.  Jacob  Wendell,  26,  27, 

Smith,  110,  352,  368,  378. 

28  ;  to  John  M.   Wendell, 

Smith.  Capt.,  113. 

35  ;  death  of,  36. 

Smith,  Col.,  146. 

Sanford,  Mr.,  119. 

Smith.   Gen.  Alexander,  239, 

Sanford,  Nathan,  191,  338. 

240. 

Sangerfleld,  Oiieida  Co.,  401. 

Smith,  Gen.  Samuel,  310. 

Saiitander,  Gen,,  444. 

Smith,  Lieut.,  224,  273. 

Savage,  John,  368. 

Smith,  Major,  374. 

Saxe,  Marshall,  263. 

Smith,  Mr.,  115. 

Schenectady,    destruction    of, 

Smyth,  Alexander,  275. 

13,  15, 

Smyth,   Gen.,    239,    240,    241, 

Schermerhorn,   179. 

242,  245,  246,  247,  218,  252, 

Schermerhorn,  HenryV.R.  386, 

273,  276,  277,  278,  279,  283, 

387;    to    Sol.    Van  Rens- 

284,  285,  305,  339,  360;  to 

selaer,  386. 

Gen.  Van  Rensselaer,  239  ; 

Schermerhoru,  Mr.,  167,  183. 

is  rebuked,  240,  212;   his 

Schuyler,  Ariaantie,  43,  58,  78. 

pretended    attack  on  Ca 

Schuyler,  Colonel,  14,  425. 

nada,  284,  285. 

Schuyler,  Cornelia.  124. 

Sue!  ling,  Col.  J.,  421. 

Schuyler,  Elizabeth,  17,  37. 

Snow  ball,  489. 

Schuyler,  Gen.,  43,  44,  53,  54, 

Soldier,  an  old  deaf,  302. 

55,  56,  61,  62,  63,  64,  65,  69, 

Song,  a  new,  277. 

74,  75,  77,  82,  115,  116,  127, 

South     America,    interesting 

148,    151;    to    Philip   Van 

letters  from,  436-532. 

Rensselaer,  40  ;  a  runaway 

Southwick,  370,  375,  379,  387; 

marriage  in  family  of,  116. 
Schuvler,  John,  17. 

affairs  of,  370. 
Southwick,  Mr.,  372,  376,  389, 

Schuyler,  Mr.,  369. 

394. 

Schuvler,  old  family  records, 

Southwick,  Solomon,  293,  295. 

37. 

296,    373,     378,    380,     381; 

Schuyler,  Peter,  17,  23,  26,  35, 

portrait  of,  387. 

37. 

Spencer,  306,375,  379. 

Schuyler,  Philip,  17,  37,  59,  87, 

Spencer,   Ambrose,    188,    337, 

157;  to  secretary  of  war, 

344,  367,  368,  412,  418;  to 

148;  death  of  157.;  funeral 

Solomon  Van  Rensselaer, 

honors,  158. 

344. 

Schuvler,  Reuben,  235. 

Spencer,  Capt.,  417,  418. 

Schuyler,  S.,  66. 

Spencer,  Elijah,  368. 

Scotia  mansion,  the  old,  15. 

Spencer,   John    C.,    175,    231, 

Scott,  Col.,  261,  262,  203,  270; 

340  ;  speaker  in  the  assem 

takes  charge  of  troops,  261. 
Scott,  Dr.,  103. 

bly,  340. 
Spencer,   Judge,  344,  357,  425, 

Scott,  General,  111,  363. 

471,  472. 

Scott,  Wiutield,  260. 

Spencer,  Mr.,  20. 

Sea  voyage,  112. 
Secretary  of  war  to  Capt  .  Van 

Spicy  discussion  in  congress 
relative    to    the    Canada 

Rensselaer,    117,    120  ;    to 

campaign,  300. 

Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  125. 

St.  Clair.   Gen.,  59,  60,  65,  80, 

Seley,  Mr.  M.,  420. 

69,  96,  97,  135,  422. 

Sentences,  the  art  of  dividing, 

St.  Martha  and   the    couutry 

little  understood,  16. 

around,  456. 

Sergeant,  Mr.,  393. 

St.  Nicholas  Day,  festival  of,  4  ; 

Seth,  Col.,  60. 
Severs,  Mr.,  458. 

toasts  and  speed!  es  at,5,  6. 
St  .  Regis,an  Indian  village,  302. 

Sharks,  Capt.,  143. 
Shaw,  Henry,  335. 

Staats,  Abraham,  8. 
Staats,    Col.     Nicholas,    162, 

Shaw,  John,  334. 

163,  471  . 

Shaw  &  Ludlow,  Messrs.,  55. 

Staats,  Dr.,  455. 

Shaw,  N.,  98. 

Steamboat,  the  iirst,  183. 

Shaw,  William,  143. 

Stearns,  Dr.,  248. 

Shaws,  Mr.,  39. 

Steele  Miss,  176 

Sheaffe,   Gen.,   209,    210,  213, 

Stephen,  Colonel,  66. 

214,  215,  219,  226,  256,  258, 

Sterling,  Lord,  78. 

261,  2(52,  263,  264,  265,   268, 

Sterling  Micah,  368. 

269,270,  271,274,  280,  288; 

Sterry,  Peter,  186. 

to  Gen.    Van  Rensselaer, 

Stevenson,  Mr,,  390.  519. 

264,  265. 

Stewart,  Gillbert,  203. 

Sheaffe,  Margaret,  271. 

Stillwell,  455;  artillery  of,  326. 

Sheaffe,   R.  H.,   to  Gen.  Vai 

Still  well,  John,  381. 

Hensselaer,  269,  270. 

Stopford,  Major,  46. 

Sheldon,  William,  71. 

Storm,  Mr.  Thomas,  122. 

Shepherd,  Messrs.,  334. 

Storrs,  338,  361. 

Sherbrooke,  John,  330. 

Storrs,  Henry  R.,  415. 

Sherburne,  Henry,  29. 

Story,  a  thrilling,  529. 

Shettleworth,  Lieut.,  46. 

Stranahan,  Colonel,  256. 

Shiugleton,  Lieur.,  69. 

Strang,  Jesse,    432,   434,   435; 

Sibley,  Judge,  424. 

arrested  an,  I  executed  for 

Sibley,  Solomon,  422. 

the    murder    of  Whipple, 

Sim,  Lieut.,  849. 

432,  435. 

540 


INDEX. 


Street,  RandellS.,  338. 
Strife,  beginning  of  the,  531. 
Strong,  Ellsha  B..  341. 
Strong,  James,  338,  361. 
Strothers,  402. 
Stuart.  J.  B.,  415,  416;  to  Sol. 

Van  Rensselaer,  415. 
Sullivan,  Capt.,  119. 
Summary  process,  525 . 
Sunday  sports  in  Bogota,  507. 
Surveillance,  tender,  130. 
Suspicions  and  fears,  528. 
Sutherland,  Mr.,  371 . 
Swan.  Mr.,  226. 
Swarthout,  B.  Mr., 
Swarts,  Dick,  54. 
Swift,  Colonel.  219.  288. 
Swifts,  George,  219. 
Switts,  Col.,  224. 
Swinton,  Isaac,  8. 
Sword,    a    presentation    that 

was  not,  325. 
Symon,  14. 
Symonds,  Mr.,  379. 


Talmadge,  Gen.,  328. 
Tannehill,  Gen.,  302. 
Tayler,  182,  396,  415. 
Tayler,  Governor,  167,414,  470. 
Tayler,  John.  166. 168, 189,  338, 

394  ;  to  the  public,  167  ;  to 

Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  167. 
Tayler,  Judge,  169,  178,  180. 
Tayloe,  Capt.,  111. 
Tayloe,  Col.,  148. 
Tayloe,  John,  147. 
Tayloe,  Mr.,  504,  508,  510,  512, 

517,  524. 
Taylor,  John  W.,  338,  354,  368; 

elected  speaker  of  H.  R., 

354. 

Taylor,  Jonathan,  95,  98. 
Taylor,  Mr.,  357. 
Tea  party,  old  fashioned,  129. 
Ten  Broeck,  Gen.,  77,  151 
Ten  Broeck,   Hon.  Abraham, 

157. 

Ten  Broeck,  John  C.,  68. 
Ten  Eyck,  377,  434. 
TenEyck,  Abra.,  334. 
Ten  Eyck,  Jacob,  217. 
Ten  Eyck,  Major,  334. 
Ten  Eyck,  Mynclt.  S.,  88 
Teneriffe    and    its    cathedral, 

481. 

Thanks,  expression  of,  393. 
Thayendani'gea's  exploits  and 

massacres,  122. 
Thayer,  Col.,  412. 
Thayer,  S.,  407;  to  Solomon 

Van  Rensselaer.  407. 
The  brig  Tampico,  439. 
The  whistle  of  the  muleteer, 

529. 

Thomas,  Col.,  315. 
Thomas,  Gen.,  52,  333. 
Thompson,  Jonathan,  374. 
Thompson,  Judge,  503. 
Thompson,  Mr.  James,  330. 
Thompson,  Mrs.,  413. 
Thompson,   Smith,    368,    378, 

380,  389,  400. 
Thorn,  Win.,  57. 
Tibbits,  George,  391. 
Tillman,  John,  66. 
Tillton,  Capt.,  119. 
Todds,  Gen.,  105. 
Tompkins,  223.  306,  378,  379. 
Tompkius.  Caleb,  338.  365. 
Tompkins,  Daniel  D.,  166,  170, 

183,  S24,  268,   311,  320,  338, 

330,  345,  352,  360,  373,  381, 

3SS,  389,  390,  392,  396 ;   to 

Mr.  Thompson,  373. 


Tompkins,  Gov.,  124,  154, 
157,  188,  189,  196,  199.  204, 
205,  225,  236,  274,  275,  277, 
293,  294,  295.  309,  310,  313, 
322, 367 :  unfeeling  conduct 
of,  295;  to  Sol.  Van  Rens 
selaer,  309,  313. 

Tompson,  Mr.,  373. 

Torrens,  Col.,  503,  525.  526. 

Torrey,  Daniel,  96. 

Totter,  Mathew,  88,  327,  334, 
396. 

Tower,  Reuben,  402;  to  Sol. 
Van  Rensselaer,  402. 

Townscnd,  Isaiah,  486. 

Townsend,  Mr.  John,  412. 

Towson,  Capt.,  261. 

Tracy,  415. 

Tracy.  Albert  H.,  405. 

Tracy,  Robert  H.,  338. 

Traverse.  Mr.,  485,  487. 

Trebout,  Capt.,  335. 

Tribute  of  respect,  366. 

Trimble,  Alden,  431. 

Troublous  times,  150,  170. 

Trueman,  Major,  95. 

Trumbuil,  335. 

Trumbull,  Col.,  411. 

Trumbuil.  Governor,  41,  42. 

Turner,  Capt.,  107,  119;  to 
Capt.  Van  Rensselaer  97; 
to  Lieut.  Visscher,  107. 

Turner,  Lieut.,  97;  to  Capt. 
Van  Rensselaer,  97. 

Tuthill,  Silas,  368. 

Tyier,  John.  393. 

Tyson,  John,  68;  to  Gov. 
Lewis,  68. 


Uncle  Peter,  489. 

Union      College      to     Philip 

Schuyler,  87. 
United     States,      officers     of 

government  of,  338,  368. 
Urdenata,  Gen.  510,  525. 


Vale,  J.  L.,  486. 

Valencia,  Monsieur,  444. 

Van  Alstyne,  Jacob,  66  .167. 

Van  Benthuysen,  Jacob,  22. 

Van  Bunsctiootens,  Domine, 
84. 

Van  Buren,  370,  372.  378,  379 
400,  407,  487. 

Van  Buren,  Elsie,  10. 

A7au  Bureu,  Governor,  455. 

Van  Buren.  Leonard,  41.  42, 
82;  to  Philip  Van  Rens 
selaer,  41,  42. 

Van  Buren,  Martin,  337,  349, 
358,  361,  363,  370,  377,  381, 
384,  385,  387,  388,  389,  390, 
392,  396;  to  Mr.  Knower 
and  others.  374,  375,  376  ; 
to  Mr.  Dudley,  3S2. 

Van  Buren,  Mr.,  40.  371,  373, 
374,  380,  382,  395,  463. 

Van  Burgh,  57. 

Van  Cortlandt.  General,  428, 
506. 

Van  Cortlandt,  Maria,  10. 

Van  Cortlandr,  Pierre,  411,  487. 

Van  Cortlandt  to  Sol.  Van 
Reusselaer.  487;  to  Sol. 
Van  Rensselaer,  506. 

Vanderpott,  Captain,  42. 

Vanderput,  Captain.  43. 

Van  Hook.  Brandt,  71. 

Van  Horne,  Gen.,  151,  157. 

Van  Munickhousen,  104. 

Van  Ness,  Cornelius  P.,  193, 
407;  to  Solomon  Van 
Rensselaer,  485. 


Van  Ness,  Gen.,  333. 

Van  Ness,  Gov.,  485. 

Van  Ness,  John  P.,  191,  193, 
430;  to  Judge  Van  Ness, 
191;  to  Solomon  Van 
Rensselaer,  192. 

Van  Ness,  Judge,  158, 183, 184, 
281,  325,  336,  337,  340,  341, 
344,  353,  362,  365.  367,  381  ; 
to  Col.  Solomon  Van  Rens 
selaer,  183,  184,  281,  325, 
337,  340,  341,  344,  360,  362, 
367,  403,  407.  408. 

Van  Ness,  William  P.,  192, 
193 

Van  Ness,  W.  W.,  159,  185, 
326,  335,  342.  345,  352,  356, 
360,  368,  403,  404,  407,  408 ; 
to  Solomon  Van  Reusse 
laer,  158. 

Van  Rensselaer,  2.  6,  8.  43, 110, 
149,  153,  155,  167,  173,  174, 
175,  17fi,  177,  178,  182,  183, 
186,  191,  207,  209,  215,  218, 
224.  227,  231.  234,  276,  301, 
329,  340,  346,  367,  377,  379, 
384,  518;  ancient  family 
papers  of,  8. 

Van  Rensselaer.  Abraham,  432. 

Van  Rensselaer,  Captain,  59, 
97,  98,  99,  101,  102,  103, 104, 
105,  109,  111,  116,  121,  132, 
134, 137,  140.  141,  142,  143, 
144,  188;  wounded,  102; 
receives  the  gift  of  sword, 
from  Capt.  Campbell,  de 
ceased,  102 :  to  Lieutenant 
Visscher,  104 ;  to  General 
Wayne,  105  ;  to  his  cousin, 
125  ;  to  his  wile,  132,  133, 
134,  137,  138,  142,  144. 

Van  Rensselaer,  Colonel.  27, 
43,  62,  64,  146,  200,  201, 
202.  208,  252.  253.  254,  257, 
259,  261,  263,  268,  270,  272, 
281,  282,  283,  291,  292.  293, 
294,  295,  302,  308,  320,  344  ; 
riddled  with  bullets,  254; 
to  General  Wilkinson,  311; 
to  Abraham  Van  Yecnten, 
226;  to  Gen.  Lewis,  231. 

Van  Rensselaer  Dr.,  475. 

Van  Rensselaer,  Elizabeth, 
428. 

Van  Rensselaer,  Gen.,  5,  164, 
166,  170,  180,  181,  195,  199, 
204,  206,  210,  214  216,  217, 
221,  231,233.2:35,235,  236, 
238,  239,  240,  241,  242,  243, 
244,  246.  247,  248,  249,  250, 
256,  264,  266,  269,  271,  274, 
275,  278,  279,  280,  288,  289, 
290,  297,  298,  332,  342,  353, 
356,  358,  360,  362,  366,  369, 
372,  374,  382,  387,  388,  391, 
395.  396,  397,  398,  412,  415, 
416,  438,  485,  487 ;  benevo 
lence  of,  77 ;  to  Gen.  Brock, 
226.  264 ;  to  Gen.  Dearborn, 
233,  2-44;  to  Lieut.  Col. 
Fenwick,  248 ;  to  Major 
Mullany,  250;  to  Gen. 
Sheafte,  265,  268,  269;  to 
William  Simmons,  190  ;  to 
Alexander  Smyth,  240,  242; 
to  Gen.  Hall,  247;  to  Gov. 
Tompkins,  236;  to  Solo 
mon  Van  Rensselaer,  280  ; 
to  the  public,  187-190 ;  to 
Col.  Wiilett,  241 :  Margaret 
Schuyler.  first  wife  of,  77  ; 
Stephen,  the  fifth  patroon, 
77  :  in  command  of  forces, 
194  ;  visits  the  British  side, 
248. 


INDEX. 


541 


Van  Rennselaer,  Henry  K..  10, 
11,  01,  03,  0(5.  162,  169; 
death  of.  3*20  ;  funeral  sol 
emnities  of,  320.  327. 

Van  Rensselaer,  Henry  11.,  91. 

Van  Kensselaer,  Jeremiah,  417, 
-128;  children  of,  10;  to 
Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  345, 
410. 

Van  Kensselaer,  John,  428. 

Van  Rensselaer,  Killian.  7,  10, 
37,  43,  7S.  7!);  acknow 
ledged  patroon,  7;  dia 
mond  merchant  of 
Amsterdam,  7;  a  director 
in  West  India  Co.,  7; 
selects  land  at  FortOrange, 
7 ;  death  of,  7. 

Van  Rensselaer,  Killian  II., 
139,  150. 

Van  Kensselaer.  Killian  Is...  11, 
107,  108,  120,  123;  to  Capt. 
Van  Kensselaer,  107 ;  122 ; 
to  Philip  Van  Kensselaer, 
78. 

Van  Kensselaer,  Killian  P., 
news  of  his  death,  510. 

Van  Kensselaer,  Lady,  canal 
barge, 423. 

Van  Kensselaer.  Major,  148, 
152,  157,  213,  220. 

Van  Kensselaer,  Margaretta. 
519;  to  her  sister,  519. 

Van  Kensselaer,  Maria  M.,  510. 

Van  Renssehu  r,  Miss,  129. 

Van  Kensselaer,  Miss  A.,  430. 

Van  Kensselaer,  Miss  Arriett, 
115,  110,  119,435. 

Van  Kensselaer,  Mrs.,  179, 
225,  429,  437;  to  her 
husband.  227. 

Van  Kensselaer,  Mrs.  A.,  428. 

Van  Rensselaer,  Mrs.  II..  85. 

Van  Kensselaer,  Mrs.  Jacob, 
to  Mrs.  Philip  Van  Kens 
selaer,  11!*. 

Van  Rensselaer,  Mrs.  Philip, 
39. 

Van  Rensselaer,  Mrs.  Sol.,  414, 
427  ;  to  her  daughters,  427, 
429. 

Van  Kensselaer,  Nancy,  327. 

Van  Kensselaer,  Nicholas,  10, 
11,  43,  44,  47,  07,  101,  333, 
334 ;  to  Philip  Van  Kens 
selaer,  47. 

Van  Rensselaer,  Philip,  10,  11, 
35,  38,  40,  41,  42,  44,  40.  47, 
49,  50,  51,  52.  53,  54,  55,  50. 
02,  09,  71,  75,  7(5,  78,  79,  80, 
81,  82,  83.  88,  112,  113.  130, 
147,  414.  432,  433 ;  to  Cor 
nelius  Kay,  82;  to  Gov. 
Geo.  Clinton,  88  ;  to  Timo 
thy  Pickering,  81 ;  to  Col. 
Van  Kensselaer,  248  ;  to 
Richard  Varick,  88 ;  to  his 
wife,  38. 

Van  Rensselaer,  Rensselaer, 
2.  442,  454,  455.  403,  470, 
472,  470,  500,  510,  519,  523; 
collects  material  for  a 
history  of  Albany,  2;  sails 
to  South  America,  437 ; 
portrait  o.f.  454:  to  his 
lather,  439,  411,  442,  455, 
104,  472,  474,  487,  505,  510. 
523. 

Van  Rensselaer,  Robert,  Col., 
53. 

Van    Rensselaer.    Robert    S., 

112,  113,      115,     128:    in 
London.  115;  to  his  sister, 

113,  115,  117,  120;  to  Col. 
PhilipVan  Rensselaer,  112. 


Van  Rensselaer,  Solomon,  1, 
5.  12,  91,  92.  93,  KM),  100, 
112.  117,  122,  124,  125,  120, 
131,  130,  138,  145,  151,  154, 
158,  159,  104,  108,  184,  185, 
190,  192,  190,  198,  212,  224, 
228,  230,  232,  273,  277,  280, 
284,  285,  287,  303,  305,  309, 
311,  313,  314,  315,  310,  317, 
319,  320,  321,  323.  325,  327. 
328,  330,  331,  332,  334,  330, 
337,338,339,  341.343,  345, 
319,  350,  351,  352,  359,  304, 
305,  308,  370,  371,  373,  378, 
380,  385,  387,  393,  394,  3!  19, 
400,  401,  403,  407,  408.  409, 
410,411,412,  413,414,  417, 
418,  419,  420,  121,  422,  421, 
425,  t:;0,  439,  440,  442,  454, 
455,  470,  471,  470,  480,  500, 
507,  515,  520.  523 ;  shot,  1  ; 
recovery  of,  280;  to  Dr. 
Bay,  378;  to  Hiilip  Har 
bour.  385  ;  to  E.  C.  Genet, 
104;  to  his  wife,  198,  211, 
247,  208,  320.  321,  338,  340, 
342,  350,  353.  350,  358.  300, 
304,  487;  to  the  patroon, 
309:  to  his  son,  455,  470, 
to  Gen.  Harrison,  438;  to 
secretary  of  war,  124  ;  to 
(Jen.  Porter,  291:  applica 
tion  for  post  master  at  Al 
bany,  371  ;  appointed  cor 
net  of  dragoons,  91 ; 
elected  member  of  con 
gress,  337;  re-elected  lo 
congress.  307;  removed 
from  adjutant  general 
of  state,  307  ;  speech  of,  in 
reply  to  mayor  of  Detroit. 
423;*  public*  dinner  in  De 
troit,  honor  of,  121;  up- 
pointed  Albany  postmas 
ter,  379 ;  resignation  as  a 
member  of  congress,  380 ; 
promoted  to  Maj.  Gen.  of 
Militia.  3,  11  ;*  to  (Jen. 
Stephen  Van  Rensselaer, 
330  ;  receives  commission 
as  imjor  general.  337 ; 

Van  Rensselaer,"  Stephen,  10, 
194, 190.  214,  245.  258.  200, 
290,  310,  312.  320,  328,  370, 
388,  401,  402.  107,  408,  425, 
507;  to  Gov.  Tompkins. 
199,  204;  resignation  of, 
200;  to  Sol.  Van  Rens 
selaer.  320,  328.  330 ;  elect 
ed  to  Congress,  389.  393. 

Van  Sclmack,  Major  J.  B.,  418, 

Van  Staphorst,  J.  G.,  120;  to 
Robert  S.  Van  Rensselaer, 
121. 

Van  Slyck,  Cornelius,  88. 

Van  Twiller,  Wouter.  7. 

Van  Vechten,  Ephm.  08. 

Van  Vechten,  Abraham,  158, 
170,  184,  185.  198,  220.  221. 
230,  250,  251.  271,  272,  325i 
357;  to  Sol.  Van  Rens 
selaer,  230,  250,  271. 

Van  Vechten,  Mr.,  217. 

Van  Vechten,  Mrs.,  227. 

Van  Vechten,  Tennis  Ts,  50, 
51,  09,  109;  to  Philip  Van 
Kensselaer.  50,  09. 

Van  Vechten,  Walter,  208. 

Van  Wyck,  Win.  W..  308,  375, 
389. 

Varick,  Colonel,  88,  335,  411  : 
to  Philip  Van  Kensselaer, 
140 

Varick.  Richard,  54. 

Vceder,  Nicholas.  Rs. 


Vegetables,  common,  uncom 
mon,  502. 

Verjjara,  523, 

Visscher,  Capt.,  72,  73,  74. 

Vipscher,  Frederick,   09,  75 

Visscher.  John,  43,  44,  104, 
333,  334.  * 

Visscher,  Lieut.,  107,  108,  109, 

123,  124;    to    Capt.    Van 
Rensselaer.  109,  119. 

Visscher,  Mr.,  149. 

Visscher,  Mrs.,  404,  470. 

Visscher,  Mrs.  Nanning I., 413, 

Visscher,  Nanning  I.,  97,  98, 
99,  100.  101,  110,  119,  145, 
140,  148,  418 ;  marriage  of, 
149 ;  to  Capt.  Sol.  Van 
Rensselaer,  98,  101,  123, 

124,  145;    to    Major   Van 
Rensselaer,   148  ;  portrait 
of,  149;  death  of,  308. 

Visscher,  Col.  Sebastian,  327. 


Wadsworth,  Gen.,  203,  200, 
230,  250,  257.  201,  204,  205, 
207,  273,  270,  429 ;  to  Gen. 
Van  Rensselaer,  205. 

Waganar,  Col.  Peter,  09. 

Wallace,  T.,298. 

Wall,  Col.,  147. 

Wall,  Mr.,  505. 

Walsh.  Dudley,  85. 

Walsh,  Wm.,  519. 

Walworth,  Reuben  II.,  308, 389. 

War,  between  Colombia  and 
Peru,  521. 

War  in  1812,  declaration  of, 
194-213. 

Warfield,  402. 

Warren,  Daniel.  29. 

Warren,  Sir  Peter,  8. 

Washington,  city  of,  153;  cap 
ture  of,  319,  320;  the  Bri 
tish  threaten  to  attack, 
305. 

Washington.  George,  commis 
sion  from,  appointing  Sol 
omon  Van  Rensselaer, 
Lieut,  of  dragoons,  S3; 
interesting  letters  from, 
303. 

Washington,  Gen.,  42,  57,  58, 
74.  80,  81,  95,  98,  103,  104, 
135,  147,  148.  150,  151,  153, 
238,  259,  329,411:  to  John 
Tayloe,  147  ;  death  ol,  150  ; 
his  funeral  procession  in 
Albany,  151. 

Washington,  George,  19.  93, 
155,  403.  411;  the  man  of 
war.  155. 

Washington,  Mrs. ,80;  levee, 
86. 

Washington,  President,  80, 
91,  104. 

Wayne,  Anthony,  380. 

Wayne,  Capt.,  147. 

Wayne,  Gen.,  85,  8(5.  89.  95. 
97.  100,  101,  102,  103,  104, 
105,  121,  130.  135,  188,  255, 
310,  308,  419,  422;  cam 
paign  of,  89-108  ;  pushes 
forward,  100  ;  erects  mili 
tary  works  at  Fort  Defi 
ance,  101 ;  the  war  horse 
of.  121  :  returns  to  Fort 
Deliance,  104  ;  is  neglected 
by  congress,  104 ;  his  burial 
place,  104 

Webb.  110. 

Webb,  Capt..  105.  Ill,  121;  to 
Capt  Van  Rensselaor, 
inr>.  121. 


542 


INDEX. 


Webb,  John,  122. 
Webb,  J.  jr.,  94, 106. 

Webb,  Lieut.,  123. 
Webb,  Lieut.  J.  W.,  424. 
Webster,  0.  R.,  2. 
Webster,  Daniel,  405,  5-20,  510: 

to    Sol.    Van    Rensselaer. 

519. 

Webster,  Lieut,,  41$. 
Webster,  Mr..  -299.  485. 
Wedding    invitation,    83;    of 

1776,  129. 
Wemple.  Col.,  70. 
Wendell,  Col.,  23.  27,  31. 
Wendell,  Jacob,  26,  28  29,  30, 

33. 

Wendell,  John.  28. 
Wendell,  John   H.,   169.    327, 

3:34,  412. 
Wendell,  John  Mico.   26.   31, 

34. 

Wendell,  Madm..  26. 
Wendell,  Maria,  17. 
Wendell  Mr..  33. 
Wendover,  Peter  II.,  338. 
Westerlo,  General.  331. 
West  Point,  ideas,  124:  Mili 
tary  Academy  at.  407. 
Whaley,  Hercules,  95. 
Wheeler.  John  W.,  342. 
Whipple,  John.  432,  433,  434 ; 

murdered,  432. 
Whipple,  Mrs.,  4a3.  434. 
Whipple.  Mrs.  Elsie,  433. 
Whistler.    J.,     231  ;    to    Gen. 

Van  Rensselaer,  230. 
Whitehall,  Gen.  Montgomery, 

buried  at,  331. 
White,  Henry,  40. 
Wibird,  Rictid.,  29,  31,  34. 


Wilkinson,  110;  appointed 
deputy  adjutant  general, 
141 ;  to  Capt.  Van  Rens 
selaer,  140;  to  Maj.  Van 
Rensselaer,  155:  to  Sol. 
Van  Rensselaer,  186. 

Wilkinson,  Capt.,  53. 

Wilkinson,  General,  34,  68,  96, 
99.  102.  132,  134,  137,  138, 
140,  141,  142,  152,  153,  154, 
155,  186,  212.  255,  258,  308, 
318,  321 ;  to  secretary  of 
war,  153. 

Wilkinson.  James.  145,  152, 
187.  313,  3115,  326. 

Wilkinson,  Mrs.,  155. 

Willard  Elias,  334. 

Willett,  Col.,  71,241. 

Willctt,  Lieut.  Col.  M.,  239. 

Willett,  M.,  335. 

Willett,  Col.  Marinus.  79,  80, 
23S,  242,  411;  to  General 
Van  Rensselaer  238. 

Williams.    Captain,    331,   333, 

Williams,  Colonel  325, 

Williams,  Col.  John,  332,  333, 
334,  402 . 

Williams,  D.  R.,  310. 

Williams,  Elisha,  170,  182,  310  ; 
death  of,  182. 

Williams.  Lewis,  409,  410:  to 
Sol.  Van  Rensselaer,  409. 

Williams.  Major  J.  R.,  409, 
421.  422.  ' 

Wilie,  Walter.  15. 

Wilson.  Dr..  244,  288,  289,  290, 
291,  292;  to  Mai.  Lovett, 
291. 

Winchester,  Gen.,  143,  145. 

Winder,  Col.,  268,  269,  270,  279 


Winder,  Gen.,  301,  319,  320. 
Winne,   Wm.   B.,   382;   Billy, 

the  penny  post,  382. 
Winston,  Major,  112,  119. 
Wirt.  Mr.,  380. 
Wisner.  Henry,  55. 
Woodcock,  375. 
Woodcock,  David,  368,  389. 
Wood,  Elias,  338. 
Wood,  Silas,  368,  405. 
Woodstock,  the  birth  place  of 

the  Black  Prince,  129. 
Wood  worth.  Capt..  422. 
Woodworth,John,170, 185, 368. 
Wool,  Captain.  252,  258,  273, 

286  ;  report  of,  272 ;  to  Col. 

Van  Reusselaer,  272. 
Wool,  Capt.  Gen.,  285. 
Wool.  John  E.,  263,  272,   421, 

422,  424. 

Woolsey,  Capt..  288. 
Wooster.  Gen.,  48,  49,  50. 
Wolfe,  Gen.,  31,  330. 
Worth.  Major.  333. 
Wright.  Gen.,  299. 
Wright,  Mr.,  464. 

Yankee  dinner  party,  487. 
Yates.  Christopher,  56. 
Yat.es,  Col.,  £53. 
Yates,  Gov..  409,  414. 
Yates,  John  Van  Ness,  432. 
Yates,  Joseph  C.,  108,  337,  368. 
Yates,  Jiulsre.  108,  341,  400. 
Yates,  Mr.;  51. 
Yates.  Peter  W.,  158. 
Yates,  Richard,  52 ;  to  Philip 

Van  Rensselaer,  52. 
Yates,  Robert,  42.  57. 


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